Tamsen L. Leachman, Partner

Tamsen Leachman is a member of the Business and Corporate Law Group and leads the firm’s Employment and Labor Law team. For nearly 15 years, she has devoted her practice to assisting employers and PEOs in all areas of employment and labor law. Tamsen represents employers in a wide variety of lawsuits, including enforcement of non-competition agreements and claims alleging workplace discrimination, harassment and retaliation, wrongful discharge, FMLA and OFLA discrimination and retaliation, and wage and hour violations.  Tamsen regularly provides advice and counsel to employers regarding the myriad of laws governing the employment relationship, with an emphasis on prevention through compliance. She is a frequent presenter and trainer for human resource professionals, executives, and in-house counsel. Tamsen has been recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America, and Litigation Counsel of America  and is a Mountain States Super Lawyer.

Tamsen is a member of the Portland Human Resources Management Association and acts as a co-leader for its Training and Development Special Interest Group.  She is also on the Leadership Committee for Oregon Women Lawyers. When not at work, Tamsen enjoys spending time with family and friends, intuitive cooking, hiking and running. This spring she will participate in her very first Pro-Am Bass Fishing tournament. 

Bar Admissions:

• Oregon, 2005
• Washington, 1993
• Idaho, 1997

• University of Idaho College of Law, J.D., 1993
  Top 10 of Class
• Eastern Washington University, B.A., Liberal Arts, 1990

Representative Clients:

• Boise Cascade, LLC
• First American Title Company
• The Amalgamated Sugar Company, LLC
• Idaho Power Company
• MRI Center of Idaho/MRI Mobile
• Sloan Security Fencing, Inc. 
• Boise Paper Holdings, LLC
• City of Nampa
• Hansen Rice, Inc.
• NYK Line
• Dürr Systems, Inc.
• LeTourneau Technologies
   

Published Works:

• Industry has a chance to address bullying first, The Portland Business Journal, Dec. 18, 2009
• Leave for Military Families is Now Law, January 2008
• A New Trend in Discrimination Claims—Protection of Employees Who are Also Family Caregivers, January 2008
• A Climate Shift, New Challenges for Oregon Employers in 2008, December 2007
• Unionizing 101, Employer Update, July 2007
• Shame, Shame, Shame on You, You Didn’t Consider the Union Factor When Selecting Your Subcontractors, Employer Update, July 2007
• HR Alert: Washington State Adopts Paid Family Leave, June 2007
• Where Do We Go From Here? Idaho Courts Clarify Law Related to Non-Competition Agreements, Employer Update, March 2007
• Best Practices for Progressive Discipline, Commerce and Labor Employer Association of Ada County, April/May 2006
• The Power of Mission, Vision, and Values, Employer Update, October 2006
• Disability-Related Inquiries and Medical Examinations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Resolving Complex Issues Under the ADA, Idaho State Bar, August 2006
• Mid-Year Comprehensive Update: EEOC Vows to Target Systemic Discrimination; New DHS Proposed Regulation Governing SSA No-Match Letters; Significant Win for Employees with Retaliation  Claims; New EEOC Guidelines Regarding Race and Color Discrimination; Going Paperless—Electronic Retention of Form I-9s; OFCCP Issues Final Pay Equity Guidance for Government Contractors, Employer Update, July 2006
• Year-End Update: Reemploying the Troops-Employer Obligations under USERRA; Cleaning For the New Year Just Became More Risky—FACTA’s New Disposal Requirements; Training for the New Year; Poster Pointers; Suggestions for Handbook/Policy Review, Employer Update, December 2005
   

Classes/Seminars Taught:

• Avoiding Costly ADA “Regarded As Disabled” Discrimination Claims, Counsel on Education in Management, March 2008
• Employment and Labor Law Check-up (Client Seminar), February 2008
• Employment Law Overview for the Executive Director, Community Action Partnership of Idaho, January 2008
• Large Scale Terminations: How to Protect your Company while Conducting a Reduction-in-Force, 2008
• Essentials of Employment Law, Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, November 2007
• Recent Developments in Public Sector Employment Law, Council on Education Management, October 2007
• All in a Day’s Work, Idaho State Bar, Citizen’s Law Academy, October 2007
• Employment Law from A to Z in Idaho, Lorman Education Services, October 2007
   Sexual, Racial and Other Harassment in the Workplace
   Employment Discipline and Termination
• Employment Law Update in Idaho, Sterling Education Services, Inc., September 2007
   Sexual, Racial and Other Harassment in the Workplace
• Developments in FMLA Compliance and the Overlap of ADA, FMLA and Workers’ Compensation Laws, Idaho Employment Update 2007, Council on Education Management, August 2007
• Ethical Considerations Raised by Workplace Claims, NBI Advanced Issues, July 2007
• FMLA Update 2007, Council on Education Management, June 2007
• The Right of Privacy in the Workplace, Bagels & Briefs (Client Seminar), February 2007
• Idaho Employment Update 2007, Council on Education Management, January 2007
• FMLA Update 2006, Council on Education Management, November 2006
• All in a Day’s Work, Idaho State Bar, Citizen’s Law Academy, November 2006
• Minimizing Risks During Terminations, Council on Education Management, November 2006
• Best Documentation Practices: the Who, What, When and Where of Creating Helpful Evidence, Bagels & Briefs (Client Seminar), October 2006
• 10 Essentials of Employment Law, Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, October 2006
• Business Law Basics: Protecting your Assets, Micro-Enterprise Training, October 2006
• Idaho Employment Update 2006, Council on Education Management, August 2006
• Advanced Topics in the Family and Medical Leave Act in Idaho, Lorman, August 2006
• Minimizing Risks When Terminating Employees, Council on Education Management, July 2006
• Best Practices Related to Employee Handbooks, Association of Legal Administrators, July 2006
• FMLA Update 2006, Council on Education Management, May 2006
• 2006 Annual Conference, Human Resource Association of Treasure Valley, April 2006
  Overview of the Administrative Handling of a Charge of Discrimination; Mediation as a Resolution Alternative
• “007—No License to Thrill”: Why Respectful Workplace Training is So Important, Bagels & Briefs (Client Seminar), April 2006
• Employment Law from A to Z in Idaho, Lorman Education Services, April 2006
• FMLA Basics, Idaho State Bar, Feb. 2006
• Idaho Employment Update 2006, Council on Education Management, February 2006
• How To Conduct Sound, Impartial Investigations, Bagels & Briefs (Client Seminar), January 2006

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• Oregon State Bar
• Washington State Bar
• Idaho State Bar
• American Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Portland Human Resource Management Association
• Oregon Women Lawyers
• Idaho Women Lawyers
• Best Lawyers in America, since 2007
• Mountain States Super Lawyer, since 2006
• Chambers USA, since 2006
• Litigation Counsel of America
• Citizen’s Law Academy Founding Presenter
• Tribute to Women in Industry 2001 Recipient, Women’s & Children’s Alliance
• Society for Human Resource Management
• Human Resource Association of Treasure Valley
• Leadership Boise Alumna