Rich Meneghello is a partner in the firm's Portland office. He is passionate about assisting employers with their labor and employment problems in a wide variety of areas.

Rich has focused much of his practice on defending and advising employers on disability discrimination issues. He has maintained this focus since 1999, when he was the lead associate attorney before the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Albertsons v. Kirkingburg, a unanimous decision interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in favor of employers.

However, Rich's practice is not limited to ADA matters. He commonly appears in court defending claims of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, injured worker discrimination, race discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour violations, and family and medical leave discrimination.

He also counsels employers on proactive ways to avoid legal problems, by rendering advice, drafting policies, and providing training.

Rich has written a monthly column in the Portland Daily Journal of Commerce entitled “Solutions at Work” since 2007, and he has supervised the Fisher Phillips Supreme Court Alert service, which publishes summaries and offers practical advice about Supreme Court opinions, since 2008.

Reported Cases

• Earned a summary judgment dismissal of a retaliation claim filed by a terminated employee in Oregon state court, upheld by both the Oregon Court of Appeals and the Oregon Supreme Court (Cramer v. Sky Lakes Medical Center, 2014).
• Secured a victory for an employer that terminated an individual after he was arrested for DUII while operating a company vehicle, defeating an ADA disability claim alleging alcoholism discrimination at summary judgment in Oregon federal district court (Servo v. Junginger, 2014).
• Received a full defense verdict in a wage and hour trial in Oregon state court, defeating a claim by a former worker that she was improperly classified as an independent contractor and owed more than $100,000 in back wages (Foster v. North House Enterprises, 2010).
• Won a unanimous jury defense verdict in Oregon's federal district court on behalf of Indian Head Industries in a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by a terminated employee (Stein v. Indian Head, 2009).
• Albertsons, Inc. v. Kirkingburg, 557 U.S. 555 (1999) - unanimous decision in favor of employer on ADA case before United States Supreme Court.
• Cornwall v. Electra Central Credit Union, 439 F.3d 1018 (9th Cir. 2006) - appellate victory at Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of employer and CEO in discrimination claim.
• Mott v. Office Depot, 390 Fed.Appx. 658 (9th Cir. 2010) - successful defense of appeal at Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after securing dismissal of harassment and family leave discrimination lawsuit.
• Martin v. DHL Express, 234 P.3d 997 (Or. App. 2010) - Oregon Court of Appeals victory on breach of contract matter after successful trial court decision.
• Foster v. North House Industries, 260 P.3d 856 (Or.App. 2011), rev. denied, 271 P.3d 115 (Or. 2011) - Oregon Court of Appeals victory on independent contractor misclassification matter after successful trial court decision, upheld by Oregon Supreme Court.
• Cramer v. Sky Lakes Medical Center, Inc., 263 Or. App. 714 (2014), 365 Or. ___ (2014) – Oregon Court of Appeals and Oregon Supreme Court decisions affirming summary judgment victory in retaliation claim filed by terminated employee.
• Servo v. Junginger, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108722 (D. Or. Aug. 6, 2014) – U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon victory on ADA disability discrimination claim at summary judgment, defeating claims of alcoholism discrimination.

Representative Work

Honors & Awards

• Listed in Chambers USA, America's Leading Business Lawyers since 2007, in Oregon Super Lawyers since 2009, and in The Best Lawyers in America since 2010.
• "AV" Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell since 2004.
• Named one of Oregon's "Top 40 Under 40" by the Portland Business Journal, an award honoring local business leaders, in 2006.
• Selected as a "Rising Star" in the national employment law community by Employment Law360.com in 2011.

Professional Activities

• Has served on Associated Oregon Industries' (AOI) Labor and Employment Practice Steering Committee since 2008.
• Elected Chairperson of the Oregon State Bar Disability Law Executive Committee in 2001 and served on that committee from 1998 to 2003.
• Served on Oregon State Bar Labor and Employment Law Executive Committee from 2008 to 2011.
• Elected to serve on Oregon State Bar's Board of Bar Examiners, 2006 to 2009.
• Testified before the Oregon State Legislature on impact of disability discrimination laws on employers, 2006.

Community Activities

• Currently serves as legal advisor to Greater Portland Soccer District's Board of Directors (2009 - present).
• Served on the St. John Fisher School Advisory Committee. (2010-2013)
• Past Co-Chair of St. John Fisher School Parent-Teacher Club. (2008-2010)
• Mock trial organizer and coach: Madison High School (1999, 2000), St. John Fisher School (2015)

News

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

• Presented at Oregon Restaurant Association's Leadership Conference
  2007, 2009
• Washington Lodging Association's Annual Conference
  2010
• The Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Conference
  2005
• Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries' Annual Conference for Employers
  1998 to present
• Guest lecturer at law school labor and employment classes
  Lewis & Clark Law School Portland, OR
• Willamette University School of Law
  Salem, OR

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