Your Team of Collaborative Specialists

For more than two decades, I have built my practice around labor and employment law, protecting workers’ rights, strengthening and protecting collective action, and providing clear, practical guidance in complex workplace matters. My practice includes representing employees and unions in high-stakes disputes, litigation, negotiations, governance, compliance, and professional licensing matters. I have extensive experience representing clients before courts and administrative agencies, and advising organizational leadership and elected union leaders on legal, labor, governance, and state and local policy issues.

My work is grounded in legal rigor and real-world practicality. I approach each matter with careful listening, strategic thinking, and pragmatic problem-solving, with an emphasis on resolving immediate disputes while preserving long-term relationships and advancing fairness and equity through client-centered advocacy.

Joined Firm

2026

Admitted to Practice

• Oregon State Bar (2001)
• California State Bar (1999)

Education

• University of California San Francisco College of Law (formerly UC Hastings College of the Law) (J.D. cum laude, 1999)
• Saint Mary’s College of California (M.A. cum laude, 1996)
• University of California, Davis (B.S. cum laude, 1994)

Prior Experience

• General Counsel, Oregon Education Association (2016 – 2025)
• General Counsel & Business Representative, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 125 (2013 – 2016)
• Partner, McKanna Bishop Joffe & Arms LLP (2006 – 2013), Associate (2003 – 2006)
• Metropolitan Public Defender (2001 – 2003)
• Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco (1999 – 2001)

Professional Activities

Co-Author:  Public School Educator Licensure, Employment, and Dismissal, Labor & Employment Law in Oregon:  Public Sector (Oregon State Bar, 2025)

Oregon State Bar Labor & Employment Law Section

Oregon State Bar Administrative Law Section

Oregon State Bar Civil Rights Law Section

Oregon Trial Lawyers Association

Everyone should have the right to work and earn their living free from discrimination and exploitation. To that end, I represent workers with civil claims involving discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, with a special interest in sexual harassment claims.

Sexual harassment in the workplace—or any type of discrimination—often takes a severe emotional toll. This is especially true when my clients face harassment or discrimination in the workplace that is similar to what they’ve experienced throughout their lives. It’s important to me to acknowledge this emotional burden. I approach my legal practice with empathy for my clients and through a lens of trauma-informed lawyering.

I’m a first-generation American from a family of immigrants. I worked in retail and as a server in restaurants for many years before returning to school to study modern political and economic history. My personal and academic experiences help me understand the societal structures that lead to workplace exploitation and discrimination. And these experiences very much motivate me to fight for justice for my clients.

Joined Firm

2023

Admitted to Practice

• Oregon State Bar (2023)
• U.S. District of Oregon (2023)

Education

• Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College (J.D., magna cum laude, 2023)
• Portland State University (B.S., summa cum laude, 2020)

I am happy to be working for Bennett Hartman as an attorney and to have the opportunity to help people who have been treated unfairly by their employers.

I have always been motivated to apply my intellect in support of justice.

I decided to go to law school because I wanted to have more power to make positive change. I enjoyed studying law at the Northwestern School Law at Lewis and Clark College. Much of my coursework focused on Indian law and I am always looking for opportunities to support tribes and indigenous activism. But I found my place in labor and employment law – working as a student law clerk for SEIU 49, and then for Bennett Hartman.

After graduating, I worked as a judicial clerk for Judge Matarazzo at the Multnomah County Circuit Court, both as a bench clerk and presiding clerk, and am grateful to have had the opportunity to see how the court works from the inside.

I was raised in suburban Maryland, and moved out to California for college, attracted by the progressive culture of the west coast. At the University of Santa Cruz, I immersed myself in anti-war and labor activism, creating forums for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to share their experiences and organizing student support for striking workers. As a Feminist Studies major, I studied oppression and social movements – how they operate through institutions, popular culture, and the law.

Once I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I moved to Portland to be closer to family. I lived at the Tryon Life Community Farm for seven years, tending the land, animals, and land community; and worked a variety of jobs – nanny, film extra, flagger, but mostly as a math tutor. I also continued to support social movements and am proud to have helped launch the Burgerville Workers Union by networking with faith-leaders who appealed to the moral sensibilities of the company’s owners.

As an attorney, I am fortunate to have my livelihood converge with my passions, and remain committed to the pursuit of truth, justice, and empathy.

