My law practice reflects my belief that everyone deserves respect and dignity in the workplace. I grew up in a large family in rural North Idaho and Eastern Washington. My grandfather, father, and brothers worked as flooring installers, and I spent summers throughout high school working on job sites. I’ve had many jobs since then, but my respect for hard work hasn’t changed.
I represent individuals whose rights have been violated in the workplace—claims such as unlawful harassment, whistleblower retaliation, medical leave violations, unpaid wages, and many others. I also regularly handle civil cases outside the employment arena when someone can’t find an attorney to represent them, and I’m convinced they have a righteous case.
In most cases I attempt to negotiate a fair resolution before litigating a case. If attempts at negotiation are unsuccessful, I will fight hard for my clients. Several of my clients have won significant victories in jury trials and arbitration hearings when their disputes could not be fairly resolved through negotiation. I’ve pursued claims in state and federal courts, state and federal administrative forums, and court-mandated and private arbitrations. I’ve also obtained victories on appeal.
Prior to law school I spent nearly a decade working as a legislative staffer and policy advocate in the Washington legislature. While in law school I clerked for Student Legal Services at Portland State University and the Community Development Law Center at Legal Aid Services of Oregon. I joined Bennett Hartman in 2013 and became a partner in 2017.
When I’m not at work, I enjoy bicycling around Portland and planning my next travel adventure.
Joined Firm
2013
Admitted to Practice
- Oregon State Bar (2013)
- U.S. District of Oregon (2014)
- Washington State Bar (2018)
- U.S. Western District of Washington (2018)
Representative Cases
- Hernandez v. Reed Group, Ltd. et al., 311 Or. App. 70, 490 P3d 166 (2021) (appellate victory against third-party benefits administrator that erroneously denied medical leave and claimed it could not be sued under Oregon employment laws)
- Vasquez v. Blubird World, LLC, Mult. Co. Circuit Court, Case No. 18CV41572 (jury verdict in favor of employee on claims of hostile work environment, disability discrimination, and constructive discharge)
- Hathaway et al. v. Colrich California Construction, Inc. et al., Mult. Co. Circuit Court, Case No. 16CV07602 (settlements on behalf of tenants of 300-unit apartment building that failed to remedy habitability defects)
- Thanane et al. v. Providence Health & Services – Oregon, U.S. Federal District Court of Oregon, Case No. 3:13-cv-01620-MO (class action wage claim settlement on behalf of 30,000+ employees for unpaid wages as a result of timecard rounding software and timecard manipulations by managers)
Education
- Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College (J.D., 2012)
- The Evergreen State College (B.A., 2001)