Profile
Dave Riewald has always been intrigued by the way people interact in the workplace. As the son of an industrial psychologist, Dave grew up hearing stories, good and bad, about the employees of his father's clients. While attending law school, Dave realized he could positively impact problems in the workplace by entering the world of labor and employment law.
For over 30 years Dave has specialized in labor and employment law. His practice focuses on advising employers and management personnel on how to avoid employment lawsuits, and on defending them in court if they do become caught up in those lawsuits. His clients rely on him to provide them with sound advice to prevent issues before they become bigger problems. When clients are faced with lawsuits, Dave has a strong track record of successfully helping them achieve favorable outcomes at trial.
Dave is the immediate past President of
Worklaw® Network, an international network of independent law firms with over 400 attorneys that limit their practice to management-side labor and employment law. He also has served as an adjunct professor of employment discrimination law at Willamette University's School of Law.
In the community, Dave is on the Leadership Council for the Oregon chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business. He is also on the Board of a food bank known as Birch Community Services, is active with his church, and was for many years the president of the Wilsonville Basketball Association. For fun Dave enjoys working out at the gym, trying to fix the things that constantly break around his house, and helping things grow in his yard.
Dave has been with Bullard Law since 1987, and currently serves on its management committee. He is recognized in Best Lawyers in America® and in Super Lawyers®.
Publications
2020
- Employment Practice Liability Insurance chapter in Insurance Law in Oregon, 2020 Edition - Oregon State Bar Legal Publications, May 2020
2018
- Supreme Court Says Class Action Waivers in Arbitration Agreements are Enforceable - Bullard Alert, May 23, 2018
2011
- Recent Developments Make This a Good Time to Evaluate the Pros and Cons of Using Arbitration Agreements - Bullard Alert, August 8, 2011
- A Shopping List for Employment Practices Liability Insurance – Portland Human Resource Management Association (PHRMA), January 1, 2011
2009
- Lawyer Limelight - Interview with Dave Riewald - Law Dragon, February 1, 2009
2008
- Employment Laws Evolve: Employers Need to Heed Changing Legal Landscape as 2009 Approaches - Portland Business Journal, November 7, 2008
Speaking Engagements
2019
2018
- Three Ways to Become a Top Chef at Work - Bullard Law Annual Briefing, October 2018
2017
- Learning the Ropes - The Professional Liability Fund, November 2017
- Employment Law Update - Multnomah Bar Association, February 2017
2016
- How to Avoid Being Sued When You Discipline Your Employees – Bullard Annual Labor and Employment Law Briefing, October 2016
- How to Fire an Employee and Not Get Sued – MHCO Annual Conference, October 2016
- When Religious Beliefs Become an Issue in the Workplace - NHRMA Annual Conference, September 2016
- How to Fire an Employee and Not Get Sued - Institute of Management Accountants, February 2016
2015
- Religious Accommodation - BOLI 31st Annual Employment Law Conference,
November 2015
- How to Terminate Employees and Not Get Sued - Bullard Public Sector Symposium, April 2015
2014
- Where Do You Stand on EEOC Compliance and How Do You Protect Your Business from Liability Issues - Golsan Scruggs, August 2014
- 10 Things Every Small Business Should Know About Employment Law: Avoiding Employment Litigation for Small Business Owners - NFIB, August 2014
- 10 Things Every Small Business Should Know About Employment Law: Personal Beliefs in the Workplace - NFIB, July 2014
- Avoiding Employment Litigation for Small Business Owners - NFIB, June 2014
- Avoiding Employment Litigation - Bullard Law Workshop, March 2014
- Religion in the Workplace - Christian Chamber Northwest, February 2014
2013
- 20+ Things Every Non-Employment Lawyer Needs to Know About Employment Law - Lane County Bar Association, January 2013
2012
- Revenge in the Workplace: Retaliation and Whistleblower Clams and How to Avoid Them – Douglas County Society for Human Resources Management, October 2012
- 15 Things Every Manager and Supervisor Needs to Know about Employment Law So They Can Reduce Their Company's Legal Risks – Douglas County Society for Human Resources Management, October 2012
2011
- HR on Trial - Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI) 27th Annual Employment Law Conference, December 2011
- Tips and Traps for the Small Employer: Wage and Hour Issues, How to Avoid Employer Lawsuits, Employee Handbook Basics and Risks of Misclassifying Employees as Independent Contractors - 2011 Annual Meeting CLE, Oregon State Bar, November 2011
