Sarah (Ames) Benedict

Sarah maintains a busy trial court practice, with a focus on employment-related litigation. She thrives in the courtroom and has first-chaired jury trials in both state and federal court. While Sarah believes it is critical to approach every case as if it may end up before a jury, she recognizes some cases warrant early resolution. In those instances, Sarah actively works with her client to assess creative and efficient ways to resolve the dispute. For those cases that must be tried, and some must, Sarah is her client's go-to courtroom advocate. She also frequently lends her expertise to trial teams across the firm as they gear up for litigation.

In addition to active litigation, Sarah has extensive experience representing clients in front of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"), Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries ("BOLI"), and Washington's Human Rights Commission ("WSHRC"), as well as in arbitration.

Although Sarah represents clients of all sizes and across industries, she is particularly focused on several industries. Sarah has deep knowledge of the healthcare space and the nuances of employment issues that arise in this unique industry. She defends healthcare employment claims in both Washington and Oregon, including those arising under the Equal Pay Act, workplace discrimination and harassment laws, FMLA/OFLA, and wage-and-hour laws. She also represents healthcare employers in labor arbitrations following the termination of underperforming unionized employees.

Sarah also has expertise in the food and beverage industry, where she works with each client to ensure understanding of their "big picture" goals, rather than singularly focusing on a narrow legal question. She draws on her pre-DWT experience at Goldman Sachs to advise and defend financial institutions and franchises.