Barran Liebman

Karen L. O’Connor

Karen L. O'Connor
Partner

Barran Liebman LLP
601 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 2300
Portland, Oregon 97204

Direct Dial: 503-276-2175
Fax: 503-274-1212

| |

Karen L. O'Connor is a partner at Barran Liebman LLP. She practices in the areas of employment litigation and employment-related advice, and provides on-site training for employers in various areas including workplace harassment and discrimination, leave laws, discipline and documentation, and drug and alcohol issues. She is a frequent speaker in the community and co-teaches in the human resources program at Portland State University. Karen represents clients before Oregon and Washington state and federal courts and in administrative proceedings as well. She is a member of the Oregon State Bar Association, the Washington State Bar, the Multnomah Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Oregon Association of Defense Counsel. She received her J.D. from University of Oregon, where she acted as the Editor in Chief of the Oregon Law Review and was the recipient of the Wayne Morse scholarship. She served as a judicial clerk to The Honorable Malcolm F. Marsh, of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon from 1995 to 1997. Since 2008, Karen has been listed in the Oregon Super Lawyers magazine and in 2009 she was listed in The Best Lawyers in America. She is admitted to practice in Oregon and Washington.

Professional Experience and Affiliations

  • Listed in Oregon Super Lawyers, Top 25 Women (2008-present)
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2009-present)
  • Audubon Society of Portland - Board of Directors (2008 - present)
  • University of Oregon Law School Alumni Board (2002 - 2005)
  • University of Oregon Law Student Mentoring Program (2002 - present)
  • Multnomah Bar Association Mentor Program, Mentor (2002 - present)
  • Labor & Employment Litigation Associate, Foster Pepper & Shefelman LLP, Portland, OR (1997- 1999)
  • Judicial Clerk, US District Court, District of Oregon, Honorable Malcolm F. Marsh, Portland, OR (1995 - 1997)
  • Environmental Consultant, Techlaw, Inc., Boston, MA (1989 - 1992)
  • Portland State University Instructor, Employee and Labor Relations Course (2009-present)

Featured Publications

  • "Follow the law and go hands-free," The Daily Journal of Commerce, January 29, 2010
  • Quoted in The Daily Journal of Commerce, "Ten Sticky Issues: Portland Attorneys Offer Their Unique Takes on 10 Key Legal Issues Impacting Employers and Their Staffs," August 24, 2009
  • "What to Expect from the ADA Amendments Act," Portland Human Resource Management Association, November 2008

Featured Presentations

  • 06/13/2009 and 07/01/2010 - Portland State University Professional Development Center - Employee & Labor Relations Course
  • 03/02/2010 - BL Breakfast Seminar - Train the Trainer: Harassment
  • 09/17/2009 - Barran Liebman Annual Labor & Employment Seminar - "Circle of Life: Annual Employment Case Law Update"
  • 09/10/2009 - 2009 LGPI Annual Conference - “Dealing with a Bad Economy: Reductions in Force”
  • 06/05/2009 - Oregon Law Institute (OLI) Annual Employment Law Update
  • 04/22/2009 - NHRMA Presents: Human Resource Foundations - A Guide to Professional Development
  • 03/03/2009 - The New FMLA Regulations: Time to Update your Forms and Policies
  • 01/06/2009 - Understanding the New FMLA Regulations: What Every Employer Needs to Know
  • 12/10/2008 - 2008 BOLI Employment Law Conference
  • 12/05/2008 - Legal Update
  • 11/12/2008 - 2008 Election Results and Employers: How will businesses be affected?
  • 09/25/2008 - 2008 Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar: Finding the Path Through Messy Terminations
  • 08/19/2008 - Portland State University- Spring Employee & Labor Relations
  • 06/06/2008 - Employment Law Update
  • 03/04/2008 - BL Breakfast Seminar - OFLA/FMLA Update

Bar Admissions

  • Oregon
  • Washington
  • U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
  • U.S. District Court, District of Western Washington

Academics

  • University of Oregon (J.D., 1995)
  • Mt. Holyoke College (B.A., 1988)
  • Editor in Chief, Oregon Law Review
  • Wayne Morse Memorial Scholarship for Leadership and Achievement (1994, 1995)