Joined Firm

2022

Admitted to Practice

• Oregon State Bar (2021)
• U.S. District of Oregon (2022)

Education

• Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College (J.D. cum laude, 2021)
• University of California, Santa Cruz (B.A., Honors, Feminist Studies, 2008)

Professional/Volunteer Activities

• Tryon Life Community Farm Board of Directors
  • Member 2013-Present
  • Secretary, 2014-2016; President 2016-Present
• Lewis and Clark Law School Faculty Committee
  • Student member 2019-2020
• Lewis and Clark Law School Honor Board
  • Student member 2018-2019

Publications

Michael Blumm, Kate Flanagan & Annamarie White, Right-Sizing the Supreme Court: A History of Congressional Changes, 72 Case Western Reserve Law Review 9 (2021).

I was drawn to pursue a legal career because I wanted to help people experiencing the effects of societal power imbalances. I have experienced these imbalances between employers and employees through years of working in the service industry. I know firsthand how difficult it can be to assert your rights as a worker, and how challenging it is to navigate complex bureaucratic systems to vindicate your rights. I primarily practice Workers’ Compensation, where I help guide workers through the claims process so that they can achieve the best result possible and put their work injury behind them.  I also advise labor unions and progressive organizations on initiative, campaign finance and election related matters.

I am originally from Kentucky (Go Cats) but attended college in New York City, where I studied Urban Studies and Sustainable Development. I loved the aspect of liberal arts studies that involved delving into research and writing projects—an interest and skill that has translated into the legal field. From New York, I moved to rural Oregon to participate in the RARE AmeriCorps program, where I spent a year working on downtown revitalization and planning a festival for the 2017 Solar Eclipse. I fell in love with the PNW and stayed here for five years working primarily in farm education for youth. It was during this time, after the increasing realization of how difficult it was to navigate societal systems that were supposed to be there to help working people, that I decided to apply to law school and use my skills and interests to help folks wade through these often murky waters. I moved back to the South to attend Tulane University in New Orleans, and am now happy to be back in Oregon working for Bennett Hartman.

Joined Firm

2025

Admitted to Practice

2024

Education

• Tulane University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2024)
• Barnard College of Columbia University (B.A., cum laude, 2016)

After years of working in a variety of legal fields – I am limiting my practice to Mediation, serving as a Parent Coordinator, estate planning and probate practice, and oversight of the boutique practice of Multi-employer Trust Fund and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) collections work.

I was raised in Dallas Texas, San Francisco, and Milwaukee, completing my B.A. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1973 where I was President of the Wisconsin Student Association from 1972-1973. In late 1973 I escaped the Midwest to McMinnville, Oregon, then moved to the Portland area in 1975 to attend The Lewis and Clark Law School. I’ve stuck around ever since.

I served as President of the Domestic Violence Resource Center, in Hillsboro, Oregon, and was a member of the statewide Domestic Violence Advisory Committee. I’m active in my church, Westminster Presbyterian in NE Portland; love my kids, my English Cocker “Dottie,” and my spouse – though not always in that order.

Joined Firm

2001

Admitted to Practice

• Oregon State Bar: 1979
• U.S. District Court: 1980
• U. S. Ninth Circuit: 1995

Education

• B.A. University of Wisconsin, 1973 J.D.
• The Lewis & Clark Law School, 1979

Prior Experience

• Carney, Buckley, Kasameyer & Hays, 1980 to 2001
• Carlos Boyer, Hillsboro Oregon 1979-1980

Martindale-Hubbell Rating

AV

Most people have no idea what workers’ compensation is until they are in the middle of it.  What does it cover?  How long does it last?  What other benefits does it provide?  The same was true for me when I first entered the industry as a claims processor for a national insurance company in 2013.  Now, after having worked my way up through the ranks and (most importantly) experiencing both sides of the law – previously representing employers/insurance companies and now injured individuals – I have a deep understanding of workers’ compensation claims and the stakes involved.

