Areas of Practice
Laura Morse has an extensive and diverse litigation practice. Laura concentrates on employment litigation involving wrongful discharge as well as race, sex, religion and disability claims, as well as litigating employee benefits claims. She also has experience with the complex interplay between state and federal labor laws. Laura is also an active member of Lane Powell's Appellate Group. She has filed extensive briefing with the Washington State Court of Appeals and Washington State Supreme Court.
Professional Experience
· Law Clerk, Honorable J. Robin Hunt, Chief Judge Washington State Court of Appeals, Division II (2003-2004)
· Summer Associate, O'Melveny & Meyers LLP (2002) (focusing primarily on litigation and labor and employment)
· Judicial Extern, Honorable Stephen Reinhardt, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2002)
· Judicial Extern, Honorable William M. Monroe, Orange County Superior Court (2001)
Practice Group and Specialty Team Memberships
· Appellate
· Canada Practice
· Education
· Labor and Employment
· Litigation
· Mortgage and Consumer Finance
· Retail
· Wage and Hour
Representative Matters and Clients
· National retailers in home products and specialty retailing and others, including Nordstrom, Home Depot, Ross, WatchGuard, Allied-Barton, Avis Rent-a-Car, and Washington Self-Insurers Association
Speaking Engagements
· "Responding To and Cooperating With Government Inquiries: Putting Your Best Foot Forward," Lane Powell's 29th Annual Labor and Employment Law Seminar, Portland (April 11, 2012)
· "Annual Labor and Employment Law Update: Lessons for Best Employers From Judicial Decisions, New Laws and Regulations," Lane Powell's 29th Annual Labor and Employment Law Seminar, Seattle (September 20, 2011)
· "Health Care Reform: What Every Best Employer Needs to Know," Lane Powell's 28th Annual Labor and Employment Law Seminar, Seattle (October 2010)
· "Best Practices" for Dealing With a Challenging Employee," Lane Powell's 27th Annual Labor and Employment Law Seminar, Portland (March 2010)
· "Treatment of Compensation and Benefits Under the Family Medical Leave Act"
· "FMLA: The Certification Process and Serious Health Conditions"
· "Defending Wrongful Discharge Claims: Employment At Will"
· "Best Practices for the Human Resources Filing Cabinet"
· "Controlling FMLA Abuse: Surveillance and Other Strategies"
· "Performance, Discipline, Documentation and, if Necessary, Termination"
Awards and Honors
· Named as a "Rising Star," Washington Law & Politics, 2009
Professional and Community Activities
· Washington State Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
· American Bar Association
· Society of Human Resource Management
· National Employment Law Institute
News
11.10.2010, Lane Powell Announces New Shareholders and Counsel to the Firm
11.10.2010, Ameriquest Wins Favorable Supreme Court Decision in Case Against AGO
10.21.2010, Lane Powell's Win for Master Builders Association in FLSA Retaliation Claim Featured in Westlaw Journal Employment
01.21.2010, Morse Quoted in Puget Sound Business Journal on Sickness in the Workplace
12.01.2008, 15 Attorneys on List of Washington Rising Stars
10.21.2008, Lane Powell's Commitment to Multifaith Works Spans 20 Years
11.01.2007, Four Lane Powell Lawyers Contribute Articles for AHLA Publication
08.23.2004, Laura T. Morse joins Lane Powell
Events
05.15.2012, SEMINAR: Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance - Hidden Surprises Employers Need to Know - SOLD OUT
04.11.2012, SEMINAR: 29th Annual Labor and Employment Seminar (Portland)
09.20.2011, 29th Annual Labor and Employment Seminar (Seattle)
10.06.2010, 28th Annual Labor and Employment Seminar (Seattle) - SOLD OUT
03.31.2010, Lane Powell's 27th Annual Labor and Employment Seminar (Portland)
11.03.2009, Effectively Handling Difficult HR Situations in Turbulent Times (Anchorage)
06.09.2009, Anderson, Morse and Grant Bluechel to Speak at Association of Washington Business Seminar (Seattle)
04.28.2009, Navigating Choppy Waters: An Interactive Workshop on Effectively Handling Difficult HR Situations (Seattle)
10.07.2008, Lane Powell Teams with Puget Sound Business Journal for a Bigger and Even Better Day-Long Seminar This Year (Seattle)
07.17.2007, Hot Topics: Recent Legislation in Washington and New Trends in Employment Law (Seattle)