Overview
Jeff is known for his ability to combine technical skills, practical problem solving, and strategic business advice. He has significant experience in the athletic footwear and apparel, professional services, food and beverage, financial services, technology, and manufacturing industries.
Representative clients include Nike, RVK, Inc., Opus Agency, Renaissance Custom Homes, ECO Northwest, Hood River Distillers, Air-Weigh, Portland-based law firms, James Beard Public Market, and M Financial Group.
Jeff is Co-Chair of the firm’s Business Department, and is also an active member of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Financial Services & Investment Management practice groups. He is the co-author of the financing chapter for Advising Oregon Businesses. He is a frequent speaker before industry and professional groups on M&A, finance, and corporate governance issues.
Jeff’s interest in nonprofit organizations includes his service as a director and treasurer of Oregon Humanities and his leadership of and continued involvement with Marathon Scholars. He is a founding member of Marathon, which provides higher education scholarship opportunities to low-income students. He also serves on the Board of Oregon Humanities and assists the James Beard Public Market, Friends of William Stafford, and a number of other nonprofits in the Portland area.
Get To Know
Featured Representative Matters
Software Solutions Unlimited, Inc.
Hood River Distillers
Industrial Production Facility
Opus Agency
Shareholder Dispute
Corporate Control Dispute
Nike Bauer Hockey
Official Starter
D & M Holdings
Portland Restaurant
Kronos
Official Starter Properties
Enron Corp.
Ownership Disputes
Seed & Venture Funding
Featured Work
Tonkon Torp Represents SensiML in Sale to QuickLogic
Tonkon Torp represented Beaverton’s early-stage SensiML Corporation in its acquisition by QuickLogic Corporation, a California-based public company. SensiML spun off from Intel Corporation in 2017 to offer a platform-independent software toolkit that allows equipment manufacturers to develop pattern matching sensor algorithms using machine learning technology.
Tonkon Torp Leads Sale of Pendleton Whisky Brands for Hood River Distillers
In early 2018, Tonkon Torp concluded the $205 million sale of the Pendleton Whisky brands by its client Hood River Distillers, Inc. (HRD) to Proximo Spirits, whose international portfolio of spirits includes Jose Cuervo tequila. HRD was Oregon’s first distillery, and one of Tonkon's original clients.
Tonkon Represents Opus Agency in Equity Investment Transaction
Tonkon Torp’s Mergers & Acquisition practice group represented client Opus Agency in a significant equity transaction with private equity firm Fan Creek Capital, providing substantial additional growth capital to Opus. Opus, a global corporate events and experiential marketing agency headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, serves Fortune 1000 clients such as Salesforce, Amazon, Intel and Alaska Airlines.
Tonkon Concludes Multi-State, Multi-Party M&A Transaction
Tonkon Torp represented a national financial services provider in a multi-step M&A transaction that repositioned payment stream portfolios and resulted in the acquisition of operating offices. This detailed and linear sequence was completed in six weeks with negotiations involving multiple parties.
Tonkon Torp Completes Complex Asset Sale for Privately Held Business
In late 2014, Tonkon Torp represented a privately held heavy industrial equipment manufacturer in a complex transaction that included selling business assets and real property, and leasing other related business property. The selling company is a long-term client of the firm.
Tonkon Torp Helps Create Oregon Benefit Companies
Tonkon Torp client Rogue Creamery became the first Oregon enterprise to become a Benefit Company on January 1, 2014, the date Oregon’s new law went into effect. Find details and more featured cases here.
Community Involvement & Activities
James Beard Public Market
Friends of William Stafford
Marathon Education Partners, Past Board Member and Past Chair
Professional Memberships
Multnomah Bar Association
Oregon State Bar Legal Opinions Subcommittee, Past Chair
Oregon Secretary of State Working Group – Benefit Company Legislation, Past Member
Recent News
Best Lawyers in America® Includes 49 Tonkon Torp Attorneys on 2021 List
Tonkon Torp Business Department Unpacks Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act
Tonkon Attorneys Help Businesses Prepare for PPP Loan Forgiveness
Tonkon Torp Webinar Encourages Businesses to Prepare to Thrive in COVID-19 Recovery
Chambers USA Names 20 Tonkon Torp Attorneys in 2020 Ranking
Jeff Cronn Talks Transition Planning for Family-Owned Businesses
2020 List for Best Lawyers in America® Includes 48 Tonkon Torp Attorneys
Jeff Cronn Leads Conversation on Non-Family Board Members for OSU
Chambers USA Names 23 Tonkon Torp Attorneys in 2019 Ranking
Pendleton Whisky Sale Wins Mexican Deal of the Year
Recent Alerts
Was My PPP Loan "Necessary"? Updated SBA Guidance on Loan Certification
PPP Loan Certification Guidance – Should I Give the Money Back?
