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Overview
Haley is a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. She provides counsel to employers on a wide variety of matters, with a particular focus on employment litigation in California and Oregon, in both single-plaintiff and class action contexts. Haley conducts comprehensive employment practice diagnostics for national and global companies, as well as workforce exempt classification reviews. She also provides advice on discrete issues in countless employment-related contexts.
Among her many achievements, Haley is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, and Oregon Super Lawyers. She has also been recognized as one of America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® as a result of her successes defending businesses in significant class actions.
Haley's clients include: Morgan Stanley, Becton, Dickinson and Company, AMN Healthcare, Vesta, Sunshine Retirement Living, Dick's Auto Group, Asante, Brightwater Senior Living, Dragonberry Produce, Trackers Earth, and Teleperformance USA. She also regularly works with businesses selected by the Y Combinator, the renowned tech incubator in San Francisco, whose companies have a combined valuation of over $100B. Haley's Y Combinator clients include Newfront Insurance, Truepill, and Lambda School, among others.
Prior to joining Tonkon Torp, Haley worked in California for multinational law firm, Paul Hastings LLP, for seven years. As a student at the University of San Diego School of Law, Haley served as an intern in the Attorney General’s Office, an extern for the Honorable Nita L. Stormes in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, and as a summer associate at Paul Hastings. Before attending law school, Haley worked for the Oregon Sports Authority, where she was responsible for marketing and organization for major sporting events such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Dew Tour, and the U.S. Women’s Soccer Fan Celebration Tour.
Among her many achievements, Haley is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, and Oregon Super Lawyers. She has also been recognized as one of America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® as a result of her successes defending businesses in significant class actions.
Haley's clients include: Morgan Stanley, Becton, Dickinson and Company, AMN Healthcare, Vesta, Sunshine Retirement Living, Dick's Auto Group, Asante, Brightwater Senior Living, Dragonberry Produce, Trackers Earth, and Teleperformance USA. She also regularly works with businesses selected by the Y Combinator, the renowned tech incubator in San Francisco, whose companies have a combined valuation of over $100B. Haley's Y Combinator clients include Newfront Insurance, Truepill, and Lambda School, among others.
Prior to joining Tonkon Torp, Haley worked in California for multinational law firm, Paul Hastings LLP, for seven years. As a student at the University of San Diego School of Law, Haley served as an intern in the Attorney General’s Office, an extern for the Honorable Nita L. Stormes in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, and as a summer associate at Paul Hastings. Before attending law school, Haley worked for the Oregon Sports Authority, where she was responsible for marketing and organization for major sporting events such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Dew Tour, and the U.S. Women’s Soccer Fan Celebration Tour.
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Get To Know
Haley is a soccer player, runner, and overall sports enthusiast. In her spare time, she volunteers with programs focused on building self-esteem and developing life skills through sports. She is on the Board of Directors of Playworks, a nonprofit that improves the well-being of elementary-aged children by increasing opportunities for safe, meaningful play, and on the Advisory Board of Bridge City Soccer Academy, a nonprofit teaching young, female athletes the tools to make confident and empowered decisions both on and off the field. Haley also participates in several local leadership groups focused on making the Greater Portland area a better, safer place to live. Growing up, Haley was an All-City and All-State selection multiple times while playing soccer at Lincoln High School. She played collegiately at Colorado College (NCAA Division I), and semi-professionally for several seasons before attending law school.
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Featured Representative Matters
Achieved Walk-Away Win in Statewide Class Action
As a result of early motion practice, achieved complete walk-away on California statewide class action allegations involving more than 500 engineers.
Defeated Class Certification and Prevailed on Follow-On Individual Cases
After defeating class certification in a case involving supervisors in the package delivery industry, prevailed on follow-on individual actions through motion practice and/or trials. After a string of victories without a single loss, the remaining individual plaintiffs dismissed their cases outright.
Summary Judgment Win Mooted Nationwide Collective Action
Prevailed on summary judgment as to the named plaintiffs in a nationwide independent contractor matter, thereby mooting their efforts to certify a collective action.
Attained Defense Verdict in Misclassification Jury Trial
Attained complete defense verdict in an exempt misclassification case tried before a jury.
Achieved Dismissal of Class Action Following Summary Judgment Victory
Authored a motion for partial summary judgment which resulted in the plaintiff voluntarily dismissing a putative class action involving hundreds of drivers, warehouse workers and front office personnel.
Defeated Misclassification Class Action
Defeated class certification in a state-wide exempt misclassification matter regarding retail supervisors.
Multiple Summary Judgment Wins
Achieved more than two dozen complete victories on summary judgment.
Successful Mediations
Negotiated very favorable client results in numerous mediations, including in state- and nation-wide class actions, and single-plaintiff cases.
