Paul Conable

Practice Areas

Contract & Commercial Disputes

Corporate & Business Owner Disputes

SEC Enforcement

Environmental Litigation

Administrative & Regulatory Law

Energy Litigation

Trust & Probate Litigation

Government Law & Disputes

Shareholder Disputes & Governance

Fiduciary Representation & Litigation

Career

Paul has a wide-ranging trial practice, representing both individuals and businesses in contract and investment disputes, government investigations, and environmental matters. Paul is a past member of Tonkon Torp’s Managing Board and previously served a term as Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department.

Before joining Tonkon Torp, Paul was a judicial clerk for the Honorable Susan P. Graber at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Honorable R. William Riggs at the Oregon Supreme Court and Oregon Court of Appeals.

Professional Memberships

American College of Trial Lawyers

Arlington Club

Multnomah Bar Association

Oregon Association of Defense Counsel

Past Chair, Commercial section

Oregon State Bar

Past Chair, Business Litigation Section

Education

Work Highlights

Tonkon Torp Wins Appellate Victory in Auto Insurer Case

Tonkon Torp recently achieved a complete appellate win on behalf of its client, Leif Hansen, in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2018, Tonkon Torp attorneys Steve Olson, Paul Conable, and Meg Houlihan represented Hansen individually and in a proposed class action against his auto insurer, GEICO, for refusing to pay for digital scans of his truck as part of the truck’s repair following a collision. Hansen sued for breach of contract under his insurance policy and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The federal district court dismissed the complaint for failure to state a claim.

Tonkon Torp Wins Appellate Victory in Lake Oswego Access Dispute

Tonkon Torp litigators won a remarkable victory at the Oregon Court of Appeals in the ongoing high-profile dispute regarding public access to Oswego Lake. Here are the details.

Tonkon Torp Harvests Victory for Oregon Radish Seed Farmers

Tonkon Torp represented 45 Northwest farmers in a dispute with an East Coast commercial bank over who should receive the proceeds from the sale of the farmers’ radish seed crop. Find details and more featured cases here.

Tonkon Torp Litigators Win Judgment on Lake Oswego Access Question

A prolonged, high-profile dispute about public access to Oswego Lake was resolved recently when Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Henry Breithaupt issued an opinion upholding the City of Lake Oswego’s right to control access to the lake from the City’s public park.

Balancing Free Speech and Presidential Security – Wilker Argues at the U.S. Supreme Court on First Amendment Issue

On March 26, 2014, Tonkon Torp litigator Steven Wilker argued at the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the ACLU of Oregon in Wood v. Moss, a political viewpoint discrimination case. Find details and more featured cases here.

Lumber Mill Redevelopment

Counseled clients in the decommissioning of old lumber mills in Oregon, Idaho and Montana and preparing them for different land use.

Shareholder Agreement Dispute

Protected the majority owners of a manufacturing company from a minority shareholder who refused to redeem minority shares under a shareholder agreement, resulting in an award to our clients of specific performance, a new share valuation, and significant attorney fees.

Columbia Helicopters v. Boeing

Represented Columbia Helicopters in a dispute over Boeing’s refusal to sell Boeing helicopter parts to Oregon-based Columbia Helicopters, to allow Columbia to fulfill its contracts to repair Boeing-manufactured military CH-47 Chinook helicopters. To resolve threatened antitrust litigation, Boeing ultimately agreed to recognize Columbia Helicopters as an independent service organization provide Columbia with Boeing parts to perform CH-47 repair services.

Billion Dollar Development Fees

Successfully obtained writ of review challenging the City of Portland’s adoption of billion-dollar development fees.

Enron Corporation

Representing a member of the Board of Directors of Enron Corporation in litigation across the United States.

Nutritional Supplements

Representing a nutritional retailer and manufacturer of nutritional supplements in lawsuit brought by State of Oregon.

Investment Fund

Obtaining a multi-million-dollar jury verdict in a state court trial arising out of the client's losses in an investment fund.

City of Albany v. SVC Manufacturing Inc.

Defended SVC, a subsidiary of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, in a $105,000,000 breach of contract action filed by the City of Albany after SVC terminated a development agreement pursuant to which SVC was to build a Gatorade plant in Albany.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Oregon State Bar

Washington State Bar Association

U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon

Awards