FAQ: COVID-19 Impact & Financial Resources for Businesses
Supplemental FAQ for SBA Loans under the CARES Act - Paycheck Protection Program
FAQ for SBA Loans for Businesses under the CARES Act
JOBS Act Directs SEC to Lift Ban on General Solicitation and General Advertising in Rule 506 Offerings
SEC Adopts Final Rules on Performance-Based Fees
Final ERISA Service Provider Fee Disclosure Rules Go Into Effect July 1, 2012
SEC Overhauls Form ADV Part 1A to Conform to New Dodd-Frank Requirements
SEC Extends Deadlines for Compliance with New Investment Adviser Registration Regime under Dodd-Frank
Publications & Presentations
"PPP Loan Forgiveness: What Do We Do Now?" May 2020
"PPP Loan Certification Guidance – Should I Give the Money Back?" Tonkon Torp Legal Update, May 2020
"FAQ: COVID-19 Impact & Financial Resources for Businesses," Tonkon Torp Legal Update, April 2020
Panelist, "Preparing to Thrive in the Recovery: Cash Flow, PPP Loans, and Alternative Capital," April 2020
"Supplemental FAQ for SBA Loans under the CARES Act - Paycheck Protection Program," Tonkon Torp Legal Update, April 2020
"FAQ for SBA Loans for Businesses under the CARES Act," Tonkon Torp Legal Update, March 2020
“Exit Ahead: Transition Planning for Family-Owned Businesses,” Oregon Business Magazine, September 2019
"Inviting Outsiders In – Exploring the Value of Non-Family Board Members," Austin Family Business Program, Oregon State University, March 2019
"Exit Stage Right – Understanding Your Family Business Exit Options," Austin Family Business Program, Oregon State University, April 2018
"Oregon Benefit Companies – Greenwashing or a Real Change?" March 2018
"Business Transitions: Employee Purchase or Sale," KeyBank, May 2017
"The Heart of the Deal: M&A Attorneys Reveal the Most Important Steps, Make 2017 Forecasts," Portland Business Journal, April 2017
"Contract Drafting," Lewis & Clark Law School, April 2017
"Thought Leader Forum – Succession Planning," Portland Business Journal, June 2016
"Indemnity Provisions & Principles: Traps for the Unwary," Oregon State Bar Business Law Section, Bend, OR, June 2016
"Legal Perspective on Business Transitions," KeyBank, May 2016
"Insights into Indemnification Provisions," Oregon State Bar, July 2015
"Oregon's New Crowdfunding Rule," Oregon State Bar Securities Regulation Section, February 2015
"Crowdfunding for Small Oregon Businesses – Proposed New Rules," The Long View, Oregon State Bar Sustainable Future Section, Winter 2014
"Growth by Affiliation or Acquisition," Business & Industry Conference, Oregon Society of CPAs, October 2014
"Corporate Social Responsibility: Making it Meaningful," Oregon State Bar Sustainable Future Section Newsletter, Summer 2014
"Business Transition Legal Planning," Business Transition Seminar, KeyBank, May 2014
"Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: Making it Meaningful," OSB Sustainable Future Section, February 2014
"Looking Past the 'Big Law' Business Model," Portland Business Journal, January 2014
"How to Obtain and Preserve Value When Selling a Business," Daily Journal of Commerce, November 2013
"Real Life Ethics Issues in Business Deals and Litigation," OSB Business Litigation Section, November 2013
"Spring Wind and Rain: Too Much of a Good Thing?" Daily Journal of Commerce, June 2012
"Protecting the Board of Directors," Daily Journal of Commerce, June 2012