Corporate Governance
Tonkon Torp’s corporate governance team helps directors and officers of public companies who are facing heightened levels of scrutiny and responsibility. Our lawyers have been advising clients on corporate governance issues since long before the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and we can discern cost-effective compliance measures from useless formalities. We help clients navigate public disclosure obligations, internal investigations, securities litigation and the fiduciary obligations of directors.
We also help private companies and nonprofits implement corporate governance best practices that improve the decision-making process, help to insure compliance with applicable governance standards, and avoid disputes. With aid from Tonkon Torp, clients remain focused on their core objectives and retain the confidence of key stakeholders, including shareholders, donors, and community members.
We counsel and advise on:
Our investigation experience includes:
We also help private companies and nonprofits implement corporate governance best practices that improve the decision-making process, help to insure compliance with applicable governance standards, and avoid disputes. With aid from Tonkon Torp, clients remain focused on their core objectives and retain the confidence of key stakeholders, including shareholders, donors, and community members.
Counseling & Compliance
Tonkon Torp attorneys prevent problems by helping clients in a range of industries develop up-to-date governance policies and procedures. We help clients comply with SEC and exchange requirements, Nasdaq governance standards and Benefit Company registration and reporting.We counsel and advise on:
- Disclosure obligations
- Director fiduciary responsibilities
- Audit committee responsibilities
- Controlling shareholder responsibilities
- Use of special committees
- Compliance and document retention policies
Investigations
We protect our clients’ interests during internal and external investigations. Tonkon Torp attorneys have experience advising boards, special committees, individual directors and officers. We can also conduct internal investigations and prepare confidential reports. Our legal team helps structure investigations to uncover fraud and we defend clients in administrative and court proceedings brought by the SEC and DOJ.Our investigation experience includes:
- Internal investigations and special committee reports
- SEC, DOJ and legislative investigations
- Shareholder disputes including securities class actions, derivative suits and professional liability actions
- Criminal and civil white collar defense arising from securities fraud
Litigation
Tonkon Torp's trial lawyers have substantial experience litigating corporate governance cases. We defend clients in shareholder lawsuits, securities class action cases and derivative suits. We also conduct criminal and civil white collar defenses arising from allegations of securities fraud. More information can be found on our Corporate and Business Owner Disputes page.Attorneys
Paralegals
Capital Restructuring and Common Stock Offering
Assisted a privately-held electronics manufacturer with capital restructuring, general corporate governance and its offering of 2,000,000 shares of its common stock.
Government Contracting Debarment Threat
Assisted client in researching and analyzing alleged threats of debarment or suspension as a government contractor under the Federal Acquisition Regulations and assisted client with general corporate governance matters.
2.2.2012
Preparing for the 2012 Proxy Season
This Client Update provides an overview of corporate governance and disclosure matters that U.S. public companies should note as they approach the 2012 proxy season. The matters addressed will not apply equally to all companies, and their…
8.26.2020
Four Tonkon Torp Attorneys Earn Portland Lawyer of the Year Honor
Four Tonkon Torp partners have been named Portland Lawyer of the Year in their specialties by Best Lawyers in America 2021. In each community, only one lawyer per specialty is honored as Lawyer of the Year by the peer-review survey.
8.20.2020
Best Lawyers in America® Includes 49 Tonkon Torp Attorneys on 2021 List
Forty-nine Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 36 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2021. A majority of attorneys have been named to the peer-review list in past years, and most have been recognized for more…
11.4.2019
Tonkon Torp Practice Areas Ranked in 2020 U.S. News "Best Law Firms" Publication
U.S. News – Best Lawyers® has released its 2020 edition of "Best Law Firms." Tonkon Torp is once again ranked among the nation's best for six business law service categories including Land Use & Zoning Law, Securities Regulation, Commercial…
8.19.2019
Four Tonkon Torp Attorneys Earn Portland Lawyer of the Year Honor
Timothy J. Conway, Sherrill Corbett, Brenda Meltebeke, and Thomas Palmer have been named by Best Lawyers in America 2020 as Portland Lawyer of the Year in their specialties. In each community, only one lawyer per specialty is honored as Lawyer of the…
8.15.2019
2020 List for Best Lawyers in America® Includes 48 Tonkon Torp Attorneys
Forty-eight Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 39 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020. A majority of attorneys have been named to the list in past years, and most have been recognized for more than five…
11.2.2018
Tonkon Torp Practice Areas Ranked in 2019 U.S. News "Best Law Firms" Publication
U.S. News – Best Lawyers® has released its 2019 edition of "Best Law Firms." Tonkon Torp is once again ranked among the nation's best for six business law service categories including Land Use & Zoning Law, Securities Regulation, Commercial…
10.26.2018
Tonkon Torp Attorneys Speak at TiE Startup Bootcamp
On October 17, attorneys from Tonkon Torp’s Entrepreneurial Services and Labor & Employment practice groups spoke to Oregon startups at the TiE Oregon Bootcamp.
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
11.1.2017
Tonkon Torp Practice Areas Ranked in 2018 U.S. News "Best Law Firms" Publication
The U.S. News & World Report Best Lawyers has released its 2018 edition of "Best Law Firms" and Tonkon Torp is once again ranked among the nation's best for a broad swath of business law services including Land Use & Zoning Law, Commercial Litigation…