Richard J. "RIck" Omata - Lawyer in Seattle, WA

Richard J. Omata is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Omata was an officer in the United States Navy. While attending Georgetown he worked for a nonprofit organization whose primary mission was to improve working conditions for domestic workers throughout the United States. Mr. Omata spearheaded the ultimately successful effort to cover domestic workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Prior to joining Karr Tuttle Campbell Mr. Omata was a trial attorney for the National Labor Relations Board. Mr. Omata focuses his practice on all aspects of employment and labor relations. He is Chair of the Firm's Employment Relations Department and is a member of the Board of Directors.

Mr. Omata has represented public and private employers in employment and labor related cases before city, state, and federal agencies and has litigated state and federal court cases involving wrongful termination, workplace safety, ERISA benefits, employment discrimination, and 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. Mr. Omata 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 noncompetition 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. Representative clients include public and private schools, colleges, and universities, public employers and municipalities, large and small public and private healthcare providers, large and small manufacturers, retailers, and wholesalers, and employers in the construction and service industry.

Mr. Omata is a member of the American, Washington State, and King County Bar Associations, as well as the Asian Law Association. He enjoys performing pro bono work, both by providing legal services for free or at a significantly reduced rate and by serving on boards of nonprofit organizations. Mr. Omata has been selected as one of The Best Lawyers in Seattle by Seattle Magazine, as a Top Business Lawyer by Seattle Business Monthly, as a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine, as a Top Attorney byWashington CEO Magazine, and as one of the Best Lawyers in America by Woodward/White (16 years). Mr. Omata is also a Fellow of the College of Labor Employment Attorneys.