I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon to a family of immigrants.  My mother and father were from Hong Kong and came to America in the 1960s.  As a kid, I watched my mom juggle two jobs while my dad worked long hours in tech manufacturing.  When I became old enough to work during high school, I started out bussing tables at a Chinese restaurant.  In college, I held a work study position as a file clerk in the university’s student records office.  In the summertime, I worked a multitude of jobs from making sandwiches in a deli, to painting apartments, and working graveyard shifts at a local newspaper printing and distribution center.   All of these experiences have helped me develop a perspective and insight into the rigors of the labor most of my clients are required to perform on a daily basis.  As a result, I fully understand why what some may perceive as a negligible injury/condition can in fact be very disabling for people with strenuous jobs.

While in law school at The University of Oregon, I focused my education on business law with a concentration on corporate formation, mergers and acquisitions, and forensic accounting.  After school, I clerked for two years in a personal injury law firm.  There, I gained experience in civil litigation, mostly working on motor vehicle accidents and medical malpractice cases.  I was involved in civil pleadings practice, trial work, and appellate briefing for the Oregon Court of Appeals.  From there, I went on to process workers’ compensation claims for The Hartford Insurance Group.

After mastering claims processing, I became a claimants’ attorney with an emphasis on ensuring the appropriate administration of disability benefits to my clients.  I then had a short stint as a workers’ compensation defense attorney at a large law firm that represents many local claim administrators and insurance companies.  I soon realized, however, that my true passion was actually in vigorously representing injured workers who were involved in this complicated insurance system and I have now returned to serving individuals.  I am happiest when helping my clients navigate their claims to obtain the maximum benefits available under Oregon’s workers’ compensation laws.

Having been on both sides of the dispute, I have a unique ability to analyze a claim from multiple perspectives which allows me to determine the optimal strategy for my clients.  As a former adjuster and defense attorney, I understand what the employer’s/insurance company’s objectives and strategies are.  Then, drawing on my experience and knowledge, I do my best to forecast and explain each client’s options from the outset to create a legal strategy custom-tailored to meet their specific needs.

When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter.  I am also enthusiastic about the outdoors, basketball, and western sports.  I am an avid foodie who eats recreationally and never shies away from trying new things.

Joined Firm

2021

Admitted to Practice

Oregon State Bar: 2012

Education

• University of Oregon School of Law (J.D., 2010)
• University of Oregon (B.S., 2007)

Volunteer Activities

• Asian American Youth Leadership Conference, Planning Committee, 2010 – 2019
• AAYLC Ambassador Engagement Series, Instructor, 2013 – 2018
• Robert Gray Middle School SUN School, Film Project Instructor, 2015
• Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Youth Basketball Coach, 2013

I am a product of the working class. The son of a waitress and a carpenter, I was the first in my family to attend college. Growing up, I spent many a weekend and summer day on job sites with my dad or at restaurants where my mom worked. I have a deep respect for working people, which explains why I chose to become a labor and employment attorney.

Law is a second career for me though. Prior to law school I worked for fourteen years as a 911 dispatcher, and for nine of those years I served as the president and treasurer of my labor union. My experience as a dispatcher taught me how to navigate crises, and guide others through them, with a clear mind. As a union representative, I learned the power of collective action and the skill of advocating for my fellow workers. I apply those lessons every day in my work as a labor and employment attorney.

In my law practice I represent both individuals and labor unions in disputes and negotiations with their employers. My litigation practice with individual clients focuses primarily on unpaid wage claims and discrimination claims. I help my union clients with grievances and arbitrations, disciplinary matters, contract negotiations, and representing individual union members.

If you are a working person whose workplace rights have been violated, please do not hesitate to reach out for help. It is truly an honor to serve you.

Ryan is provisionally licensed to practice law under the Oregon State Bar Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination program.

Joined Firm

2024

Admitted to Practice

• Oregon State Bar Provisional Licensee (2025)

Education

• Lewis & Clark Law School (J.D., cum laude, January 2025)
• Washington State University (B.A., 2014)

Successful business and real estate deals are all about good strategy and minding the details. So is chess. What’s the connection? As a former Oregon State Chess champion, I bring the same power of concentration it takes to win on a board with uniquely moving pieces and a determined opponent to create winning strategies for my business and real estate clients.

I enjoy assisting “Mom & Pop” clients with all nature of business, commercial, and real estate issues. As a strong legal researcher and writer, I also handle many of the firm’s cases before the appellate courts. I’ve worked with the Oregon Rules of Civil Procedure since they were adopted in 1979, so I’m often called upon as a resource for other attorneys on thorny procedural questions.

