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Clarence Belnavis photo

Clarence M. Belnavis

Regional Managing Partner


Portland, OR/Seattle

t:503.205.8045/206.693.5075

f:503.242.4263/206.682.7908

Email

Service Focus

  • Counseling and Advice
  • Employment Discrimination and Harassment
  • Litigation and Trials
  • Wage and Hour
  • Workplace Safety and Catastrophe Management

Industry Focus

  • Automotive Dealership
  • Financial Services
  • Healthcare
  • Hospitality
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Higher Education
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Overview
Credentials
Recognitions
Affiliations
Insights

Overview

Clarence Belnavis is the regional managing partner of Fisher Phillips’ Portland office and a partner in the Seattle office. He is a trial attorney focusing on employment litigation, including disability, racial and gender discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, and wrongful discharge. Clarence also represents employers in wage and hour claims, employment class actions, and traditional labor matters.

In addition to his litigation practice, Clarence proactively advises clients with respect to labor and employment matters, including disability and return to work issues, employee handbooks, termination procedures and litigation avoidance.

Clarence also provides client trainings and educational presentations to industry groups and organizations regarding current and developing employment law issues.

He has been listed in Chambers USA, America's Leading Business Lawyers since 2006 and The Best Lawyers in America since 2009. He is frequently recognized in Oregon Super Lawyers for his work in labor and employment law.

In 2011, Clarence was honored as a "Convocation on Equality Champion" in recognition of the diversity work that he has been engaged in during his career.

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., 1994, Howard University School of Law
  • B.A., 1991, Florida Atlantic University

Bar Admissions

  • Oregon
  • Washington

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

Recognitions

  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (2009 - 2025)
  • Chambers USA, Labor & Employment (2006 – 2024)
  • Listed in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers (2021, 2022, 2024, 2025)
  • Recommended as a leading practitioner for Labor and Employment Disputes: Defense by The Legal 500 United States (2021 - 2022)
  • Oregon Super Lawyers (2006 - 2008, 2012 - Present)

Affiliations

Professional Activities

  • President, Oregon Chapter of the National Bar Association
  • President, Association of Oregon Black Lawyers
  • Member, Owen M. Panner Chapter of the American Inns of Court
  • Former Coach, Jefferson High School (Portland, OR) Mock Trial Team

Community Activities

  • Board Member, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Columbia Northwest

Insights

  • News

    12/03/24

    Regional Managing Partner Discusses Portland Office Move

    Clarence M. Belnavis

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  • News

    10/11/24

    Portland Regional Managing Partner Discusses Oregon Warehouse Worker Protection Bill

    Clarence M. Belnavis

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  • News

    06/10/24

    Fisher Phillips Earns Top Rankings Again as a Leading Firm in Labor and Employment Law by Chambers USA

    Edwin G. Foulke Jr., Andrew J. Sommer, Travis Vance, Kristin R.B. White, Danielle Hultenius Moore, Jocelyn Campanaro, Micah Dawson, Todd A. Fredrickson, Angelica M. Ochoa, Steven M. Bernstein, Suzanne K. Bogdan, Charles S. Caulkins, Christine E. Howard, Jeffrey E. Mandel, Cathy M. Stutin, Michael P. Elkon, Shanon R. Stevenson, Terri R. Stewart, Laurel K. Cornell, Raymond C. Haley III, Emily N. Litzinger, Todd B. Logsdon, Craig P. Siegenthaler, Megan Reese U'Sellis, Michelle I. Anderson, Edward F. Harold, Timothy H. Scott, David W. Erb, Daniel E. Farrington, Joseph W. Ambash, William E. Altman, Gregory V. Murray, Barbara Jean D’Aquila, Steven R. Cupp, Gregory D. Ballew, J. Randall Coffey, James R. Holland II, Brian J. Finucane, Melody L. Rayl, David B. Dornak, Scott M. Mahoney, Mark J. Ricciardi, Kathleen McLeod Caminiti, Rosemary S. Gousman, Michael R. Marra, David Klass, Richard A. Millisor, Clarence M. Belnavis, Todd A. Lyon, Michael P. Avila, Nan Sato, Christopher P. Stief, William D. Wright, Michael D. Carrouth, C. F. W. Manning II, Stephen C. Mitchell, J. Hagood Tighe, David S. Jones, Greg Grisham, Jeff Weintraub, Stephen J. Roppolo, Teresa Valderrama, Theresa M. Connolly, Davis C. Bae, Ralph Hua, Radhika Mehta, Suzanne Kelly Michael

    Read more 

  • Event

    04/04/24

    Navigating OFLA, FMLA, the ADA, and Paid Leave Oregon

    Clarence M. Belnavis, Stephan Kendall

    Read more 

  • News

    06/06/23

    Fisher Phillips Once Again Recognized as a Top Labor and Employment Law Firm by Chambers USA

