Tom Payne
Overview
Tom Payne works with clients on an array of employment and labor issues, including litigation, compliance, and advice. Tom has the comprehensive skill set necessary to efficiently and vigorously defend employers’ interests in administrative proceedings and in court. Enmeshed in employment issues throughout a wide range of industries, Tom provides employment advice, handles human resources issues, manages Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) complaints, and drafts non-compete and trade secret agreements. Tom also provides proactive, strategic counsel to help employers avoid litigation from the outset.
Prior to joining Schwabe, Tom was a law clerk for Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Tom’s clerkship experience helps him advocate strategically and effectively for his clients. In addition to advising and representing employers, Tom represents businesses and individuals in general litigation matters and appeals.
Tom was an Executive Editor of the Lewis & Clark Law Review and a member of the Jessup International Law moot court team during law school. Before attending law school, Tom was an elementary special-education teacher in Arizona.
Experience
Experience
- Represented a healthcare employer in a wrongful termination suit, obtaining summary judgment on all claims.
- Represents several employers in BOLI discrimination and wage-and-hour investigations.
- Drafts employment policies and handbooks for large and small employers in multiple industries.
- Advises employers on compliance with state and federal employment and wage-and-hour laws.
Memberships & Awards
Memberships
- Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Membership Committee Member
- Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Board Member
- Oregon Women Lawyers, Working Parents Committee
Awards
- Lewis & Clark Law School, 1L Mentor of the Year (2018)
- Lewis & Clark Law School, Cornelius Honor Society (2016)
Resources & Ideas
Seminars & Speaking Engagements
- October 16, 2019
Publications
- March 25, 2020
- March 19, 2020
- November 18, 2019
- May 31, 2019
- March 13, 2018
- October 25, 2017
- September 22, 2017
“Teaching Old Law New Tricks: Applying and Adapting State Responsibility to Cyber Operations,”
Lewis & Clark Law Review (2016)
Community Activities
Community Activities
- Integrative Trauma Treatment International, Board Treasurer (2019-present)
- Federal Bar Association, Board of Directors (2018-present)
- Lewis & Clark Law School, Mentor (2017-present)
- Multnomah Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section (2017-2019)
- Multnomah Bar Association Imprint Program, Mentor (2016)
- Wilson High School Constitution Team, Coach (2015-2016)
Services
Education
- Lewis & Clark Law SchoolJuris Doctor degree (2016)
- University of PortlandBachelor of Arts degree, Elementary Education (2011)
Admissions
Oregon State Courts
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Outside The Office
- Running, rock-climbing, cooking, and being outdoors with his family.