I was born and raised in San Francisco, California. After I graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1969 with a degree in Mathematics, I headed to Oregon to serve a two-year stint as a VISTA volunteer in Jackson County. I followed that up with another two years as Coordinator of a local public transportation program. In 1973 I married my love and moved to Salem to accept a position as a planner with the Oregon Mass Transit Division.

However, I became interested in law and entered Willamette University College of Law, where I received my Juris Doctorate, cum laude, in 1977. After serving as law clerk to Oregon Supreme Court Justice Thomas H. Tongue, I entered the law practice in Portland, emphasizing business, real estate and related litigation. I’ve been associated with Bennett, Hartman for over 25 years, first Of Counsel, as Partner in 2001, and Of Counsel since 2021.

I recently celebrated my 40th wedding anniversary and the birth of my first grandchild. I am indeed a former Oregon State Chess Champion, love the game, and am very active in the Oregon Chess Federation and the Portland Chess Club. Every summer, I look forward to my annual backpacking trip into Oregon’s magnificent wilderness areas. My wife and I also have been bitten by the travel bug and we have ventured to sites in Europe, South America and Southeast Asia.

Joined Firm

1988

Admitted to Bar

1977

Education

• A.B. Mathematics, University of California-Berkeley (1969);
• J.D. cum laude, Willamette University College of Law (1977).

Professional/Volunteer Activities

Portland Chess Club; former Oregon State Chess Champion; Mediator, Oregon Appellate Settlement Conference Program.

Publications

“Government Regulation of Franchises,” Advising Oregon Businesses, Ch. 67. Oregon State Bar Continuing Legal Education (2003 ed.)

Martindale-Hubbell Rating

AV

My law practice reflects my belief that everyone deserves respect and dignity in the workplace, no matter how large and powerful their employer might be. Most of my legal representation involves violations of worker rights—claims such as unlawful harassment, whistleblower retaliation, medical leave violations, unpaid wages, and many others. I also regularly represent clients in civil matters outside the employment arena when someone with a righteous case can’t find an attorney to represent them.

I often attempt to negotiate a fair resolution before litigating a case. If my attempts at negotiation are unsuccessful, I will fight tirelessly for my clients. Several of my clients have won substantial jury verdicts after the other side refused to fairly settle their claims. I’ve pursued claims in state and federal courts, state and federal administrative forums, and court-mandated and private arbitrations. I’ve also obtained victories on appeal.

I spent nearly a decade working as a legislative aide and policy advocate before going to law school. While in law school, I clerked for Student Legal Services at Portland State University and the Community Development Law Center at Legal Aid Services of Oregon. I joined Bennett Hartman in 2013 and became a partner in 2017.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy bicycling around Oregon and planning my next travel adventure.

Joined Firm

2013

Admitted to Practice

• Oregon State Bar (2013)
• S. District of Oregon (2014)
• Washington State Bar (2018)
• S. Western District of Washington (2018)

Representative Cases

• Bybee v. Baker City et al., Baker Co. Circuit Court, Case No. 23CV34954 (jury award of $200,000 in favor of employee whose employment was terminated after he filed a workers’ compensation claim and requested reassignment)
• Woody et al. v. Fred Meyer Stores, Inc., U.S. District Court of Oregon, Case No. 3:22-cv-01800-HZ and Sapphire v. Fred Meyer Stores, Inc., King Co. Sup. Court, Case No. 22-2-19510-0 SEA (class action settlements for a total of $6.6 million for wage errors caused by faulty payroll system conversion)
• Hernandez v. Reed Group, Ltd. et al., 311 Or. App. 70, 490 P3d 166 (2021) (appellate victory against third-party benefits administrator on claim of aiding or abetting unlawful denial of medical leave)
• Vasquez v. Blubird World, LLC, Mult. Co. Circuit Court, Case No. 18CV41572 (jury verdict in favor of employee on claims of hostile work environment, disability discrimination, and constructive discharge)
• Hathaway et al. v. Colrich California Construction, Inc. et al., Mult. Co. Circuit Court, Case No. 16CV07602 (settlements on behalf of tenants of 300-unit apartment building that failed to remedy habitability defects)
• Thanane et al. v. Providence Health & Services – Oregon, S. District Court of Oregon, Case No. 3:13-cv-01620-MO (class action wage claim settlement on behalf of more than 30,000 employees for unpaid wages as a result of timecard rounding software and timecard manipulations by managers)

Education

• Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College (J.D., 2012)
• The Evergreen State College (B.A., 2001)

I have always believed in the power of collective action to make a difference. From an early age, I have rooted for the underdog and empathized with those who are in pain or trouble, even when they are unpopular. So when I graduated from law school, I identified my ideal job as one where I could practice employment, labor and family law – three areas that have a very real and immediate impact on people, both personally and collectively.

