Jess D. Osborne
About Jess
Jess Osborne represents public, private, and nonprofit employers in a variety of employment and labor relations matters. She guides employers through a myriad of issues, including compliance with employment law statutes, challenges with organizational change, organized workforce questions, and conducting workplace investigations. Jess also represents clients in employment litigation matters related to wrongful discharge, wage and hour, and other related areas.
In her labor relations practice, Jess assists clients with contract negotiations and administration and negotiating collective bargaining agreements. She also represents employers in labor arbitrations and before the National Labor Relations Board.
Before joining Miller Nash, Jess practiced at a boutique employment and labor firm after working as a litigator with national law firms where she represented clients in a variety of areas, including legal ethics and risk management, mass torts, complex commercial, and employment law. Jess is an active volunteer with many community and industry organizations, with a specific dedication to supporting the LGBTQIA+ communities.
Activities
- OGALLA—Oregon’s LGBTQIA+ Bar Association, Member, 2012-present
- Bill and Ann Shepard Scholarship Committee, 2014-present
- Board of Directors, 2012-2019
- Owen M. Panner Inn of Courts, Member, 2018-present
- Executive Committee, 2022-present
- Multnomah County Bar Association, Member
- Diversity Scholarship Subcommittee, 2013-2015
- Oregon State Bar, Member
- Labor and Employment Section, Executive Committee, 2024-present
- Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, Board of Directors, 2023-present
- Campaign for Equal Justice, Associate Committee, Member, 2018-present
Recognition
- Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® (Portland, OR)
- Employment Law—Management, 2025-present
- Labor Law—Management 2025-present
- Litigation—Labor and Employment, 2025-present
- Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® (Portland, OR)
- Labor and Employment Law—Management, 2021-2024
- Litigation—Labor and Employment, 2021-2024
Insights from Jess
- “Preventing and Responding to Union Organizing in the Nonprofit World: Strategies, Challenges, and Best Practices,” Employment Law Alliance, panelist (Oct. 2024)
- “Looking Back, Looking Forward: What’s New in Employment Law,” Public Risk Management Association, PRIMA Institute (Oct. 2024)
- “Tornado Warning: Identifying and Addressing Workplace Bullying, Violence & Safety,” Miller Nash, Employment Law Seminar (Nov. 2024)
- “Embracing Change in the Shifting Labor Relations Climate,” Miller Nash, Employment Law Seminar (Nov. 2024)
- “Don’t Let Union Organizing Derail Your Workplace: Responding to Organizing Efforts and Enhancing Organizational Communication Strategies,” Northwest Human Resource Management Association (NHRMA), Annual Conference (Sept. 2024)
- “Big Brother at Work: Ins and Outs of Workplace Privacy,” Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA), Annual Conference (June 2024)
- “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Successful Organizations,” Oregon Air National Guard, Oregon Women’s Leadership Conference (May 2024)
- “The Changing Landscape of Protected Employee Speech and Religious Expression,” Washington State SHRM, Annual Conference (Mar. 2024)
- “Employment Investigations 101,” Coalition of Oregon School Administrators (COSA), Annual School Law Conference (Dec. 2023)
- “Understanding the Relationship Between the New NLRB and Private Sector Employers,” Lake Washington Human Resource Association, Legal Update Seminar (Nov. 2023)
- “Rolling Forward, Rolling Back: Employment Updates from the Courts & Beyond,” Lower Columbia HR Management Association (Nov. 2023)
- “The Newlywed Game: Employers and the National Labor Relations Board,” Miller Nash, Employment Law Seminar (Oct. 2023)
- “Employment Law Update,” Public Risk Management Association, PRIMA Institute (Oct. 2023)
- “Harassment and Discrimination in a Remote World,” Lower Columbia Human Resources Management Association (May 2020)
