This Law Firm Publication by Jackson Lewis P.C. discusses the Oregon Supreme Court's January 16, 2014 decision in Blachana LLC v. Bureau of Labor and Industries, in which it held an employer liable for its predecessor's unpaid state wages owed to former employees. Holding that the Oregon Legislature intended the term "employer" to include a successor in business that operates essentially the same business, the court ruled that the employer was a successor of the former business under Oregon law, even though they shared none of the same employees, because the employer had acquired the predecessor's assets, business name, goodwill and personal property. The court noted that the employer used a similar name, operated a similar business, was located on the same premises, used the same equipment and opened only 47 days after the former business closed.