Close Print
Print

James M. Barrett

Shareholder || Portland (OR)

Employment Law, Class Action, Litigation, Drug Testing, Leaves of Absence/Reasonable Accommodation, Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets

James Barrett represents private and public employers in all aspects of employment-related disputes.  He has defended clients against single plaintiff and class action lawsuits involving claims relating to wage and hour disputes, drug testing, whistleblowing, discrimination, and retaliation.   He has also successfully obtained injunctive relief to enforce non-competition agreements against a client’s former employees.

Prior to joining Ogletree, James was a partner at Ater Wynne LLP in Portland, Oregon, where he represented private and public businesses on a broad range of issues, including matters of corporate governance and the defense of shareholder claims.  He also represented the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in an investigation of potential claims against directors and officers of a failed bank in Southern California.

Employment Law, Class Action, Litigation, Drug Testing, Leaves of Absence/Reasonable Accommodation, Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets
Learn more about James M. Barrett

Mr. Barrett has represented clients in litigating employment disputes in Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Idaho.  Representative matters include:

Education

Admission to Practice

Professional Activities

  • American Bar Association
  • Multnomah Bar Association
  • Oregon Association of Defense Counsel (OADC)

Speeches

Insights by James M. Barrett

oregon state flag

Oregon Enacts Temporary Rule Requiring Healthcare Worker Vaccinations or COVID-19 Testing

In recent weeks, Oregon has seen a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations due to the more contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, which threatens to overwhelm local hospitals. On August 5, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) adopted a temporary rule on an emergency basis in response to Governor Kate Brown’s direction to curb and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in healthcare settings.

oregon state flag

Oregon Enacts New Modifications to Noncompete Law for 2021

On May 21, 2021, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 169, making substantial changes to the statute that limits noncompetition agreements with Oregon employees, Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 653.295. The changes apply to any employee noncompetition agreement entered into on or after the effective date of the act.

oregon state flag

Oregon Court of Appeals Requires Employers to Pay Wages for Hourly Employees’ Failure to Take Full 30-Minute Meal Periods

On November 14, 2019, the Oregon Court of Appeals in Maza v. Waterford Operations, LLC, 300 Or. App. 471 (2019), addressed the question of whether an employer can be found strictly liable under Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) 839-020-0050(2) when an hourly employee takes less than the entire duty-free, 30-minute lunch break to which the employee is otherwise entitled, regardless of the circumstances.

oregon state flag

Oregon Enacts Sweeping #MeToo Law

On June 11, 2019, Governor Kate Brown signed into law the Oregon Workplace Fairness Act (SB 726), which will significantly impact all Oregon employers. The Act addresses concerns of the #MeToo movement by imposing strict requirements on how Oregon employers respond to complaints of harassment and discrimination. The legislation also significantly increases the statute of limitations within which an employee may assert a claim of discrimination, from one year to five years.

View All