Achieved Asylum for Ethiopian Refugee
Obtained asylum for an Ethiopian refugee who had suffered lifelong persecution. And, after five years of advocacy — which included leveraging support from two United States Senators and a Congressman — successfully petitioned for derivative status for her five young children.
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Featured Work
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Community Involvement & Activities
Playworks Pacific Northwest
Chair, Board of Directors
Women's Foundation of Oregon
Founding Member, 2015-2016
Portland Business Alliance
Leadership Portland Class of 2017
University of San Diego
Alumni Association
Wallace Inn of Court
2010-2012
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Professional Memberships
American Bar Association
Multnomah Bar Association
San Diego County Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Multnomah Bar Association
San Diego County Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association
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Awards & Recognition
America's Top 100
2018-2019, America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators
The Best Lawyers in America
2020-2021, Litigation – Labor & Employment
Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers
2019-2020, Up and Coming – Labor & Employment
Super Lawyers
2020, Oregon Super Lawyer – Employment Litigation: Defense
2016-2018, Oregon Rising Star – Labor & Employment
2015, San Diego Rising Star – Labor & Employment
2016-2018, Oregon Rising Star – Labor & Employment
2015, San Diego Rising Star – Labor & Employment
The Corporate America
2015, Legal Elite
San Diego Business Journal
2014–2015, Best of the Bar
The Daily Transcript - San Diego
2012–2014, Top Attorney - Labor & Employment
2012–2014, Top Young Attorney
2012–2014, Top Young Attorney
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Recent News
8.20.2020
Best Lawyers in America® Includes 49 Tonkon Torp Attorneys on 2021 List
Forty-nine Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 36 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2021. A majority of attorneys have been named to the peer-review list in past years, and most have been recognized for more…
7.7.2020
26 Tonkon Torp Attorneys Honored on 2020 Super Lawyers Lists
Twenty-six Tonkon Torp attorneys in nine practice areas have been included in the 2020 Oregon Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists. Tonkon Torp partner and bankruptcy authority Albert N. Kennedy has been once again recognized on the Top 50 list of…
6.1.2020
Tonkon Torp L&E Coffee Break Looks at the ADA and COVID-19
The Coffee Break webinar series, hosted by attorneys in Tonkon Torp’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, provides practical advice to help businesses navigate L&E issues related to reopening their business. The May 21 session, featuring partners Bob…
4.27.2020
Chambers USA Names 20 Tonkon Torp Attorneys in 2020 Ranking
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business has recognized 20 Tonkon Torp attorneys in seven practice areas in its 2020 USA Guide. Eighteen of the Tonkon Torp attorneys named have been previously ranked by Chambers.
4.8.2020
Tonkon Torp Attorneys Host Webinar to Provide COVID-19 Tools to Businesses
Tonkon Torp hosted a webinar for 600 registered participants to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans available from the Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act…
8.15.2019
2020 List for Best Lawyers in America® Includes 48 Tonkon Torp Attorneys
Forty-eight Tonkon Torp lawyers representing 39 practice areas have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020. A majority of attorneys have been named to the list in past years, and most have been recognized for more than five…
6.28.2019
Haley Morrison Explores Discovery at OSB L&E Boot Camp
Tonkon Torp partner Haley Morrison spoke at the Fifth Annual Labor and Employment Law Boot Camp organized by the Oregon State Bar. Along with a local plaintiff's lawyer, Haley led a session on discovery, which included practical and tactical…
5.20.2019
Annual L&E Law Update Prepares Employers for the Ultimate Game
Attorneys from the Tonkon Torp Labor & Employment and Business Immigration practice groups hosted their annual Employment Law Update at the Oregon Zoo for 200 human resource professionals and other business leaders.
4.29.2019
Chambers USA Names 23 Tonkon Torp Attorneys in 2019 Ranking
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business has recognized 23 Tonkon Torp attorneys in seven practice areas in its 2019 USA Guide.
12.4.2018
Haley Morrison Speaks at Nonprofit Association of Oregon on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
On November 15, Tonkon Torp partner Haley Morrison co-led a workshop for the Nonprofit Association of Oregon regarding sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace
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Recent Alerts
1.21.2020
Department of Labor Announces Final Rule on Joint Employer Liability
The United States Department of Labor issued its Final Rule on Joint Employer Status under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The new Rule, which will become effective March 16, 2020, is a departure from the legal interpretation adopted by the Obama…
9.24.2019
DOL Increases Salary Basis Test for Exempt Workers
After five years of fits and starts — which we covered here, here, here, and here — the federal Department of Labor (DOL) has finalized its regulations related to the salary basis test for the so-called white collar exemptions to overtime. Effective…
3.28.2019
Department of Labor Again Seeks to Increase the Minimum Salary for Exempt Workers
Earlier this month, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks — again — to raise the minimum salary threshold for employees classified as exempt pursuant to one of the so-called "white collar…
9.20.2018
Ninth Circuit Limits the Use of Tip Credits
On September 18, 2018, the Ninth Circuit, sitting en banc, considered whether fourteen former servers and bartenders were entitled to back wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for time spent engaged in non-tipped tasks.
