Laura T. Morse

Shareholder | Seattle | 206.223.7063 | morsel@lanepowell.com

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)

Admitted to Practice

Washington
U.S. District Court, Western Washington
U.S. District Court, Eastern Washington

Academics

Chapman University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2003)
- Articles Editor, Chapman Law Review
- Appellate Moot Court Board
- Member, Warren J. Ferguson Inn of Court
Western Washington University (B.A., English Literature, magna cum laude, 2000)
- Member, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

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

“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”