Barran Liebman LLP

Firm Details:
Managing Partners: Edwin A. Harnden & Andrew M. Schpak
Executive Director: Traci R. Ray
Number of Partners: 12
Number of Lawyers: 22
Languages: English

FIRM OVERVIEW:
Barran Liebman is an employment, labor, benefits, and higher education law firm that exclusively represents employers. The firm provides employment law and labor management solutions for employers of all sizes and industries, including colleges, universities, boards, and administrations. Located in Portland, Oregon, Barran Liebman attorneys are proud to support clients in the Pacific Northwest and across the country. Whether an employer, human resource professional, in-house counsel, business executive, or business owner, clients benefit from Barran Liebman's specialized experience and exceptional client service.

For more than 25 years, Barran Liebman has concentrated their work in five practice areas including employment advice, employment litigation, higher education compliance and litigation, labor relations, and employee benefits.

MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE:
As the largest employment law firm in Oregon, Barran Liebman’s experienced attorneys and dedicated staff collaborate to defend the interests of employers from all sizes and industries. From employment matters such as sexual harassment, collective bargaining, and wrongful discharge (to name only a few), the firm’s attorneys are proficient in the legal complexities of their practice, and clients benefit from their efficiency and effectiveness both in the advice they give and in the litigation, negotiation, and mediation arenas.

Although Barran Liebman is well-known for providing optimal results for clients when they seek representation, the firm is also a strong believer that a workplace challenge is best handled if it is prevented in the first place. Barran Liebman strives to create a strong foundation for the workplace by providing a variety of proactive client training tools and educational opportunities.

Employment Law Advice:
Barran Liebman regularly handles issues and disputes arising from claims involving discrimination; ADA, ADEA and Title VII; substance abuse; employee status and classification; employee theft; employment contracts; equal employment opportunity matters; family medical leave; privacy; retaliation; sexual harassment; violence; wage and hour; social media; wrongful termination; complex executive disputes; non-competition and non-solicitation agreements; misappropriation of trade secrets and other intellectual property; and separation benefits. The firm also prepares and revises workplace policies and procedures, including employee handbooks. In addition, the firm’s attorneys participate in rules development for administrative agencies and in the legislative process, and prepare amicus briefs in employment EEO and employment-at-will cases in appellate courts.

Employment Litigation:
Much of Barran Liebman’s employment work is in the litigation arena, including everything from equal employment opportunity, discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, and employment-at-will matters. Each year, the firm handles hundreds of Oregon Civil Rights Division, EEOC, OFCCP, and Washington Human Rights Commission charges and defends dozens of court actions throughout the Northwest. The team defends employers in litigation brought against them and brings claims on behalf of employers.

Labor Relations:
Barran Liebman represents employers in both private and public sectors, offering counsel in both union and non-union environments. The firm works with employers to avoid union campaigns altogether by helping implement fair policies for effective management that decrease the need for employees to seek outside union representation. However, if the union engages in such a campaign, they work with employers on the proper responses. Barran Liebman’s deep bench and experience in handling National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and state labor relations agency hearings benefits clients as they provide insightful counsel on the best ways to avoid Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) complaints. However, if a complaint does arise, the firm represents employers in ULP proceedings, strikes, secondary activity, and negotiations at the bargaining table or behind-the-scenes. The team also regularly advises on contract interpretation and grievance management and handling.

Employee Benefits:
Barran Liebman represents employers in the drafting, design, and growth of retirement and health plans, as well as executive compensation and §409A compliance. This includes counseling private employers, municipalities, and multi-employer pension and benefit trusts in all aspects of the design, tax qualification, and ERISA compliance of retirement plans, executive compensation, and health and welfare benefit plans.

Higher Education:
Barran Liebman provides legal advice and representation to universities for their specialized employment and compliance needs. The firm’s work includes a deep understanding of the range of issues that are unique to institutions of higher learning, including issues with faculty (recruitment and hiring, tenure disputes, discipline, and academic freedom), students (employment, discipline, and confidentiality), and staff, including Title IX and FERPA compliance advice and training.

Internal Investigations:
Barran Liebman performs neutral fact-finding investigations for a variety of workplace settings ranging from public entities, including state agencies and local governments, to private companies and non-profits. The firm has a strong team of investigators who have honed their skills through years of experience as well as certification and continuing education with the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI) Training Institute.

Key Contact:
Traci R. Ray, Executive Director
Tel: 503 276 2115
Email: [email protected]