    Edwin G. Foulke Jr., Andrew J. Sommer, Travis Vance, Kristin R.B. White, Danielle Hultenius Moore, Jocelyn Campanaro, Micah Dawson, Todd A. Fredrickson, Angelica M. Ochoa, Steven M. Bernstein, Suzanne K. Bogdan, Charles S. Caulkins, Christine E. Howard, Jeffrey E. Mandel, Cathy M. Stutin, Shanon R. Stevenson, Laurel K. Cornell, Raymond C. Haley III, Emily N. Litzinger, Todd B. Logsdon, Craig P. Siegenthaler, Megan Reese U'Sellis, Michelle I. Anderson, Edward F. Harold, Timothy H. Scott, David W. Erb, Daniel E. Farrington, Joseph W. Ambash, William E. Altman, Gregory V. Murray, Steven R. Cupp, Gregory D. Ballew, J. Randall Coffey, James R. Holland II, Brian J. Finucane, David B. Dornak, Scott M. Mahoney, Mark J. Ricciardi, Kathleen McLeod Caminiti, Rosemary S. Gousman, Michael R. Marra, Richard A. Millisor, Clarence M. Belnavis, Todd A. Lyon, Nan Sato, Christopher P. Stief, William D. Wright, Michael D. Carrouth, C. F. W. Manning II, Stephen C. Mitchell, J. Hagood Tighe, David S. Jones, Jeff Weintraub, Arthur V. Lambert, Stephen J. Roppolo, Teresa Valderrama, Theresa M. Connolly, Davis C. Bae, Ralph Hua, Radhika Mehta, Suzanne Kelly Michael, Barbara Jean D’Aquila

    Read more 

  • News

    03/20/23

    Fisher Phillips Attorneys Named to Lawyers of Color’s 2023 Power List

    Davis C. Bae, Clarence M. Belnavis, Todd A. Fredrickson, Raymond W. Perez, Regina A. Petty, Pavneet Singh Uppal

    Read more 

  • Event

    12/07/22

    Paid Medical Leave and an Increase in Minimum Wage: Two Tickets to (Workers’) Paradise

    Clarence M. Belnavis

    Read more 

  • News

    06/17/22

    Fisher Phillips Ranked Again Among Top Law Firms in the U.S. by The Legal 500

    Sheldon J. Blumling, Jocelyn Campanaro, Jessica T. Cook, Ralph Hua, David S. Jones, Shanon R. Stevenson, Clarence M. Belnavis, Christopher J. Boman, Kathleen McLeod Caminiti, Daniel E. Farrington, Lisa A. McClane, Danielle Hultenius Moore, Kristen J. Nesbit, Roger K. Quillen, Stephen Scott, Todd B. Scherwin, Steven M. Bernstein, David B. Dornak, Todd A. Lyon

    Read more 

  • News

    06/01/22

    Fisher Phillips Recognized Again as a Top Labor and Employment Law Firm by Chambers USA

    Kristin R.B. White, Danielle Hultenius Moore, Jocelyn Campanaro, Micah Dawson, Todd A. Fredrickson, Angelica M. Ochoa, Steven M. Bernstein, Suzanne K. Bogdan, Charles S. Caulkins, Christine E. Howard, Jeffrey E. Mandel, Cathy M. Stutin, Shanon R. Stevenson, Laurel K. Cornell, Raymond C. Haley III, Todd B. Logsdon, Craig P. Siegenthaler, Megan Reese U'Sellis, Michelle I. Anderson, Edward F. Harold, Keith M. Pyburn Jr., Timothy H. Scott, David W. Erb, Daniel E. Farrington, Joseph W. Ambash, William E. Altman, Gregory V. Murray, Steven R. Cupp, J. Randall Coffey, Brian J. Finucane, David B. Dornak, Scott M. Mahoney, Mark J. Ricciardi, Rosemary S. Gousman, Michael R. Marra, Richard A. Millisor, Clarence M. Belnavis, Nan Sato, Christopher P. Stief, William D. Wright, Michael D. Carrouth, C. F. W. Manning II, Stephen C. Mitchell, J. Hagood Tighe, David S. Jones, Jeff Weintraub, Arthur V. Lambert, Stephen J. Roppolo, Teresa Valderrama, Theresa M. Connolly, Davis C. Bae, Ralph Hua, Radhika Mehta, Suzanne Kelly Michael

    Read more 

  • News

    04/07/22

    Portland Partner Receives Multnomah Bar Association’s 2022 Pro Bono Award of Merit

    Stephen Scott, Clarence M. Belnavis

    Read more 

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