Contact Information
Phone: (503) 546-9630
Fax: (503) 248-6800
E-Mail: Click here »
Joined Firm
9/1/2001
Admitted to Practice
Oregon State Bar: 9/97
Oregon Federal Bar: 6/01
Washington State Bar: 2/98
Ninth Circuit: 2/02
Federal Western District of Washington: 2/02
U.S. Supreme Court 2007
Education
Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College (J.D., 1997)
Reed College
(B.A., Honors, Political Theory, 1994)
Prior Experience
Smith, Gamson, Diamond & Olney Associate, Labor & Employment Law 9/97 to 9/01
Brownstein Rask
Law Clerk, Commercial Litigation 9/96 to 9/97
Oregon Department of Justice
Law Clerk, Labor & Employment Trial Division 9/95 to 9/96
Massachusettes Commission Against Discrimination
Civil Rights Intake 6/93 to 4/94
Professional Organizations
Chair, Oregon State Bar Labor and Employment Section 2008-10
Editor, Oregon State Bar Public Sector Labor CLE
Oregon State Bar Fee Arbitration Panel, Member 2002-Present
Oregon Trial Lawyers, Member
2002 President’s Award Recipient
Oregon State Bar Labor and Employment Section, Member
Publications
Legal Issues in Education: Employee Rights Manual for Oregon School Employees (Second Edition, 2003)
TOM DOYLE has represented employees in employment disputes for more than a decade. His firm belief that every employee deserves and should expect fairness and respect from their employer is the foundation of his zealous approach to each case. Tom’s personal philosophy, legal knowledge and experience puts real meaning into theoretical concepts, such as “due process,” “freedom from retaliation” and “free speech.” To Tom, these are human rights that every employee should expect from a boss. He wants hard-working people to earn a fair wage and the respect they deserve. That’s why he works hard to reach a successful resolution for every client.
Areas of Practice
Labor Law -- Collective bargaining, union organizing and elections, public sector labor disputes, grievance arbitrations, interest arbitrations, representation before the Oregon Employee 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 Discipline.
Professional Licensing -- Tom represents a wide range of professionals including nurses, teachers, nurse practitioners, doctors and public safety officers. This field is unique because it requires knowledge of administrative law, education or health law, legislative practice, public records law and appellate practice. Our goal is to shepherd you through this intimidating process, so you can get on with your livelihood. We represent professionals at all stages of the investigation process from initial contact and the investigatory meeting, all the way through final administrative action and, if necessary appeal. We will defend your license to the fullest extent. With over a decade of experience representing hundreds of professionals before the State of Oregon’s agencies, Tom can defend your license against discipline all the way to the Oregon Supreme Court, if necessary.
Case Examples
Employment Law
A teacher had attempted to commit suicide off-duty by driving her vehicle into the back
of her estranged husband’s unoccupied truck. Despite the fact that the teacher
received only minor injuries and was soon released to return to work, the District
terminated her employment. Doyle represented her before an administrative panel. That
panel ordered reinstatement. According to the unanimous panel, terminating the teacher
was “clearly excessive and unreasonable.”
Labor Law
Tom and Hank Kaplan represented the nurses union in an unfair labor practice complaint
against Oregon Health Sciences University. During a strike by the nurses union, OHSU
paid nurses an incentive to cross the picket line. As a result of this ULP, OHSU was
required to pay the same incentive to nurses who did not cross the picket line.
Wage and Hour Law
After an employee was terminated from his employer, the employer made deductions from the
employees final paycheck. These deductions were for allegedly incorrect expense account
reimbursements. Tom successfully obtained reimbursement to the employee for all unlawful
deductions and penalty wages.
Employment Law
Tom represented a group of six plaintiffs on behalf of a class of thousands of Oregon
University faculty who participate in State’s Optional Retirement Plan (ORP). The
Oregon University System had unlawfully reduced ORP participants contributions by in
excess of two-million dollars. As a result of the filing of the suit and this settlement,
OUS reimbursed its employees in excess of two-million dollars, including repaying lost
earnings on those contributions and plaintiffs’ attorney fees.
Complex Litigation
Tom has served as member of the firm’s litigation teams for both the Public
Employees Retirement System (PERS) litigation and the Bill Sizemore litigation.
