Contact Information
Phone: (503) 546-9636
Fax: (503) 248-6800
E-Mail: Click here »
Joined Firm
7/1/98
Admitted to Practice
Oregon State Bar: 9/97
Oregon Federal Bar: 6/01
Washington State Bar: 6/02
Education
Wellesley College
(B.A., cum laude, Int’l Relations & French, 1994)
Tulane University School of Law
Creighton University School of Law
(J.D., 1997)
Prior Experience
McKanna Bishop Joffe
Associate, Labor & Employment Law
1/01 to 6/03
Bennett, Hartman, & Reynolds
Associate, Labor & Employment Law
7/98 to 12/00
Bennett, Hartman, Reynolds & Wiser
Law Clerk, Labor & Employment Law
9/97 to 6/98
Professional/Volunteer Activities
Oregon Women Lawyers Foundation
Board of Directors, 2005-Present
Secretary, 2008-Present
Auction Co-Chair, 2008-2009
Oregon Women Lawyers
Member, 1998-Present
Oregon Minority Lawyers Association
Member, 1998-Present
Board of Directors, 1998-2003
Co-Chair, 1999-2001
Oregon State Bar, Diversity Section
Member 2002-Present
Continuing Legal Education Committee, 2002-2005
Federal Bar Association
Frye-Haggerty Awards Committee, 2004
Oregon Trial Lawyers Association
Member 1998-Present
Multnomah Bar Association
Member 1998 to Present
Girl Scouts-Columbia River Council, Inc.
Board of Directors, 1998-2001
Publications
Legal Issues in Education: Employee Rights Manual for Oregon School Employees (Second Edition, 2003)
ARUNA A. MASIH was born in New York and raised in India, where her Indian father and British mother served as medical missionaries for fifteen years. Aruna’s parents instilled in her the value of hard work, public service, and equal respect and opportunity for all people. Because of this upbringing, it’s only natural that Aruna chose the area of civil rights, labor and employment law as a specialty to help working people. Whether unionized or not, Aruna helps employees access and enforce the laws which entitle them to protection against discriminatory and other unlawful treatment . Employees are often unaware of these laws, and confronting an employer is never easy. Understanding this, Aruna works hard on behalf of her clients to ensure that their rights are protected to the fullest extent of the law, both in and outside the courtroom.
Areas of Practice
Labor Law --Collective bargaining, union organizing and elections, public sector labor disputes, grievance arbitrations, interest arbitrations, representation before the Oregon Employment Relations Board and the National Labor Relations Board, and class action lawsuits on behalf of employees and pension recipients.
Employment Law -- Wrongful Termination, Discrimination (Race, Gender, Age, Disability, or Sexual Orientation), Racial or Sexual Harassment, Family and Medical Leave, Retaliation for Union Activity and Free Speech, Government Employment, Individual and Class-Action Wage Claims.
Professional License Disputes -- Professional License Denial or Discipline.
Significant Cases
Labor Law
An employee suffering from Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) covered conditions was
disciplined for alleged excessive absenteeism. Aruna Masih, representing the employee
through her union, took grievances on behalf of the employee to arbitration under the
union’s contract with the employer and won reversal of the disciplinary action.
Labor Law
An employee was denied reimbursement for travel she did for her employer. Aruna, represented
the employee through her union, filed grievances on behalf of the employee under the
union’s contract with the employer and negotiated a settlement with the employer for the
full amount owed to the employee.
Employment Law
An employee suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder was refused the right to return
to work by her employer, even after her doctor issued a full release. Aruna helped file a
disability discrimination case in federal court on behalf of the employee. The employer
settled the case before trial, agreeing to give the employee most of the money and other
relief she was asking the federal court to award.
Employment Law
An employee was subjected to sexual harassment by her supervisor and other male co-workers.
The situation at work became so unbearable that the employee was forced to quit her job.
Aruna helped file a sex discrimination and wrongful discharge case in state court on behalf
of the employee. The employer settled the case during depositions of their witnesses,
agreeing to give the employee a large portion of money and other relief she was asking the
state court to award.
Employment Law
An employee entitled to PERS benefits was told by PERS that she would be receiving a certain amount in retirement benefits. The employee gave up her job and retired in reliance on the information provided by PERS. Several months after the employee retired, PERS told the employee that her retirement benefit amount was actually a quarter less than what it had told the employee she would get before she retired. Aruna took the case to trial and won a unanimous jury verdict in favor of the employee for over $200,000.
Professional License Disputes
Aruna regularly represents employees before professional licensing boards. Often, she is able to negotiate favorable resolutions with the boards. If negotiations are not successful, Aruna has succeeded in having the decision of the licensing board reversed by Administrative Law Judges after hearing. Aruna is also experienced in pursuing administrative appeals to the Court of Appeals.
Complex Litigation
Aruna has served as member of the firm’s litigation teams for both the Public Employees
Retirement System (PERS) litigation and the Bill Sizemore litigation.
