Tonkon Torp has extensive experience guiding clients through the political process and through disputes with government agencies, including while in the investigative stage.
Our team is comprised of experienced lawyers with political experience and the proven ability to navigate complex administrative and regulatory issues through lobbying, litigation, and counseling.
Government Relations
Our government relations team offers clients decades of experience. We have a deep knowledge of public policy, the political process, campaigns, and communications.
We achieve positive results and provide technical and strategic guidance for clients in a tumultuous political and regulatory environment.
Our attorneys provide clients unique access to political infrastructure and various policy-making bodies. Clients benefit from our credible reputation, the relationships we have built over the years, and the new relationships we continually cultivate.
Our services include:
- Direct advocacy and lobbying at all levels of government
- Strategic advice and counsel
- Grassroots organizing and coalition building
- Strategic communications and messaging
- Campaign consulting
- Procurement and appropriations
- Executive branch regulation and rules
- PAC creation, fundraising, and management
Government Litigation
Our firm regularly assists clients in disputes with the government. Several of our lawyers have formerly worked for the government, providing us with the insight and judgment to handle administrative proceedings, investigations, and preemption matters for our clients. When disputes with the government require litigation, our team has experience including:
Administrative Disputes: We seek favorable rulemakings from federal and state administrative agencies and respond to or challenge new rules on behalf of our clients. We regularly represent clients before the:
- Bonneville Power Administration
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Federal Communications Commission
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Federal Reserve Board
- Federal Trade Commission
- Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
- Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
- Oregon Department of Justice
- Oregon Division of Finance and Corporate Securities
- Oregon Public Utility Commission
- Securities and Exchange Commission
- U. S. Department of Justice
- Washington Public Utility Commission
Enforcement Actions: We handle complicated matters involving securities law and corporate governance and often represent officers and directors in SEC and state enforcement actions.
Federal Preemption: We represent companies seeking federal preemption of unfavorable state and local statutes and regulations.
Government Investigations: We help individuals and companies respond to government investigative demands, subpoenas, and search warrants, as well as in facing ongoing investigations by a variety of state and federal agencies.
Government Overreach: We help our clients when faced with unreasonable applications of existing laws and regulations.
Tax: We represent clients in tax controversies, including audits and litigation before the Internal Revenue Service, state and local taxing authorities, the U.S. Tax Court, the Oregon Tax Court, and more.
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Case Studies
Tonkon Torp Government Solutions Group Successfully Challenges Campaign Fine in City Council Race
Attorneys in Tonkon Torp’s Government Solutions group were victorious for new City Councilmember Rene Gonzalez in the first judicial examination of Portland’s Small Donor Elections program.
Danny Newman Helps Texas Neighborhood Remove Unconstitutional and Racist Language from Deeds
Many aspects of systemic racial injustice in America were given new scrutiny in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s death in 2020. In Houston’s St. Stevens United Methodist Church parish, Reverend Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe pointed out in a sermon that blatantly racist deed restrictions still exist for many Texas neighborhoods including his own in Northwest Houston: “None of the lots… shall be used, owned or occupied by any person other than of the Caucasian Race.”
Attorney Maureen McGee Contributes to Enactment of Private Forest Accord
For Government Relations & Solutions attorney Maureen McGee, the close of the busy 2022 Oregon legislative session brought more than one reason to celebrate. Through her work as neutral legislative drafting counsel, Maureen made key contributions to a three-bill package enacting concepts of the Private Forest Accord into Oregon law, a precedent-setting collaboration between the timber industry and environmental groups.
Tonkon Torp Wins Ballot Challenge at Oregon Supreme Court
Tonkon Torp’s Government Solutions Practice Group is celebrating the release of an Oregon Supreme Court opinion in favor of its client, Associated General Contractors.
Tonkon Torp Wins Ballot Challenge for Oregon Agriculture Coalition
Tonkon Torp’s Government Solutions Practice Group is celebrating a successful effort on behalf of the Oregon Farm Bureau seeking changes to an Attorney General’s ballot title, caption and summary.
Representative Matters
Successful Ballot Challenge at Oregon Supreme Court
Represented Associated General Contractors in a ballot challenge for Initiative Petition 41 (IP 41). Following successful modifications requested in a comment letter submitted to the Attorney General (AG) for draft ballot title for IP 41, Tonkon Torp petitioned the Oregon Supreme Court for further refinement. The Court was persuaded by Tonkon Torp’s arguments and referred the ballot title back to the AG’s office, which made the required modifications.
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We encourage you to contact us if you have further questions about our firm or our experience. For your protection, we cannot represent you until we know that doing so will not create a conflict of interest. Accordingly, please do not send us any confidential or secret information about any matter that may involve you until you receive a written statement from us that we represent you (an engagement letter).
If after browsing this web site you are unsure which lawyer you should contact, please call us at 503.221.1440.