Portland Business Journal Names Partner Karen O’Connor Among its 2024 ‘Women of Influence’

PORTLAND, Ore.—Stoel Rives LLP is pleased to announce the Portland Business Journal has selected partner Karen O’Connor for its 2024 “Women of Influence” list, which recognizes the significant achievements of women leaders from across Oregon and southwest Washington. Winners will be featured in Portland Business Journal’s Women of Influence publication and honored at an awards luncheon on March 14 at the Hilton in downtown Portland. More information on the event can be found here.

Now in its 21st year, the award celebrates women recognized as established business leaders with a strong record of innovation in their fields, outstanding performance in their businesses, and “a clear track record of meaningful community involvement, especially elevating women.”

O’Connor, who practices in Stoel Rives’ Labor & Employment group, counsels companies of all sizes in the Pacific Northwest and across the U.S. in navigating the complexities of employment and labor laws. She has more than 25 years of experience advising and litigating for some of the nation’s largest employers in complex employment matters, including wage and hour issues, leave laws, workplace harassment and discrimination, progressive discipline and documentation, non-compete issues, and whistleblower claims. O’Connor is a published speaker and authority in the subject of employment law and has taught in the human resources program at Portland State University.

Since 2021, O’Connor has served as the chair of Stoel Rives’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. Her strong and focused leadership has contributed to the success of Stoel’s ambitious, high-impact DE&I programs, which have helped the firm achieve national recognition as a legal industry diversity leader. As a result of its innovative diversity programs, nearly 70% of Stoel’s top leadership positions are held by diverse lawyers and more than 50% of its lawyers are diverse.

Dedicated to fostering excellence among the legal industry’s next generation, O’Connor has been a member of the University of Oregon School of Law Student Mentoring Program for two decades and also mentors young lawyers through the Multnomah Bar Association’s Mentorship Program. Through the Civics Learning Project’s “We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution” program, she coaches a unit of the Lincoln High School Constitution Team in constitutional law competitions with teams from other Oregon high schools.

Best Lawyers^® named O’Connor its Employment Law—Management “Lawyer of the Year” for 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2023, and its Labor Law—Management “Lawyer of the Year” for 2020, and she has been ranked in the Chambers USA guide in Labor & Employment since 2010. O’Connor received her law degree from the University of Oregon and bachelor’s degree from Mt. Holyoke College.