- 10 Things Every HR Person Needs to Know About Employment Law – Bullard Law Annual Labor and Employment Law Briefing, October 2011
- Best Practices to Follow When firing an Employee – Bullard Law Summer Workshop, June 2011
- HR on Trial - Lower Columbia Human Resource Management Association (LCHRMA), April 2011
- Revenge in the Workplace: Retaliation and Whistleblower Claims and How to Avoid Them - Portland Human Resource Management Association Special Interest Group (PHRMA SIG), March 2011
- 10 Things Every Manager and Supervisor Needs to Know About Employment Law - Portland Human Resource Management Association (PHRMA), January 2011
2010
- HR on Trial - Douglas County Society for Human Resource Management Association, September 2010
- HR on Trial – Rogue Valley Society for Human Resources Management, May 2010
- Employment Law for Non-Employment Lawyers, Multnomah Bar Association, May 2010
- Insurance Against Employee Lawsuits – Employer Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) Bullard Law Roundtable, May 2010
- Revenge in the Workplace: Retaliation and Whistleblowing Claims - City of Tigard Training, April 2010
- Employment Law for Non-Employment Lawyers: Spotting Your Clients Employment Law Issues, Clatsop County Bar Association, March 2010
- Revenge in the Workplace: Retaliation and Whistleblowing Claims – Bullard Law Annual Public Sector Symposium, February 2010
- 10 Things Every Supervisor and HR Manager Needs to Know About Employment Law - Lower Columbia Human Resource Management Association, January 2010
2009
- Bullying in the Workplace: When the School Yard Bully Grows up to Become the Office Bully - Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) 25th Annual Conference, December 2009
- 10 Things Every Supervisor and HR Manager Needs to Know about Employment Law - Medford Bar Association, November 2009
- Labor, Employment and Benefits Law; Best Practices When Firing an Employee to Avoid Being Sued – Bullard Law Summer Workshop Programs, July 2009
2008
- Monitoring Employee Use of Internet, Email, Phones and Text Messages - Oregon Chapter of American Corporate Counsel Association (OCACCA), September 2008
- What Happens When You Are Sued? How to Survive a Lawsuit and Learn from the Experience – Bullard Law Summer Workshop, August 2008
- HR on Trial – Mid-Willamette Human Resource Association (MHRA) 5th Annual Conference, April 2008
2007
- Litigation Update – Bullard Law Annual Labor and Employment Law Briefing, October 2007
- From Absences to Wi-Fi: What Recent Cases are Telling the HR Professional – Bullard Law Summer Workshop, June 2007
2006
- Employment Practices Liability: The Latest Trends, Surplus Lines – Association of Oregon and Professional Liability Underwriter Society Conference, April 2006
2005
- Arbitration Agreement Update – Bullard Law Annual Labor and Employment Briefing, October 2005
Notable Cases
Some of the published court decisions in which Dave successfully represented the employer are:
- Chambers v. Rodda Paint Co., 2020 WL 4334988 (Wa Ct App 2020)
- Coleman v. Bay Area Hospital, 2020 WL 1663377 (D Or 2020).
- ILWU Local 40 v. Columbia Grain, 2015 WL 4065812 (D Or 2015).
- Rogers v. Oregon Trail Electric Consumers Cooperative, Inc., 2012 WL 1635127 (D Or 2012).
- Hutton v. Jackson County, 2012 WL 959471 (9th Cir 2012), aff’g 2010 WL 4817067 (D Or 2010).
- Stewart v. Jackson County, 2010 WL 4955874 (D Or 2010).
- Lawson v. Walgreen Co., 2009 WL 742680 (D Or 2009).
- Denny v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., 2006 US App Lexis 5993 (9th Cir 2006).
- Eisenhauer v. Rite Aid Headquarters Corp., 2006 US Dist Lexis 32789 (WD Wa 2006).
- Christensen v. Parvin, 2006 US Dist Lexis 92737 (D Or 2006).
- Clark v. DSU Peterbilt & GMC, Inc., 193 Or App 17 (2004).
- Snodgrass v. Lamphere Enterprises, 2001 US Dist Lexis 12596 (D Or 2001), aff'd in part and rev'd in part, 2003 US App Lexis 6379 (9th Cir 2003).
- Kofoed v. Rosendin Electric, Inc., 157 F Supp2d 1152 (D Or 2001).
- Dahl v. Fred Meyer, 939 P2d 6 (Mont 1999).
- Cole v. Red Lion, 92 Wn App 743 (1998).
- Smith v. Kmart Corp., 1996 US Dist LEXIS 20530 (ED Wa 1996).
- Walleri v. Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, 83 F3d 1575 (9th Cir 1996), aff'g in part, 9 IER Cases 59 (D Or 1993).
- Archer v. Letica Corp., 323 Or 335 (1996), aff'g, 126 Or App 309 (1994).
- Smith v. Kmart Corp., 899 F Supp 503 (ED Wa 1995).
- Wunderly v. S.C. Johnson & Son, 828 F Supp 801 (D Or 1993).
- Calhoun v. Liberty Northwest Ins. Corp., 789 F Supp 1540 (WD Wa 1992).
- Haskins v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., 811 F Supp 534 (D Or 1992).
- Haslach v. Security Pacific Bank Oregon, 779 F Supp 489 (D Or 1991).