ELAYNA Z. MATTHEWS

“EVERY BUSINESS HAS DIFFERENT PRIORITIES, CHALLENGES, AND GOALS.  I listen carefully to my clients, so that I am able to provide practical, tailored legal advice for risk management and human resource compliance.”

I am a native Oregonian, but a Salem transplant.  I moved from Eugene to Salem in 2015, directly after graduating from the University of Oregon School of Law (Order of the Coif).  I joined the Employment and Litigation team at Heltzel Williams in December, 2019.  Prior to that, I was a litigation and creditors’ rights attorney at a well-respected business law firm in Salem.

My practice focuses on advising employers in human resource compliance matters, and assisting employers respond to employee concerns and BOLI complaints.  I also have extensive experience with business, employment, and government defense litigation and dispute resolution.  My goal is to help my clients reach resolution in an efficient, effective, and strategic manner, including at trial, mediation, arbitration, and, when possible, through informal resolution.  When court is unavoidable, my clients can count on me for experienced, zealous, and strategic advocacy through all stages of the litigation process.

When I am not in the office, you can find me enjoying a glass of Pinot Noir at one of Oregon’s many regional wineries with my husband Sam, or chasing after my three young daughters.  In the winter, I enjoy knitting, cooking gourmet meals, and baking sweet treats to share with friends and family.

I am licensed to practice law in Oregon, and I am admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the State of Oregon, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon, and all Oregon state courts.

I focus my legal practice in the following areas:

University of Oregon School of Law (Eugene, Oregon), 2015

  • Order of the Coif (Recognizing those who graduated in the top 10% of the class)
  • Oregon Law Review, Executive Editor (Articles Editor)

University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, Washington), 2012

  • B.A., Business and Leadership Program
  • Varsity Golf
  • Member, Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
  • Member, Oregon State Bar, Various Sections
  • Member, Marion County Bar Association
  • FTC Say What? The Threatened Future of Non-Compete Agreements (author), Oregon Association of Defense Counsel (OADC) Publication “The Verdict”, 2023 Issue 4.
  • The Disappearing Lien: Application of Oregon Agricultural Liens Outside the State (co-author), Oregon State Bar Debtor-Creditor Newsletter, Fall 2019