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Courtney

Courtney McFate

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Courtney McFate provides timely, thoughtful, and strategic legal advice to clients regarding a wide variety of employment litigation and compliance matters.

She advocates for employer clients of all sizes, defending them in single plaintiff and representative actions and advising them on all facets of employment-related compliance. Prior to joining Lane Powell, Courtney was in-house employment counsel for a large consumer services company in California, acting as a strategic legal partner for human resources and all business units. Before that, she practiced employment litigation in private practice on behalf of large employer clients for a regional California firm.

Courtney’s experience includes:

Defending employers in single plaintiff litigation, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation cases
Defending employers in complex litigation, including wage and hour class actions, and actions under California’s Private Attorneys General Act
Defending employers before administrative bodies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Civil Rights Department, the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries, and the Washington State Human Rights Commission
Representing employers in connection with audits by the Department of Labor
Advising on employment-related compliance, including employee hiring processes, terminations, employee handbooks, leaves of absence, and accommodations
Advising employers on complex compensation and commission plans and pay equity issues
Advising employers on reductions in force and other issues related to the termination of employment, including severance agreements
Advising employers on arbitration agreements and programs, and employee confidentiality/intellectual property agreements
Advising employers regarding executive agreements and executive severance considerations
Developing and conducting training programs on employment law issues for human resources professionals, management, and front-line employees

Professional Experience

AAA of Northern California, Nevada & Utah, Employment Counsel (2019-2021)

Van De Poel, Levy & Thomas LLP, Senior Associate Attorney (2013-2019)

State Bar of California, Law Clerk (2011-2012)

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Pro Se Department, Judicial Extern (2010)

Community Involvement

The Portland Montessori School, Board Member (2022-April 2024)

Community Pathways, Inc., Board Member (2022-Present)

Thought Leadership

September 12 & October 9, 2024Event / CLE
'Best Practices for Best Employers™' Labor & Employment Seminar 2024
Now in Portland & Seattle!
June 21, 2024Publication
Staying Compliant: Recent Employment Law Changes Impacting Oregon and Washington Senior Living Communities
Senior Living & Long Term Care Legal Update
May 22, 2024Publication
OFLA and PLO Are Never Ever Getting Back Together: New Sweeping Changes to Oregon Leave Laws Require Employer Action
Labor, Employment & Benefits Legal Update
May 1, 2024Event / CLE
2024 California Employment Law Update: Expansive New Regulations; Employer Impact; Best Practices for Compliance
Strafford | Virtual
April 10, 2024Event / CLE
Paid Leave Oregon 2.0: They Changed it Again
Mid-Valley SHRM | Albany, Oregon
December 29, 2023Publication
Peace, Love, and New Laws: What California Employers Need to Know in the New Year
Labor, Employment & Benefits Legal Update
November 2, 2023Event / CLE
Fall Conference
Oregon Society for Human Resource Management | Canyonville, Oregon
September 15 & October 6, 2023Event / CLE
'Best Practices for Best Employers™' Labor & Employment Seminar 2023
Now in Seattle & Portland!
August 14, 2023Publication
Ready or Not, Here It Comes: Paid Leave Oregon!
Labor, Employment & Benefits Legal Update
June 22, 2023Event / CLE
Startups & Emerging Companies Summer Series – Growing Your Business the Right Way
Lane Powell | Portland, Oregon
May 4, 2023Event / CLE
10 Top HR Trends
Washington Bankers Association | Seattle, Washington
January 4, 2023Event / CLE
2023 Employment Law Update: Oregon and Washington
Lower Columbia Human Resource Management Association | Astoria, Oregon
January 3, 2023News
Lane Powell Elects New Shareholders
Firm Announcement
December 7, 2022Event / CLE
Paid Leave Oregon...Are You Ready? Part Two
Lower Columbia Human Resource Management Association | Virtual
November 4, 2022Publication
Turkey and Pay Transparency: Things California Employers Can Look Forward to This Holiday Season
Labor, Employment & Benefits Legal Update
November 2, 2022Event / CLE
Paid Leave Oregon...Are You Ready? Part One
Lower Columbia Human Resource Management Association | Virtual
October 6, 2022Event / CLE
Employee Handbooks and Policies in the 21st Century
National Business Institute | Virtual
June 16, 2022Publication
Not So FAAst: Viking River Ruling Creates More PAGA Uncertainty for California Employers
Labor, Employment & Benefits Legal Update
March 4, 2022Publication
Federal #MeToo Law Should Cause Employers to Rethink Mandatory Arbitration Agreements
Labor, Employment & Benefits Legal Update
January 20, 2022Event / CLE
California New Restrictions on Severance and Settlement Agreements
myLawCLE | Virtual
October 6 - December 8, 2021Event / CLE
'Best Practices for Best Employers™' Webinar Series
Lane Powell | Virtual
November 5, 2021Publication
‘Mum’s’ Not the Word: California Imposes New Restrictions on Severance and Settlement Agreements
Labor, Employment & Benefits Legal Update
October 13, 2021Event / CLE
Update Floodgate: Top 10 Employment Law Changes Employers Need to Know Now
Lane Powell 'Best Practices For Best Employers™' Webinar Series | Virtual
September 20, 2021Publication
Red Light! Green Light!... Yellow Light?: Ninth Circuit Lifts Injunction on Law Banning Mandatory Employee Arbitration Agreements in California
Labor, Employment & Benefits Legal Update
August 18, 2021Publication
Can Employers Mandate Vaccination Programs and Require Masks?
COVID-19 Resource
August 18, 2021Publication
With Mandatory Vaccine Policies On the Rise, Should Your Business Implement One?
COVID-19 Resource
July 21, 2021Event / CLE
Today’s Forefront of Training and Workforce Pipelines
Association of Washington Business | Tacoma, Washington
June 22, 2021Event / CLE
Employer Vaccine Mandates — Tread Lightly Despite EEOC Guidance
Community Bankers of Washington | Virtual
June 7, 2021News
Labor, Employment & Benefits Legal Update Quoted in McKnight’s Long Term Care News Article ‘Offering a COVID-19 Vaccination Incentive? Tread Carefully, Experts Suggest’
In the News
June 2, 2021Publication
EEOC Says Employers Can Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines, but Tread Carefully...
COVID-19 Resource
April 1, 2021News
McFate Joins Labor, Employment & Benefits Team
Firm Announcement

Practices & Industries

Labor, Employment & Benefits

Education

Golden Gate University School of Law, J.D., 2012
California State University, Los Angeles, M.A., Communication Studies, 2006
University of California at Los Angeles, B.A., Women's Studies, 2002

Admissions

Oregon
Washington
California

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