Barran Liebman

Paula Barran

Paula A. Barran
Partner

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

Direct Dial: 503-276-2143
Fax: 503-274-1212

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Paula Barran, a founding partner at Barran Liebman, has been practicing labor and employment law since 1980. She has written extensively on management law and is a national speaker. In addition to providing regular employer advice, Paula handles employment litigation in state and federal courts, labor disputes and employment arbitrations, and was trial counsel for the plaintiff scientists in the Kennewick Man litigation. Since the first publication of the Oregon Super Lawyers magazine in 2006, Paula has repeatedly been named as a "Top Ten Lawyer" in Oregon. In 2008, she was again named as a "Top Ten Lawyer" in Oregon, and was honored as the "Top Point Getter" for the year. Paula is ranked #1 (with partner Rick Liebman) for Labor and Employment Law defense in the State of Oregon by Chambers & Partners USA, America's Leading Business Lawyers, 2003-present. She is also a fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and has been named in The Best Lawyers In America directory since 2001. She is admitted to practice in Oregon, Washington and before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; U.S. District Court, District of Oregon and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Washington. Paula received her B.A. from the College of William and Mary, M.A. from Cornell University, Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, J.D., with honors, from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, and M.B.A. degree from the University of Oregon, Oregon Executive MBA program.

Professional Experience and Affiliations

  • Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers In America since 2001
  • Listed in Oregon Super Lawyers, Top Ten Lawyers in Oregon 2008, Top Point Getter
  • American Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
  • Portland Business Journal Orchid Award Recipient and Woman Executive of the Year, Entrepreneur Category Winner, 2009
  • American Bar Association, Individual Employment Rights Section
  • College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Fellow of the College (Inducted 2005)
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Society for Human Resources Management, Northwest Chapter, Counsel (1998-1999)
  • Pacific Printing and Imaging Association
  • Oregon State Bar, Labor Section
  • Oregon Women Lawyers
  • Willamette University, Adjunct Professor - Labor Law (2000-2001)
  • Children's Cancer Association, Board Member, 2009 - Present
  • Canadian American Bar Association, 2009 - Present

Featured Presentations

  • 04/21/2010 - AGC University Program: How to Train Supervisors About Leave Law
  • 02/13/2010 - Substance Abuse in the Workplace - Oregon Employer Council Annual State Conference for Business
  • 12/01/2009 - BARRAN LIEBMAN LLP 2009 FOOD FOR THOUGHT BREAKFAST SEMINAR: Understanding the New Limitations of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
  • 11/11/2009 - "A Roadmap to a Clean & Sober Workforce"
  • 11/09/2009 - Workplace Substance Abuse
  • 11/03/2009 - BARRAN LIEBMAN LLP FOOD FOR THOUGHT BREAKFAST SEMINAR: Train the Trainer Program: How to Train Supervisors About Leave Laws
  • 10/29/2009 - Privacy and Security Issues of Employers
  • 10/28/2009 - Making Sense of Alcohol Policies & Testing
  • 10/22/2009 - Webinar with PPI: Drugs, Alcohol & Medication - A Roadmap to a Clean & Sober Workplace
  • 10/16/2008 - Privacy and Confidentiality in the Workplace
  • 09/30/2009 - NHRMA 71st Annual Conference & Tradeshow
  • 09/17/2009 - Barran Liebman Annual Labor & Employment Seminar - "A Compass to Steer By: Avoidance and Early Resolution"
  • 09/09/2009 - 2009 LGPI Annual Conference - “From the Courts: Employment Law Update”
  • 08/19/2009 - “Drugs, Crime and Medical Marijuana”
  • 06/15/2009 - Legal Aspects of Workplace Violence
  • 05/01/2009 - Mistakes to Avoid When Firing an Employee
  • 04/28/2009 - How to Manage During a Downturn
  • 04/02/2009 - Managing Prescription Drugs & Medical Marijuana in the Workplace
  • 03/10/2009 - CHO Group Series
  • 01/13/2009 - Central Oregon Breakfast Seminar Series
  • 09/25/2008 - 2008 Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar
  • 09/12/2008 - Drugs, Alcohol, & Medications: A Roadmap to a Clean & Sober Workforce
  • 09/11/2008 - How to Reduce Liability with Employee-Related Matters & Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace
  • 01/16/2008 - Navigating Substance Abuse: The Need for a Legislative Solution
  • 10/23/2007 - Bend Chamber Series Interactive Training
  • 10/18/2007 - National Restaurant Association Executive HR Conference
  • 10/03/2007 - LGPI Annual Conference - Case Law Update

