Overview
In addition to his litigation work, Alex is Chair of our Cannabis Industry Practice Group. He represents individuals and companies doing business in the cannabis industry, and advises clients on cannabis laws and regulations and other cannabis-specific legal issues.
Alex joined Tonkon Torp after graduating summa cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School. As a student, Alex was inducted into the Cornelius Honor Society by the faculty, was named Outstanding Clinical Advocate, and won the first year Best Brief award in legal writing. He also received the John & Susan Bates Family Endowed Scholarship in Business Law, the Milt Smith & James Richardson Business Law Scholarship, and the Dean’s Scholarship for Excellence.
Alex worked as a summer associate for Tonkon Torp and as a Judicial Extern for Honorable Ancer L. Haggerty, U.S. District Judge, during law school. Prior to law school, Alex worked primarily on policy advocacy in the nonprofit and public sectors, holding positions including civic engagement director and aide to an Oregon State Representative. He continues his involvement in the Portland community, serving as a cooperating attorney for the Oregon ACLU and as a board member for the Resource Innovation Institute and the Oregon Cannabis Association.
Get To Know
Alex serves as a board member and treasurer of the Bonnie Jeanne Tinker Memorial Fund, founded in honor of his mother, a political activist who headed the Portland, Oregon organization Love Makes a Family, and as a board member for the Resource Innovation Institute, which promotes energy and water conservation in the cannabis industry.
Featured Representative Matters
Shareholder Dispute
Farm Management Dispute
Shareholder Dispute
LLC Member Dispute
Shareholder Dispute
Civil RICO, Ainsworth v. Owenby, No. 6:17-cv-01935 (D. Or. 2019)
Breach of Contract
Breach of Contract
Breach of Contract
Breach of Contract
Creditor Priority
Utility Ratemaking
Specific Performance
Malicious Prosecution
Featured Work
Tonkon Torp Wins Arbitration for Cannabis Farm Manager
Tonkon Torp has secured an award of $647k for a cannabis farm management company based on its work in 2017. 2017 was the first year a large number of outdoor cannabis farms were licensed by the OLCC. This combined with favorable weather conditions resulted in a record bumper crop, and the wholesale price of sungrown cannabis dropped by more than half.
Tonkon Torp Wins Dismissal of RICO Claims Attacking Cannabis Industry – First of its Kind in 9th Circuit
Tonkon Torp secured a dismissal of civil RICO claims filed in federal court based on defendants' involvement in an Oregon Medical Marijuana Program grow operation. Four civil RICO cases have been filed this year in Oregon against nearly 300 businesses and individuals engaged in state-authorized cannabis activity.
Tonkon Torp Completes Successful Arbitration for Owners of Closely Held Business
In December 2015, Tonkon Torp closed a swift and successful arbitration to enforce payment owed to its clients, family members who founded and grew a successful business in the Northwest. In 2012, the clients had worked with Tonkon Torp to sell the company to a large, billion-dollar national entity.
Community Involvement & Activities
ACLU Foundation of Oregon
2015-Present, Cooperating Attorney
Bonnie Jeanne Tinker Memorial Fund
2010-Present, Board Member and Treasurer
Oregon Cannabis Association
2019-Present, Board Member
Portland Story Theater
2018-Present, Board Member
Resource Innovation Institute
2016-Present, Board Member
Multnomah County
2009-2016, Elected Precinct Committee Person
Lewis & Clark Public Interest Law Project
2015, Stipend Board Member
Portland City Club
2013-2015, Bike Advocacy Committee Member
Professional Memberships
International Cannabis Bar Association
Multnomah Bar Association
Recent News
Nine Rising Tonkon Torp Attorneys Included on 2021 “Ones to Watch” List
26 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Honored on 2020 Super Lawyers Lists
Tonkon Torp Holds Pandemic Primer Webinar for Oregon Cannabis Businesses
Alex Tinker Presents at TiE Oregon Guide to Intersection of Health, Tech, and Cannabis
PODCAST: Vineyard Allowed To Sue Cannabis Farm
31 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Honored on 2019 Super Lawyers Lists
Tonkon Torp Presents Energy Innovation Award at Cultivation Classic Conference
Alex Tinker Joins Oregon Cannabis Association Board of Directors
Alex Tinker Speaks at YPO Summit
Alex Tinker Speaks on OSB Cannabis Section Panel
Recent Alerts
Will Oregon’s Cannabis Industry Go Up in Smoke Due to COVID-19 Fallout?
CBD Business and Regulation Focus - The 2018 Farm Bill
Publications & Presentations
Moderator, "A Pandemic Primer for Cannabis Businesses – Unique Challenges for a Unique Industry," April 2020
"Will Oregon’s Cannabis Industry Go Up in Smoke Due to COVID-19 Fallout?" Portland Business Journal, April 2020
“Regulatory Landmarks: Current and Potential Regulations,” Investors Guide to the Intersection of Health, Tech, & Cannabis, TiE Oregon, October 2019
Podcast, “Vineyard Allowed To Sue Cannabis Farm,” Think Out Loud, Oregon Public Broadcasting, September 2019
Panelist, "Cannabis Industry Regulatory and Enforcement Issues," YPO Summit, April 2019
Panelist, “Lessons and Experience from the Oregon Civil RICO Cases,” Oregon State Bar Cannabis Law Section, March 2019
"CBD Business and Regulation Focus – The 2018 Farm Bill," Tonkon Torp Legal Update, February 2019
Panelist, “Drug Money in the Age of Regulated Cannabis,” RIMS, The Risk Management Society Western Regional Conference, September 2018
“CBDo or CBDon’t: The Hazy Law of Industrial Hemp and CBD,” June 2018
"How Close Can You Get to Marijuana Without Being Burned?" Northwest Summit for Financial Professionals, May 2017
"Coming Out on Top in Cannabis Business Disputes," 3rd Annual Cannabis Collaborative Conference, February 2017
"Legal Realities for Cannabis Entrepreneurs," December 2015