Ogletree Deakins Adds Group in Northwest, Expands Traditional Labor, Litigation, Immigration Practices

PORTLAND, Ore. – August 12, 2013 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, has significantly deepened its presence in the Northwest by welcoming a group of lawyers from Littler Mendelson. The group includes three highly acclaimed shareholders who bolster Ogletree Deakins’ traditional labor experience, employment litigation capabilities, and immigration depth. Shareholders Howard Rubin, Larry Amburgey, and Patricia Haim reunite with their colleagues Caroline Guest and Ursula Kienbaum, who also recently joined Ogletree Deakins from Littler’s Portland office.

“We’ve made a strategic investment in Portland and the Northwest, which includes a commitment to attracting and retaining the best and brightest attorneys in the market,” said Kim Ebert, managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins. “This group is a real coup for our efforts in the region as their decades of experience and stellar reputation underscore the depth of service and value we provide our clients.”

“We are thrilled that this accomplished and well-known group of attorneys is a part of our growth in Portland and the region. They will make an immediate impact among the employer community, especially in the areas of traditional labor, employment law, and immigration, which have seen significant developments of late,” said Jathan Janove, managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins’ Portland office.

Rubin has represented public and private sector employers in the full range of employment and labor law matters for more than 25 years. His traditional labor practice includes the representation of employers in union organizing campaigns, interest and grievance arbitrations, unfair labor practice charges, labor agreement administration, and negotiations. In his employment law practice, he has handled wrongful discharge, discrimination, breach of contract, tort, and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) claims. He has appeared before federal and state administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB), and the Washington Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC).

Rubin has been named as one of the top labor and employment lawyers in Oregon by Chambers USA, one of the Top 100 Labor Attorneys in the United States by the Labor Relations Institute, and has been included in Best Lawyers in America and Oregon Super Lawyers. He earned his J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College.

Amburgey offers more than 35 years of experience representing employers in the Pacific Northwest region. In his traditional labor practice, he handles union organizing campaigns, unfair labor practice matters, labor negotiations, grievances, and labor arbitrations. He has arbitrated more than 500 cases and appears in state and federal courts and before agencies, such as the EEOC and the NLRB, as well as comparable state agencies, including the Washington Human Rights Commission and BOLI. Amburgey’s employment law practice focuses on discrimination and wrongful discharge claims, and statutory claims arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and Title VII.

Amburgey has been named as one of the top labor and employment lawyers in Oregon by Chambers USA, a Top 50 Lawyer by Super Lawyers, and has been included in Best Lawyers in America every year since 1995. He is also a fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and is committed to advancing the public interest through the law. In fact, an award bearing his name – the Lewis and Clark Law School Larry K. Amburgey Commitment to Public Interest Law Award – has been founded in his honor. A sought-after speaker, Amburgey regularly presents on employment and labor law topics and hosts educational and training programs for employers, non-profit organizations, and trade associations throughout the Northwest. He is a member of the Civil Rights and Labor Law sections of the Oregon State Bar, and has served as an adjunct professor teaching labor law at Lewis & Clark Law School. Amburgey earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College.

Patricia Haim has almost 30 years of experience representing employers in labor, employment, and business immigration matters. Her business immigration practice focuses on a number of matters, including I-9 requirements and compliance, and the filing of immigrant and non-immigrant visa petitions. She also advises clients on a wide range of employment law issues, including equal employment opportunity, wage and hour, hiring, performance management, termination, background checks, policies, procedures, handbooks, leaves, disability, and reasonable accommodation. Haim has considerable experience with the ADA, FMLA, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Title VII, and Oregon-specific employment discrimination and wage and hour laws.

Active in her community, Haim is a member of the Board of Directors for the Path of the Heart, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing food, clothing, education, and necessities to the indigent children and families in the Sacred Valley of Peru. She is a former board member of the Northwest EEO/Affirmative Action Association and the Oregon Business Leadership Network, and is very involved with the Oregon State Bar. Haim earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School. Earlier, she received a Ph.D. and M.A. from Duke University and a B.A. (Hons.) from the University of Melbourne.

Beyond the significant additions to Ogletree Deakins’ Portland office, growth has also occurred throughout the firm’s platform. In 2013, the firm has opened two new offices and added more than 20 new shareholders.

About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. The firm has more than 650 lawyers located in 44 offices across the United States and in Europe. Ogletree Deakins was named “Law Firm of the Year” in both the Litigation – Labor & Employment and the Employment Law – Management categories in the 2013 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list. In addition to handling labor and employment law matters, the firm has thriving practices focused on business immigration, employee benefits, and workplace safety and health law. Ogletree Deakins represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies. www.ogletreedeakins.com