I’ve been fortunate to have a practice that fulfills that vision and more. For nineteen years, I had my own firm, practicing labor, employment  and family law. Over the years, I added a unique expertise in election law, advising unions and other progressive organizations like Basic Rights Oregon, Planned Parenthood and Our Oregon on a variety of issues arising out of Oregon’s initiative process. In 2009-2010, I left private practice to serve as Special Counsel to Attorney General John Kroger where I advised the Attorney General on election and administrative law issues and oversaw the Department of Justice’s work in the areas of child support and child welfare.

I returned to my roots in 2011, joining Bennett, Hartman, Morris & Kaplan to restart my election, labor, employment, and family law practices. I enjoy being engaged in policy discussions, while at the same time helping resolve concrete problems. I listen well, get the big picture, and then provide practical, strategic advice that seeks to resolve the immediate dispute in a manner that maintains long term relationships, whether between labor and management, or between parents with children. I not only provide the effective advocacy that the people I work with need, I also let them know that I care about them – it’s as important as the law.

Joined Firm

2011

Admitted to Practice

• Oregon State Bar: 1988
• Washington State Bar: 1988

Education

• Northeastern University School of Law (J.D., 1987)
• Williams College, B.A., Political Economy 1981

Prior Experience

• Special Counsel, Office of the Attorney General Oregon Department of Justice (2009 – 2010)
• Private Practice (1988-2009)
• Partner, Smith, Gamson, Diamond & Olney (1994-2008)
• Judicial Clerk for Judge Jonathan Newman, Oregon Court of Appeals (1987-88)

Professional Activities

Oregon State Bar Labor and Employment Section

Oregon State Bar Family Law Section

Oregon Administrative Law Section

Oregon Women Lawyers

Washington Labor and Employment Law Section

AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee

Oregon Law Commission
Government Ethics Workgroup (2005-2007)
Juvenile Law Workgroup (2009-2010)

Oregon State Bar – Parenting Plan Workgroup; (2010)

State Family Law Advisory Committee (2009-2010)

Foster Care Review Team (2009-2010)

Joint Legislative-Judicial Task Force on Child Welfare (2009-2010)

Publications

• “Oregon Campaign Finance & Ballot Measure Guide,” Alliance for Justice; http://bolderadvocacy.org/navigate-the-rules/state-resources
• Legislative Update, OLI Annual Employment Law Update, 2013, 2014
• “Election Law and Government Ethics,” OSB Oregon Legislation Highlights, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008.
• “Meeting the Challenge of Inclusion: Strategies & Resources” Oregon Education Association, 1997, updated 2003.

Martindale-Hubbell Rating ©

AV

Awards

Oregon LERA MAGGIE, 2016. Letters of Nomination

Bio coming soon!

Work is the foundation of everyday life. When it is threatened, people deserve real support and real answers. I work with people at moments when something has shifted­—pay is missing, expectations change, or speaking up suddenly carries consequences. These are not abstract disputes. They affect people’s stability and livelihoods. Employment laws exist to provide meaningful protection in those moments. I focus on helping employees understand how those protections apply to their specific situation, assess the risks and options realistically, and decide whether taking action makes sense. My practice is also focused on developing class and collective action claims, where systemic workplace practices affect groups of employees.

My approach to this work is shaped by my own experience. I have always built my path step by step, learning as I went. I am originally from South Korea and later moved to New Jersey, where I studied law at Seton Hall University School of Law. I worked full time as a paralegal while earning my law degree and raising a family. That experience keeps my work grounded in what workplace disputes mean for working people and their families and continues to shape why this work matters to me.

Joined Firm

2025

Admitted to Practice

• New Jersey State Bar (2025)
• Oregon State Bar (Pending)

Education

• Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., concentration in Health Law, 2025)
• Sungkyunkwan University (B.A. 2007)