Contact Information
Phone: (503) 227-4600
Fax: (503) 248-6800
E-Mail: Click here »
Direct Line: (503) 546-9601
Joined Firm
1974
Admitted to Practice
1974
Education
B.A. Mathematics, University of Chicago (1971); J.D., University of Oregon School of Law (1974).
Martindale-Hubbell Rating
AV
GREGORY A. HARTMAN was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and after brief stops in Chicago for an undergraduate degree, and Eugene for a law degree, began his practice in Portland in 1974. His practice has primarily involved litigation, handling a large range of cases from anti-trust to will contests and most things in between. From the outset, he gathered considerable experience in handling labor and employment related issues with a particular expertise in the area of pensions and related benefits. Over the last two decades he has represented the PERS Coalition, a coalition of public sector labor unions handling all legal aspects of issues relating to the Public Employee Retirement System. In addition to this substantial area of practice, he continues to handle a broad range of litigation matters, working hard for both individuals and small businesses.
Areas of Practice
Litigation -- Representation of individuals and small business in all areas of litigation including federal and state court, jury trials, mediation, arbitration.
Labor Law -- All aspects of labor law, including handling of grievance and arbitration issues, appearances before the National Labor Relations Board as well as the Public Employee Retirement Board. Employment issues, including terminations, wage issues, and related benefit issues.
Significant Cases
PERS Litigation
For over two decades Greg has represented a coalition of public sector labor unions in
protecting the rights of members under Oregon’s public employee retirement system.
This representation has involved not only litigation but multiple appearances before the
Oregon legislature as well as before the Public Employee Retirement Board. Greg has
handled several cases which have resulted in billions of dollars of saved benefits for
members of the Public Employee Retirement System. Most recently he was lead counsel in
the case Strunk et al. v. Public Employee Retirement Board et al., in which the Oregon
Supreme Court held a portions of the 2003 reform legislation were unconstitutional,
thereby reinstating over $2 billion of benefits for PERS members. With the help of Aruna Masih, Greg continues to pursue legal challenges to a number of PERS actions taken in response to the Strunk Decision which have an adverse impact on member benefits.
Oregon Taxpayers United
Greg was lead counsel for the Oregon Education Association in a lawsuit against Oregon
Taxpayers United as well as Oregon Taxpayers United Education Foundation, two organizations
founded and operated by Bill Sizemore. After a three-week jury trial a Multnomah County jury
found those defendants liable for racketeering as a result of which a judgment was ultimately
entered against those defendant organizations in an amount in excess of $3 million. In
subsequent litigation Bill Sizemore has been found in contempt in four separate proceedings for failing to abide by the orders of the court. Most importantly this case revealed the realities of paid signature gathering and served as the jumping off point for several legislative reforms which have limited the abuses in the initiative process.
Labor Arbitration
In the fall of 1999 Smurfit Newsprint sold its paper mill in Newberg, Oregon to Southeast
Paper. The new employer retained virtually all of the union employees and assumed the
terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreement. Most union employees lost
no work as a result of the transfer of ownership. Nonetheless a grievance was filed against
Smurfit Newsprint arguing that union employees were entitled to their severance payment under
the collective bargaining agreement. Greg handled the arbitration in which the arbitrator
agreed and awarded union members in excess of $3 million of severance benefits. With the help of Michael Morris, that arbitration award was successfully defended in both federal district court as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