Featured Publications

  • "Medical Marijuana Laws: Obstructing Congress?" The Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice (VOLUME 4, ISSUES 1 & 2 - Spring/Summer 2010)
  • Monthly Column "Compliance Corner," Daily Journal of Commerce (Rotating months, 2007-present)
  • "Medical Marijuana: Friend or Foe?," The Gresham Outlook (September 2009)
  • "Taking Leave and Still Working?" The Daily Journal of Commerce, (September 26, 2008)
  • "Companies Can Take Steps to Reduce the Cost of Litigation," Portland Business Journal, (September 26, 2008)
  • "Inside The Minds: Founding a Law Firm," published by Aspatore Books, Contributing author (2008)
  • "Proceedings of the International Science Conference: Science in Archaeology," published by Lulu.com, Contributing author (2007)
  • "Motions for Summary Judgment" Chapter in 2006 Trial Tactics Defense Litigation Manual (2006)
  • "Public Policy Challenges to Labor Arbitration Awards: Still a Safe Harbor for Silly Fact Finding?" Willamette Law Review, Volume 38, Co-author (Spring 2002)
  • "Managing Reentry: Returning to the Interrupted Practice," The Professional Lawyer (February, 1996)
  • "Individual Rights in a Collective Bargaining Environment," LERC Monograph No. 12 (University of Oregon, 1993)
  • "The Glass Ceiling: Do You Need to Worry? and Can You at Least Worry Constructively", Arbitration Quarterly of The Northwest, Vol. XIII (Spring, 1993)
  • "Employees", The Oregon Health Law Manual, Co-author (Oregon State Bar Health Law Section, 1992, 1994)
  • "Employment Related Torts", Oregon State Bar CLE Publications, Co-author (1990, 1994)
  • "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Eliminating the Offensive Working Environment," LERC Monograph No. 7 (University of Oregon, 1988)
  • The thin green line: Employers and medical marijuana

Representative Matters

  • Counsel, Nike v. City of Beaverton. We represent the City in litigation over the largest public records request known to date.
  • Baynton v. Port of Portland. We represent the Port in litigation related to its 2004 reduction in force.
  • Counsel to The Oregonian in Byer v. Oregonian. Summary judgment was granted on claims of wrongful termination, fraud, and retaliation and a defense verdict after a jury trial on claims of gender discrimination.
  • Lead counsel to Tri-County Metropolitan Transit District in Midgett v. Tri-Met. Summary judgment was granted on claims relating to accessibility under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  • Counsel to Rexam Graphics in AWPPW v. Rexam Graphics. Judgment was granted in favor of our client in a suit to vacate an arbitration award under a labor agreement.
  • Co-counsel in Bonnichsen et al. v. U.S. Department of Army Corps of Engineers (Kennewick Man), representing eight anthropologists opposing efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repatriate a 9,300-year-old skeleton and seeking study rights to the remains.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Oregon
  • Washington
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Oregon
  • U.S. District Court, District of Western Washington
  • U.S. District Court, District of Eastern Washington
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Academics

  • University of Oregon (M.B.A., Oregon Executive MBA Program, 1991)
  • Osgoode Hall, York University (J.D., with honors, Silver Medal, 1979)
  • University of British Columbia (Ph.D., 1976)
  • Cornell University (M.A., 1973)
  • College of William and Mary (B.A., summa cum laude, 1971)
  • Phi Beta Kappa

Be sure to visit the Daily Journal of Commerce, where Paula Barran is a contributing writer on current employment law issues, trends and changes in the law.

This month Paula writes about drug testing and Paruresis.

Click here to read an article from the Gresham Outlook where Paula Barran discusses Medical Marijuana laws.