According to a recent article in Workforce Management, 57 percent of employers surveyed said they were sued by one or more employees in 2004. If you own or run a business, you already know that employer-employee relationships are governed by a complex set of federal and state laws and administrative rules. Successfully navigating that regulatory maze requires a business have strong prevention programs, as well as a strong advocate to protect the business if those programs fail.
Workplace litigation is not only costly to defend, it also consumes time and energy. With our emphasis on preventive law and a focus on the business needs of our clients, Buckley LeChevallier is uniquely qualified to provide counsel on labor and employment issues. Our attorneys will help you prepare and clearly communicate sensible employment and workplace policies to your employees—policies designed to prevent most legal issues before they occur. We can even provide training for you and your employees, showing you how to avoid claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, or wrongful termination. If an employment dispute does arise, we are also fully prepared to defend your business in court or before a regulatory agency.
If you are an employer and believe you may be the subject of a workplace lawsuit, we encourage you to contact counsel immediately. Waiting until a lawsuit is filed before contacting counsel may make the case more difficult to defend or lead to a host of unfortunate and unanticipated consequences.
Frequently requested services
- Employee handbooks and policies
- Human resource management
- Seminars on avoiding harassment, discrimination, and other workplace issues
- Employment agreements Non-disclosure agreements and protection of trade secrets
- Defense of BOLI/EEOC claims
Hot topics
- How do I avoid misclassifying exempt and non-exempt employees?
- How do I protect myself from misclassifying employees and independent contractors?
- What is the difference between an incentive and a non-incentive stock option?
- Why do I need an employee handbook?
Happy New Year (That Is If You're Jewish)
We thought the Jewish High Holy Day, Rosh Hashana (start of the Jewish new year) would be a good time to alert you to the Oregon Workplace Religious Freedom Act. Under this new law, all employers (after the beginning of the Gregorian new year) will be required to reasonably accommodate employees’ requests to observe or participate in religious practices, provided (1) participation in the religious activities has only a temporary or tangential effect on the employee’s performance of their essential job functions, and (2) no undue hardship is caused to the employer’s b
Attorney(s):
Michelle E. Lentzner Employment Law in the ERA of Change: Are You Keeping Up?
Date & Time:
March 18, 2009 11:45am - 1:15pm
Attorney(s):
William E. Gaar ABC, 1 2 3: How to Count According to Recent FMLA Rulings
Employer Coverage--Counting the Number of Employees: Employers who have 50 or more employees within a 75 mile radius are required to provide family leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Attorney(s):
Michelle E. Lentzner Securing Credit in Today’s Economy: How to Finance Your Business & Investments
Date & Time:
April 29, 2009 7:30am - 9:30am 
KWEF Logo: KWEF LogoSecuring financing to fund ongoing operations and expansion is one of the major business challenges owners and managers face today. But credit and financing can be obtained. How?
Attorney(s):
Robert LeChevallier I-9 Forms Requirements Change
On November 7, 2007, U.S.
Attorney(s):
William E. Gaar
Attorney(s):
Michelle E. Lentzner Intellectual Property 101
Date & Time:
February 18, 2009 11:45am - 1:15pm Limited seating available, reserve your spot now!
RSVP to eas@buckley-law.com
Attorney(s):
Allison Brennan
Attorney(s):
Michelle E. Lentzner How To Protect Proprietary Information Without Relying On a Non-Compete
Businesses used to relying upon non-compete agreements to prevent exemployees from competing against them will have to turn to other methods for protecting their competitive standing now that Oregon has substantially revised its non-compete law. Chief among these methods is making sure that a company is taking proper steps to protect its trade secret or proprietary business information. Another method is requiring employees to sign non-solicitation agreements. Both are discussed below, following a review of the new requirements regarding non-competes.
Attorney(s):
Michelle E. Lentzner Oregon Legislature Takes Step in Right Direction to Assist Employers in Clarifying Independent Contractor Status
The Oregon legislature passed Senate Bill 323 this session and moved a significant step closer to easing Employers’ burdens in maintaining an independent contractor for purposes of employment taxes and workers’ compensation coverage. The law goes into effect as of January 1, 2006. However, before Employers rush to reclassify their current employees as independent contractors, a close analysis of each specific circumstance is warranted.
Attorney(s):
William E. Gaar Payroll Policies and Wage & Hour Compliance Under the New Fair Labor Standards Act
As the heat of summer rolls into August, the effective date for the new rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) draws nearer. On August 23, 2004, the new rules under the FLSA must be followed. Most of the rule changes apply to employees classified as exempt for purposes of paying overtime wages.
Attorney(s):
William E. Gaar Federal Overtime and Minimum Wage Law Revised
On August 21, 2004, the final rules modifying the Federal Fair Labor and Standards Act (“FLSA”) will become effective. How these rules will affect Employers throughout the Pacific Northwest will depend on the type of business in which the Employer is engaged and the specific states’ future regulatory decisions to adopt the federal changes.
Attorney(s):
William E. Gaar 
