D. Michael Reilly

Chambers USA's Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business recognized Mike for his work in employment law and described him as "one of Seattle's top-rate attorneys" who is "truly phenomenal [with] superb legal instincts" and "an amazingly assertive litigator."

Mike also advises higher education administrators and nonprofit governing boards, and serves as Chair of the Gonzaga University Board of Trustees. He also serves as Outside General Counsel for Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences.

Mike's remarks on employment issues have been quoted in Newsweek, Employee Relations Law Journal, Wall Street Journal, Puget Sound Business Journal, and CFO.com as well as other professional journals and publications.

Mike counsels clients on various issues, including:

• Litigation: Litigates claims involving wrongful discharge, discrimination, failure to accommodate (disability and religion), leave interference, wage and hour claims, and ERISA and non-ERISA benefit claims.
• Strategic counseling and risk management: Advises employers on all facets of employment-related issues including recruiting and hiring, workplace violence, employee discipline reductions-in-force, ERISA compliance, criminal background checks, and employee terminations.
• Workplace investigations: Trains investigators, advises and manages outcomes, and/or conducts investigations involving sensitive allegations, through thoughtful collaboration with human resources and in-house counsel. Reasonable investigations require traditional investigation skills along with emotional intelligence and pragmatism.
• Agency charges: Prepares responses to EEOC and state and local employment practices agencies alleging retaliation, discrimination, and wage and hour violations. Successfully litigated and resolved numerous lawsuits brought by the EEOC, BOLI, and WSHRC agencies.
• Disability, religious accommodations, and leave management: Advises employers on employee health and leave issues, including workplace safety and disability accommodation laws involving alcohol, illegal drugs, and marijuana use. Advises employers on new expectations addressing religious accommodation in light of the Groff Supreme Court decision.
• Pay equity audits and strategy: Advises regarding methodology and proactive steps involving pay equity audits addressing equal pay and career opportunities issues.
• Management training: Develops and conducts effective and efficient management training on avoiding retaliation, discrimination/harassment, and leave issues facing employers, and how to conduct defensible and reasonable investigations.
• Employee handbooks: Reviews and prepares employee handbooks to assure compliance with ever-changing employment laws and recommending policies which can enhance a collaborative and diverse workplace.
• Pay transparency and wage & hour compliance, and audits: Advises on new laws requiring pay transparency and compliance with minimum wage and overtime laws, paid leave statutes and how to avoid independent contractor misclassification claims, and government audits.
• Employment agreements, restrictive covenants, and the duty of loyalty: Prepares executive agreements and advises on intellectual property, trade secret, and non-compete agreements as well as compliance with an employee's "duty of loyalty."