Christine Nesbit specializes in providing labor and employment counseling and litigation services to local governments and businesses throughout Oregon. Christine provides her clients with day-to-day advice and direction on the full spectrum of labor and employment matters, including: appropriate discipline, terminations, labor contract administration, labor negotiations, due process issues, leave laws, disability laws, investigations, preventing discrimination, and wage and hour laws. She also drafts employment contracts and personnel manuals, and provides guidance in bringing employment disputes to resolution.

Christine has years of experience in litigating employment claims in state and federal courts, and now focuses her litigation skills in representing employers before administrative agencies such as BOLI, the NLRB, and ERB, and in arbitrations. She has successfully defended employers in a wide variety of claims, including claims of race, sex and disability discrimination, breach of contract, Constitutional violations, and defamation.

Memberships/Affiliations

Christine is a member of the Oregon State Bar and previously served on the Executive Committee for the Labor and Employment Section. She is a member of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources, the National Public Employer Labor Relations Association, the Oregon Labor & Employment Relations Association, the Oregon City Attorneys Association, the Labor and Employment Section of the American Bar Association, and the Lane County Bar Association. Between 2004 and 2008, Christine served on the Board of Directors for ShelterCare, an agency devoted to serving adults disabled by mental illness and brain injury, and families who are homeless or at risk for homelessness. Christine was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 1997 and to the California State Bar in 1995.

Education

Christine earned her JD from the University of California at Davis in 1995, where she was a member of the moot court board and served as a judicial extern with Judge William B. Shubb of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. She also has a BA in history, with honors, from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Presentations:

"Supervisor Liability," Harrang Long Gary Rudnick P.C. Employment Seminar (April 2008)

"Leading ERB Cases of 2007-2008," Management Commentator, Public Employment Relations Conference (April 3, 2008)

"Workplace Investigations" and "Military Leave and Reinstatement," Lorman Education Services (March 18, 2008)

"News for Oregon Employers from the 2007 Legislative Session," Lane County Bar Association, Section of Labor and Employment (November 2007)

"Hiring from A to Z," Lorman Education Services (March 22, 2007)

"Legal Issues in Managing an Aging Workforce," City County Insurance Services 2007 Annual Conference (February 15, 2007)

"Managing Work-Related Injuries & Illness," Associated Oregon Industries Education Workshop (November 2006)

"Major New Developments in Employment Law and Their Impact on Public Sector Employers," Oregon Law Institute of Lewis & Clark Law School, Oregon Government Law Conference (October 20, 2006)

"Supreme Court Roundup: Significant Employment Decisions of the 2006 Session," Harrang Long Gary Rudnick Employment Seminar (August 2006)

"Preventing Retaliation," Oregon City & County Managers' Association (July 2006)

"Last Chance Agreements," Public Employment Relations Conference (April 19, 2006)

"Top Ten Strategies to Avoid Litigation," Harrang Long Gary Rudnick Employment Seminar (February/March 2006)

"Managing the Manager: Performance Management, Discipline & Discharge"
Nonprofit Board Training Workshop sponsored by Financial Stewardship Resources
(January 21, 2006)

"Preventing Retaliation Claims," Public Risk Management Association Conference (May 20, 2005)

"The Open Book? Employee Handbooks and Policies," Financial Stewardship Resources, Inc. Nonprofit Organization Board Training (January 2005)

"Hiring Basics" and "Wage and Hour Basics for Nonprofits and Churches," Financial Stewardship Resources, Inc. workshop (2004)

"Hiring Basics," Harrang Long Gary Rudnick Employment Seminar (2004)

"Performance Management in the Public Sector," Local Government Personnel Institute (2004)

"What’s New With the Fair Labor Standards Act?” Harrang Long Gary Rudnick Employment Seminar (2004)

"Avoiding Common Wage and Hour Pitfalls,” Oregon Employment Law From A to Z, Lorman Education Services (2004)

"Hell Hath No Fury Like A Human Resource Director Scorned: Mock Trial of COBRA, ERISA, and FLSA Case,” Western Pension & Benefits Conference (2004)

"Privacy Law and the Workplace,” Harrang Long Gary Rudnick Employment Seminar (2003)

"Personnel Investigations Law,” Local Government Personnel Institute (2003)

"Family and Medical Leave Acts,” Lorman Education Services (2003)

"Litigation of ADA and FMLA Claims,” Lorman Education Services (2003)

"Mock Trial of Americans With Disabilities Act Case,” Northwest Human Resource Management Association (2002)

"How to Stay Out of Hot Water: Distinguishing Between Exempt and Nonexempt Employees in Your Workplace,” Oregon Restaurant Association (2002)

"Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Confidentiality Agreements,” Harrang Long Gary Rudnick Employment Seminar (2001)

"Litigation of Wage and Hour Claims,” Lorman Education Services (2001)

"Litigation of Wage and Hour Claims,” Lorman Education Services (2000)

"Mock Trial of Family Medical Leave Act Case,” Northwest Human Resource Management Association (2000)