4.5.2018
U.S. Supreme Court Restores Status Quo for Automobile Service Advisors
On April 2, 2018, the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, resolved a circuit split by concluding that auto dealership service advisors are exempt from the overtime requirements under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA").
10.2.2017
Supreme Court to Again Evaluate Whether Auto Service Advisors Are Exempt from Overtime
On September 28, 2017, the United States Supreme Court agreed to revisit the question of whether service advisors at car dealerships are exempt from overtime. The federal FLSA exempts from overtime "any salesman, partsman, or mechanic primarily…
9.1.2017
Federal District Court Invalidates the DOL's Overtime Rules
A federal judge in Texas issued an order on August 31, 2017, invalidating the Final Rule to the so-called "White Collar Exemptions" promulgated by the United States Department of Labor (DOL).
Under the Final Rule, the minimum salary level for exempt…
7.19.2017
Big Changes for Large Employers: Oregon Legislature Passes Fair Work Week Act
Recently, the Oregon legislature passed Senate Bill 828, known as the Fair Work Week Act, which will dramatically change how covered employers schedule workers. Governor Brown is expected to sign the law soon. The Fair Work Week Act applies to large…
3.10.2017
Oregon Court Summarily Dismisses Manufacturing Establishment Overtime Claims
On March 9, 2017, a Multnomah County judge dismissed the claims asserted by a putative class of workers in the closely-watched case Mazahua Reyes, et al. v. Portland Specialty Baking, LLC. All Oregon non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime for…
1.24.2017
Service Advisors at Auto Dealerships Not Exempt, Says the Ninth Circuit
On January 9, 2017, the Ninth Circuit issued its opinion in Navarro v. Encino Motorcars, LLC, on remand from the United States Supreme Court. It held, once again, that service advisors at car dealerships are not exempt from overtime under the Fair…
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Publications & Presentations
"ADA Considerations Related to the Pandemic," May 2020
Panelist, “Tools to Survive the COVID-19 Economy: CARES Act SBA Loans, Employment Laws, and Corporate Issues,“ April 2020
"Department of Labor Announces Final Rule on Joint Employer Liability," Tonkon Torp Legal Update, January 2020
"DOL Increases Salary Basis Test for Exempt Workers," Tonkon Torp Legal Update, September 2019
"Internal HR and ER Investigations," Annual Labor & Employment Law Update, May 2019
"Ninth Circuit Limits the Use of Tip Credits," Tonkon Torp Legal Alert, September 2018
"Employment Practice Liability: Coping with the Growing Risks of Workplace Misconduct," Oregon Business, June 2018
"U.S. Supreme Court Clarifies Enforceability of Class Action Waivers in Arbitration Agreements," Tonkon Torp Legal Alert, May 2018
"U.S. Supreme Court Restores Status Quo for Automobile Service Advisors," Tonkon Torp Legal Alert, April 2018
"Supreme Court to Again Evaluate Whether Auto Service Advisors Are Exempt from Overtime," Tonkon Torp Legal Alert, October 2017
"Federal District Court Invalidates the DOL’s Overtime Rules," Tonkon Torp Legal Alert, September 2017
"Big Changes for Large Employers: Oregon Legislature Passes Fair Work Week Act," Tonkon Torp Legal Alert, June 2017
"Employment Law Q&A for Startups," August 2016
"Labor & Employment Update," Real Benefits Group, June 2016
"The DOL’s Increased Salary Requirements for White Collar and Highly Compensated Workers," Association of Corporate Counsel of Oregon Newsletter, June 2016
"Employee Handbooks for Startups," March 2016
"Exempt from Overtime? Maybe Not – The Rules Are Changing," Tonkon Torp Legal Alert, November 2015
"NLRB Limits Ability of Employers to Ban Use of Cameras in Workplace," Tonkon Torp Legal Alert, October 2015
"Best Practices in Drafting Independent Contractor Agreements," Matthew Bender, August 2013
"While You Were Sleeping – A Wake-Up Call About Class Action Risks," Client Round-Table, June 2012
"EEOC Issues New Guidance on Background Checks – 'Business Necessity' Standard Now Applies," Paul Hastings Client Alert, May 2012
"Employee Classifications: Getting the C-Suite’s Ear," Inside Counsel, December 2011
"'Going Rogue' Vendor Control in the Age of HR Outsourcing," The Recorder, December 2011