Practice Areas

Employment
Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Practice Summary

Trish focuses in the areas of litigation and employment law, protecting clients' interests inside and outside the courtroom.  She practices in a variety of civil litigation areas, including complex commercial, debtor-creditor, and employment, offering a broad range of services to our business and financial clients. Trish represents clients in state and federal courts in Oregon and Washington and in arbitration and mediation. Trish also handles appeals in the Oregon Court of Appeals.
 
In her employment practice, Trish provides advice on employment issues under Oregon, Washington and federal laws. She represents employer clients in BOLI and EEOC administrative processes and in court. She also drafts, audits, and updates policy handbooks.

Representative Matters

Civil Litigation – Represents businesses, financial service providers and bankruptcy trustees in litigation matters in Oregon and Washington including:
  • Business disputes
  • Employment litigation
  • Financial services litigation
  • Consumer collections
  • Commercial collections
  • Bankruptcy adversary proceedings, including preference litigation
  • Tort defense
  • Ski area defense
Employment Advice – Advises businesses and financial services providers in employment areas including:
  • Family medical leave
  • Wage and hour laws
  • Hiring and termination of employees 

Education

University of Iowa College of Law (J.D. with Distinction, 2006) - Editor-in-Chief, Iowa Law Review
University of Iowa Writers' Workshop (Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing [Fiction], 2001)
Portland State University (B.A. English, Minor in French, with High Honors, 1997)

Admissions

Washington State Bar
Minnesota State Bar
Oregon State Bar
U.S. District Court
            District of Oregon
            District of Minnesota
            Western District of Washington
            Eastern District of Washington
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Associations

Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
OGALLA, the LGBT Bar Association of Oregon  
Oregon Women Lawyers
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA)
​Lease Enforcement Attorney Network (LEAN)
Multnomah Bar Association
Association of Ski Defense Counsel (ASDA)

Awards

Selected by her peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2023-2024 for Commercial Litigation

Selected by peers to the Oregon Rising Stars list for four consecutive years (2013-2016) Trish received an honor bestowed on only 2.5% of Oregon Lawyers under the age of 40 or in practice for less than ten years

Trish served as co-chair of OGALLA, the LGBT Bar Association of Oregon from 2013-2015

In 2013, Trish was recognized by the Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition for her work with OGALLA, the LGBT Bar Association, in support of the Oregon Safe Schools Act

Winner of the Sandy Boyd Prize for creative legal writing at the University of Iowa College of Law, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Iowa Law Review (2006)

Trish received a Certificate of Appreciation at the Convocation of Equality for fostering diversity and inclusion with the Oregon State Bar

Trish clerked for the Honorable John C. Coughenour in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington (2007-2009)

Speaking Engagements

Trish regularly presents at employment law seminars on workplace topics critical for employers and human resources managers.