Fisher Phillips Welcomes Seasoned Labor Lawyer

Fisher Phillips, one of the country’s preeminent labor and employment law firms representing employers, is pleased to announce that Erik Laiho has joined the firm as a partner in the Portland, Oregon office.

Erik has comprehensive labor experience and is known for representing employers in union organizing campaigns, unfair labor practice charges, collective bargaining, ERISA withdrawal liability litigation, and labor arbitrations.

“Erik brings a critical understanding of the changing dynamic between the employee-employer relationship and deep insight into the growing challenges our clients face when managing their workforces,” said Todd Lyon, Co-Chair of Fisher Phillips’ Labor Relations practice group. “He will be an incredible asset to our clients not only on the West Coast but across the country as we continue to enhance our Labor Relations service offerings to collaborate with our clients on the implementation of positive employee relations approaches and strategic solutions tailored to their workplace cultures.”

Erik also has extensive experience defending employers in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies in matters involving alleged safety violations, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and a wide variety of other employment law issues.

“Erik has well over a decade of experience providing clients with practical solutions to their real-world labor and employment law issues,” said Clarence Belnavis, Regional Managing Partner of Fisher Phillip’s Portland office. “We are thrilled to welcome someone of Erik’s caliber with such a deep understanding of what employers need from us to be truly successful and thrive in today’s world.”

Before joining Fisher Phillips, Erik was a partner at a regional management-side labor and employment firm where he represented large and small employers facing labor issues. He also helped these clients navigate and litigate an assortment of employment laws involving employee classification, wage and hour issues, overtime payments, noncompete agreements, employee benefits, leave laws, discipline, and suspension. 

Erik earned his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington.

Fisher Phillips’ Labor Relations practice includes over 100 attorneys located across the country and boasts decades of experience implementing tried and true employee-relations strategies that combine creative and proactive measures designed to address the unique issues confronting today’s unionized and non-unionized workplaces. From representing employers before the Federal and State Labor Relations Boards to devising comprehensive employee relations plans, to implementing strategies for lawfully and effectively responding to the earliest warning signs of employee discontent, the firm’s attorneys are a powerful asset to employers. So much so that U.S. News – Best Lawyers® just named Fisher Phillips the 2023 “Law Firm of The Year” in Labor Law Management, an honor the firm received twice within three years.