People > Attorney > Bruce Berning
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Overview
Bruce retired from Tonkon Torp at the end of 2018. When Bruce was active professionally this was his biography.
Bruce has thirty-three years of broad business and corporate law experience, including corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, commercial law, and contracts. For several years, Bruce has served as general counsel for Banfield Pet Hospital as it has grown from a single veterinary hospital to more than 900 hospitals across the United States and Puerto Rico. Bruce also provides general counsel services to several other businesses in a variety of industries.
Bruce has handled hundreds of financing transactions, representing banks, asset-based lenders, and other commercial lending institutions in a broad spectrum of financing structures and with a wide variety of collateral. He has also represented borrowers in a variety of financing transactions, including bank lines of credit, real estate loans, private placements, and public debt offerings.
His clients appreciate his thorough understanding of their businesses, his determination to find ways to achieve business results despite legal obstacles, and his ability to complete projects efficiently and at a reasonable cost.
Bruce has thirty-three years of broad business and corporate law experience, including corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, commercial law, and contracts. For several years, Bruce has served as general counsel for Banfield Pet Hospital as it has grown from a single veterinary hospital to more than 900 hospitals across the United States and Puerto Rico. Bruce also provides general counsel services to several other businesses in a variety of industries.
Bruce has handled hundreds of financing transactions, representing banks, asset-based lenders, and other commercial lending institutions in a broad spectrum of financing structures and with a wide variety of collateral. He has also represented borrowers in a variety of financing transactions, including bank lines of credit, real estate loans, private placements, and public debt offerings.
His clients appreciate his thorough understanding of their businesses, his determination to find ways to achieve business results despite legal obstacles, and his ability to complete projects efficiently and at a reasonable cost.
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Featured Work
Tonkon Torp Guides Pacific Foods through Oregon’s Largest Acquisition of 2017
Tonkon Torp led Oregon's largest M&A transaction in 2017, the $700 million acquisition of Tualatin-based Pacific Foods of Oregon LLC by Campbell Investment Company. Pacific Foods is an iconic, nationally distributed organic food brand founded in 1987.
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Community Involvement & Activities
Neighborhood Health Clinics
Board Member and President
Oregon Zoo Foundation
Board of Directors
Portland Parks Foundation
Board of Directors
Hospital Facility Authority of the City of Portland
Board Member
City of Portland Food Carts Ordinance
Citizen Task Force Member
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Professional Memberships
American Veterinary Medical Law Association
Multnomah Bar Association
Multnomah Bar Association
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Awards & Recognition
The Best Lawyers in America
2005-2020, Banking & Finance Law
2015-2020, Corporate Law,br>2015, 2017, 2019, Lawyer of the Year – Banking & Finance Law
2015-2020, Corporate Law,br>2015, 2017, 2019, Lawyer of the Year – Banking & Finance Law
Super Lawyers
2006-2010, Oregon Super Lawyer – Business/Corporate
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Recent News
8.20.2018
Six Tonkon Torp Attorneys Named Portland Lawyers of the Year
Six attorneys from Tonkon Torp have been named by Best Lawyers in America® 2019 as Portland Lawyer of the Year in their specialties. In each community, only one lawyer per specialty is honored as the Lawyer of the Year by the peer review survey.
8.17.2018
Best Lawyers in America® Names 51 Tonkon Torp Attorneys to 2019 List
Fifty-one Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 41 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019. Nearly all attorneys have been named to the list in past years, and have been recognized for more than five years
4.30.2018
Tonkon Torp Donates to Building Blocks to Success
Tonkon Torp made a donation to Building Blocks to Success, an organization with the mission to get ethnically and gender diverse at-risk youth from North and Northeast Portland excited about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through…
11.1.2017
Tonkon Torp Contributes to Building Blocks to Success
Tonkon Torp made a donation to Building Blocks to Success at the request of Bruce Berning, who serves as Board Advisor to the nonprofit. The mission of Building Blocks is to get ethnically and gender diverse underserved youth from North and Northeast…
8.16.2017
Best Lawyers in America® Names 49 Tonkon Torp Attorneys to 2018 List
Forty-nine Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 39 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018. Nearly all attorneys have been named to the list in past years, and have been recognized for more than five years…
5.31.2017
Tonkon Torp Sponsors and Hosts CLE for In-House Counsel
Tonkon Torp sponsored and hosted a Continuing Legal Education ("CLE") program for the Oregon Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. The event, held at the Nike World Headquarters, brought together a full house of more than 60 in-house…
8.16.2016
Six Tonkon Torp Attorneys Named Portland Lawyers of the Year
Six attorneys from Tonkon Torp have been named by Best Lawyers in America 2017 as Portland Lawyer of the Year in their specialties. In each community, only one lawyer in each specialty is honored as the Lawyer of the Year by the peer review survey…
8.15.2016
Best Lawyers in America® Names 44 Tonkon Torp Attorneys to 2017 List
Forty-four Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 38 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017. Each attorney has been named to the list in past years, and nearly all have been recognized for more than five years…
4.12.2016
Tonkon Torp Sponsors B'nai B'rith Camp Fundraiser
Tonkon Torp was a table sponsor at B'nai B'rith Camp's April 9 dinner and fundraiser. The sponsorship was organized by Bruce Berning. B'nai B'rith Camp is a Jewish community camp, serving children and adults of all ages and various denominations.
8.18.2015
45 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America® 2016
Forty-five Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 39 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016. All of them have been named to the list at least once before, and many of them have been recognized for a number of…