D. Michael Reilly

D. Michael Reilly

Areas of Practice

D. Michael Reilly is the Director of Lane Powell's Labor and Employment and Employee Benefits Practice Group. He concentrates his practice representing small and large employers on employment litigation and advice in claims involving discrimination, wrongful discharge, ERISA, race, sex, religion, retaliation, family responsibility discrimination and disability claims. He has successfully tried over 60 jury trials, arbitrations and bench trials, and successfully handled claims before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Washington State Human Rights Commission. Michael has served as lead counsel in an employee raiding/trade secret case as reported in the Wall Street Journal and defended companies in class action claims.

Michael is listed in The Best Lawyers in America®. In 2008, Seattle Business Magazine ranked Michael a "Top Lawyer" in Labor and Employment Law. Chambers USA's Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business listed him a "Leading Lawyer" in Washington, calling him "truly phenomenal [with] superb legal instincts." In 2006, Washington CEO Magazine named Michael a "Most Amazing" attorney. Washington Law and Politics Magazine routinely designates Michael a "Super Lawyer." His remarks on employment issues have been quoted in Newsweek, Corporate Legal Times, Seattle Times, Employee Relations Law Journal, CFO.com, and other professional journals and management publications.

Professional Experience

· Rated "AV" "preeminent" by his peers in Martindale-Hubbell

· Annual speaker, EEOC Training Institute

· Appellate Law Clerk, The Honorable J.B. McInturff, 1984-86

Lane Powell Practice Group and Specialty Team Memberships

· Director, Labor and Employment Practice Group

· Chair, Retail Industry Team

· ERISA Litigation

· Financial Institutions

· Healthcare

Representative Clients

Home Depot, Nordstrom, Bank of America, King County, Intermec, Tesoro, Providence Health Services, Aramark, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Knowledge Learning Centers, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Ferrellgas, Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Kadlec Medical Center.

Representative Matters

· Successful jury trials representing specialty retailers and Fortune 100 Companies in claims involving race, gender and disability discrimination and retaliation.

· Kendall and Rahlfs v. Home Depot, Obtained $126,000 judgment for defendant Home Depot against plaintiffs who were asserting age and disability discrimination claims (2009).

· Burney v. Home Depot, U.S.D.C., W.D. Washington (Age Discrimination) (Defended national retailer and defeated Plaintiffs' Motion for Class Certification);

· Calence v. Dimension Data et al., U.S.D.C., W.D. Washington (Trade secret and unfair competition claim representing plaintiff; defeated all defendants' motions for summary judgment and obtained settlement after only one week of scheduled three week jury trial)(2007);

· Hedenburg and Marshall v. Aramark, U.S.D.C., W.D. Washington (Defense Judgment in gender and race discrimination, retaliation claims)(2007);

· Blomster v. Nordstrom, Washington State Court of Appeals (FMLA: no implied private right of action under Washington law; Published Opinion);

· Weyer v. Twentieth Century Fox, United States Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit (ERISA/ADA: mental disability issues; Published Opinion);

· Guijosa v. Wal-Mart, Washington Supreme Court (Race Discrimination Defense Verdict Upheld; Published Opinion);

· Eaton v. Equilon, U.S.D.C, W. D. Washington (ERISA Class Action contingent workers: Dismissed);

· Young v. Ferrellgas, Washington State Court of Appeals (Wrongful Discharge in Non-FAA Case Involving Arbitration Agreement; Published Opinion);

· Wal-Mart v. Amazon.com, King County Superior Court (Represented Plaintiff in employee raiding and trade secret case);

· Futamura v. UNUM, U.S.D.C., W.D. Washington(ERISA: breach of fiduciary duty claims; Defense judgment in published opinion, 2004);

· Harmon v. Home Depot, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (Affirming defense judgment in sexual harassment and hostile work environment case)(published trial court decision).

Publications

· "The Low-Down on Layoffs," Seattle Business Monthly, June 2009 (Co-Author)

· "Human Resources 2008: Answers to Your Top 25 Questions," Thompson Publications, Summer 2008 (Co-Author)

· "ERISA Fiduciary Claims: Planning, Protecting and Preparing for Class Actions," Employee Relations Law Journal, 2005

· Featured, "High Court Opens the Door For Age Discrimination Cases: Companies Should Get Their Policies in Order to Avoid Potential Suits," Corporate Legal Times, June 2005

· The ADEA and the U.S. Supreme Court, Employment Litigation Reporter, December 2004

· Featured, "How to douse the fuse when the political talk heats up," Seattle Post Intelligencer, November 2004

· Featured, "Job Nightmare - When is a company responsible for a shooting?" Newsweek, July 2003

Speaking Engagements

· "Social Media and Employment Law," Best Practices for Best Employers Seminar, September 2009

· "Avoiding Common Mistakes in Investigations," EEOC Training Institute, August 2009

· "Family Responsibility Discrimination Claims," Washington State Bar Association, August 2009

· "Failures in the Interactive Process and the Disabled Employee," Northwest Human Resource Management Association Annual Conference, October 2007

· "ERISA Law Update," ERISA Law Forum, June 2006

· "Preparing Parties for their Depositions in Employment Cases," Washington State Bar Association, April 2005

· Speaker, "The Wild World of Whistleblower and Retaliation Claims," Employment Law Institute, Washington State Bar Association, March 2004

Awards and Honors

· Recommended by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business

· Named as one of The Best Lawyers in America®, 2010

· Named as Washington "SuperLawyer," Washington Law and Politics Magazine, 2003-2009

· Named in "Top Business Lawyers," Seattle Business Monthly, 2008

· Named in"Washington's Most Amazing Attorneys" in Washington CEO, 2006

Professional and Community Activities

· Commissioner, Washington State Economic Development Commission (2005-2007);

· Member, Board of Regents, Gonzaga University;

· Gubernatorial Debate Consultant to the Governor, State of Washington;

· Past Member, Board of Directors, American Red Cross;

· Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

· Washington State Healthcare Human Resources Association