Courtney McFate

Attorney Courtney McFate offers employers timely, insightful, and strategic legal advice on a wide range of employment litigation and compliance matters.

Employers of all sizes turn to Courtney to represent them in pre-litigation and administrative matters; single-plaintiff litigation, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation cases; and complex litigation, such as wage and hour class actions and actions under California’s Private Attorneys General Act. She is experienced in defending employers before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Civil Rights Department, the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries, and the Washington State Human Rights Commission, among other administrative bodies. Additionally, she represents employers in connection with U.S. Department of Labor audits.

A trusted advisor, Courtney provides guidance to employers on a range of employment-related compliance matters. This includes advising on employee hiring processes, terminations, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodations, and the creation of employee handbooks. She also addresses complex issues surrounding compensation, commission plans, and pay equity, as well as considerations related to workforce reductions and termination of employment, including severance agreements. Additionally, Courtney provides advice on arbitration agreements and programs, employee confidentiality agreements, executive agreements, and executive severance considerations.

Courtney also regularly presents on employment law issues for human resources professionals, business owners, and executives.

Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Courtney was a partner at a regional law firm, where she focused on labor, employment, and benefits issues. Prior to that, she was in-house employment counsel for a large consumer services company in California, acting as a strategic legal partner for human resources and all business units. Early in her career, Courtney served as a judicial extern in the Pro Se Department of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Education

• Golden Gate University School of Law (J.D., 2012)
• California State University, Los Angeles (M.A., 2006)
• University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., 2002)

Professional & Community Involvement

• Community Pathways, Inc., Board Member (2022 to Present)
• The Portland Montessori School, Board Member (2022 to April 2024)