Overview
Rick Omata is a Chair of the Employment Relations Department. He represents public and private employers in all areas of employment and labor relations, including wrongful termination; workplace safety, ERISA benefits, employment discrimination, union contract negotiations and organizing campaigns, minimum wage, overtime, and exempt status disputes under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the State Minimum Wage Act.
Rick has represented public and private employers in employment and labor related cases before city, state and federal agencies. He has litigated state and federal court cases involving wrongful termination, workplace safety, ERISA benefits, employment discrimination, minimum wage, overtime, and exempt status disputes under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the State Minimum Wage Act. Many of these cases were class actions or involved multiple plaintiffs.
Rick also has significant experience in labor contract negotiations, labor arbitrations, and the resolution of unfair labor practices and representation issues. He has successfully represented parties in state and federal actions to enjoin picketing and unlawful secondary boycotts, and in cases involving noncompete agreements and trade secrets. He spends a considerable amount of time in the day-to-day counseling of clients on virtually all aspects of labor and employment law. His representative clients include large and small healthcare providers, public and private educational institutions, large and small manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, and employers in the construction and service industry.
Prior to joining Karr Tuttle Campbell, Rick was a trial attorney for the National Labor Relations Board. Before his legal career, Rick was an officer in the United States Navy. While attending law school, he worked for a nonprofit organization whose primary mission was to improve working conditions for domestic workers throughout the United States. Rick spearheaded the successful effort to cover domestic workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act. He is committed to supporting and providing pro bono services for non-profit and community-oriented organizations in the State of Washington.
Designated a Super Lawyer and one of the Best Lawyers in America, Rick also is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.