Overview

Karin Jones provides practical advice to employers facing a wide variety of workplace and personnel issues and helps employers minimize the risk and impact of workplace problems. She has particular experience representing employers in the health care, mining, oilfield services, logistics, and other “round the clock” industries with complex wage and hour and independent contractor questions. Karin is licensed to practice in Washington, Alaska and Idaho, offering a multi-state perspective for businesses with employees across those states.

Karin assists employers in navigating challenging leave and accommodation issues, high-risk terminations, non-competition and confidentiality issues, internal employee complaints, workplace investigations, and wage and hour issues; develops and reviews employment policies and agreements; and provides employee and supervisor trainings regarding harassment, discrimination, leave law compliance, and other critical HR issues.

When litigation arises, Karin represents employers before administrative agencies and the state and federal courts. She has substantial experience representing employers in disputes involving claims of discrimination, harassment, failure to accommodate, interference with protected leave, wrongful termination in violation of public policy, wage and hour violations, safety (WISHA/OSHA) violations, and whistleblower retaliation, among other workplace issues. In addition to her trial court practice, Karin draws on her prior experience as a law clerk at the Ninth Circuit to successfully represent clients in appellate litigation.

Education

University of Idaho College of Law, J.D., 2003, magna cum laude

Whitman College, B.A., History, 2000, cum laude

Admissions

Washington

Idaho

Alaska

United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington, the District of Idaho, and the District of Alaska

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Experience

Relevant Professional Experience

  • Law clerk for the Hon. Thomas G. Nelson, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2003–2004)
  • Experience as an employment litigator since 2004, in both private practice and with the Office of the Idaho Attorney General

Representative Labor & Employment Experience

  • Achieved summary judgment dismissal of discrimination lawsuit brought against health care system, successfully defeating claim that employer’s termination of plaintiff for violation of COVID-19 safety protocols constituted disability discrimination based on the plaintiff’s positive COVID diagnosis.
  • Achieved summary judgment dismissal of two separate lawsuits brought against medical practice client stemming from employee terminations: one involving claims of gender discrimination and the other involving claims of whistleblower retaliation.
  • Defended large health care client in labor arbitrations involving grievances claiming termination and discipline without just cause, including a grievance that the union sought to settle on very favorable terms to the client after presentation of the client’s side of the case.
  • Represented multiple clients in their challenges of safety citations issued by the Washington Department of Labor & Industries, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), including achieving favorable reductions and settlements of citations through negotiations with DOSH and successfully representing clients through the formal appeal process.
  • Member of trial team in the successful defense of KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) trial regarding the discharge of four employees for picket line misconduct.
  • Represented many employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Washington State Human Rights Commission, Alaska State Commission for Human Rights, Idaho Human Rights Commission, Seattle Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Labor, and Washington Department of Labor and Industries, assisting in responses to Charges of Discrimination and government investigations and achieving dismissal of such agency actions.
  • Represented international commodities company in defending against race discrimination claims, facilitating settlement of claims raised by two plaintiffs and achieving successful outcome at binding arbitration resulting in dismissal of all claims raised by third plaintiff.
  • Provided employee trainings for multiple clients on topics including harassment and discrimination, best HR and management practices, workplace safety, administering leave laws, pregnancy and disability accommodation, and conducting workplace investigations.

Representative Appellate Experience

  • Represented regional health care system before the Washington Court of Appeals, obtaining a published opinion that affirmed the trial court’s decision to compel arbitration.
  • Achieved summary judgment dismissal of claims of misappropriation of trade secrets brought against employee of steel pipe distributor client by the employee’s former employer and achieved an affirming decision by the Ninth Circuit on appeal.
  • Represented large health care client against sexual harassment claims, obtaining summary judgment for client and successfully defended client on appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
  • Represented construction company in defending against former employee’s wage rebate claims, obtaining summary judgment for client that was upheld on appeal to the Washington Supreme Court.
  • Obtained summary judgment for health insurance providers and association health plans in appeals filed before the Office of the Insurance Commissioner regarding plan rating methodology.
  • Represented oil and gas company in successful royalty appeals to the Department of Natural Resources.

Insights

Insights & Presentations

  • Chapter author and reviewer for LexisNexis Practice Guide: Washington Trial and Post-Trial Civil Procedure and LexisNexis Practice Guide: Washington Pretrial Civil Procedure
  • Annual update author for LexisNexis Practice Guide: Washington Trial and Post-Trial Civil Procedure (2015–2024 eds.), LexisNexis Practice Guide: Washington Pretrial Civil Procedure (2014–2024 eds.), and LexisNexis Practice Guide: Washington Civil Discovery (2014–2024 eds.)
  • Co-author of Marijuana Regulation, published by LexisNexis
  • Annual update co-author for Alaska chapter of the ABA’s Wage and Hour Laws: A State-by-State Survey (2019–2024 eds.)
  • Regular contributor to Stoel Rives LLP’s “World of Employment” blog
  • Co-Chair of the annual Seminar Group Labor & Employment Law Conference (Seattle) (2020–2024)
  • Presenter at Association of Washington Business Webinar: “Accident Prevention Plans” (2018-2024)
  • Guest lecturer at Seattle University School of Law Employment Discrimination course (April 2021 and November 2022)
  • Lecturer for Gonzaga Wine Institute video course: “Employment Law Basics for Wineries” (2021)
  • Presenter at Washington State Society of Healthcare Attorneys Fall Conference: “Labor and Employment Law Update” (November 2024)
  • Presenter at Law School for the CFO: “Employment Law Update” (February 2024)
  • Presenter at Association of Corporate Counsel Washington Business Summit: “Handling Societal and Political Expression in the Workplace” (October 2020)
  • Presenter at Washington State Hospital Association webinar: “What Hospitals Need to Know about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (April 2020)
  • Presenter at Stoel Rives LLP webinar: “Taming the COVID-19 Chaos: What Employers Need to Know” (March 2020)
  • Presenter at Wafla Winter Ag Academy: “HR Investigations” (January 2019)
  • Presenter at Stoel Rives LLP Breakfast Briefing: “Update on Washington Paid Sick Leave and Paid Family & Medical Leave” (January 2019)
  • Presenter at Stoel Rives LLP seminar: “Hiring to Termination: A Three-Part Series on HR Best Practices” (September 2016)
  • Presenter at Sterling Education Services Seminar: “Interplay Between FMLA, ADA, and Workers’ Compensation” (April 2016)

Recognition

  • Included in The Best Lawyers in America® (Employment Law – Management), 2021–present
  • Listed in Washington Super Lawyers® (Labor & Employment, Employment Litigation), 2023–present
  • Recipient of Stoel Rives LLP 2014 Pro Bono Service Award

Affiliations

Professional

  • Washington State Bar Association, Former Member of Board of Bar Examiners
  • Washington State Bar Association, Former Member of Amicus Curiae Brief Committee
  • NWLawyer (official publication of the Washington State Bar Association), Former Member of Editorial Advisory Committee
  • Washington State History Day, Former Volunteer Judge
  • The Advocate (official publication of the Idaho State Bar), Former Member of Editorial Advisory Board
  • Idaho State Bar Examination, Grader, 2008
  • Idaho Law Review, Member and Spring Edition Former Editor

Civic

  • Seattle Children’s Theatre, Member of Board of Trustees, 2016–present; Board Secretary, 2021–present
  • YWCA of Seattle/King County/Snohomish County, Former Member of People Operations Advisory Team
  • Cocoon House Board of Directors, Former Member
  • American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition, Former Volunteer Judge
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