Find Lawyers in Seattle, Washington for Employment Law - Management
Practice Area Overview
Employment law is the practice area of lawyers who advise employers about workplace related issues.
Regulations governing the way employees are hired, managed, disciplined, and terminated are complex and constantly evolving. These laws affect companies differently depending on size, industry, and workforce makeup. Businesses must ensure that employment policies, training program, and everyday practices are in compliance – or risk crippling lawsuits. Employment law practices emphasize preventive counseling to minimize liability and potential business interruption for employers. Employment law audits are frequently utilized to expose problem areas before they become legal nightmares.
Despite the best efforts of conscientious employers to comply with the law and to treat employees fairly, lawsuits can occur. Such suits present problems both obvious – large verdicts, for example – and more insidious – such as the waste of management’s time and resources which can interfere with productive, efficient business operation. This ever-increasing scope of employment litigation intersects with virtually all types of business litigation including class actions, products liability, premises liability, traditional torts, and business contract disputes of all types. The employment litigation practice continues to expand with each new right or legal obligation enacted by federal and state legislators or recognized by the courts.
Bruce Cross, a partner in the firm's Labor & Employment practice, has more than 40 years of experience in the areas of labor law, NLRB and labor relations, occupational safety and health, wage and hour matters and employment class actions. He has represented clients such as Puget Sound Energy Inc., United Parcel Service, Boise Cascade LLC, the Pemco Financial Group, Mutual of Enumclaw, General Dynamics Land Systems, Honeywell and Esterline.
Michael A. Griffin is a principal and office litigation manager in the Seattle, Washington, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is also the Disability, Leave and Health Management coordinator for the Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, offices. Mike has a broad area of practice and responsibility with the firm. He acts as lead counsel on all aspects of employment litigation, including defending discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and whistleblower claims. Mike litigates claims for bre...
Kevin J. Hamilton focuses his practice on labor and employment counseling and litigation. Mr. Hamilton has addressed, through counseling, negotiation, or litigation, a broad range of key issues critical to the modern workplace. Mr. Hamilton has particular experience with non-competition, trade secret, multiple plaintiff and class action litigation. Mr. Hamilton chairs the firm's nationally-recognized Retail & Consumer Industry practice, including more than 200 lawyers throughout the firm ...
Valerie Hughes, a partner with the firm's Labor and Employment practice, has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of employment litigation, discrimination and harassment litigation, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and administrative proceedings. In addition to her representation of private employers, Val provides general counsel representation to Washington school districts, including state and federal court litigation and administrative hearings.
Otto has been involved in all aspects of employer representation in labor and employment law for over thirty years. He works with employers of all sizes, helping them understand their legal rights and responsibilities. Otto regularly takes the lead in bargaining negotiations for many public and private sector clients, and has represented numerous employers in both grievance and interest arbitration. Otto has also worked extensively on executive compensation matters, representing both executiv...
Shannon represents private- and public-sector employers in employment-related litigation in federal and state courts, arbitrations, and in administrative hearings. Shannon’s practice emphasizes preventive counseling to customers to avoid or minimize the risk of litigation. Specific areas of advice include assistance in disciplining and terminating employees, and drafting employee handbooks and employment agreements. Shannon represents employers in the full range of labor matters, from c...
Mike Reilly is the Director of Lane Powell’s Labor and Employment and Employee Benefits Practice Group. He concentrates his practice representing small and large employers in employment litigation and advice in claims involving discrimination, wrongful discharge, ERISA and non-ERISA employee benefit claims, retaliation and Sarbanes-Oxley claims, wage/hour and disability claims. He has successfully tried over 60 jury trials, arbitrations and bench trials, and claims before the Equal Empl...
Mike Reynvaan has 30 years of experience in the firm's Labor & Employment group. Mike has negotiated over 100 collective bargaining agreements, handled numerous grievance arbitrations and strikes, and has represented employers in connection with such issues from small owner-operated businesses, to some of the largest corporations in America. He routinely represents employers in litigation, class action and mediation, and regularly counsels clients in high exposure situations involving sen...
Acquisition, financing (construction and permanent) and leasing of regional shopping malls, office buildings, retail centers, golf courses and apartment buildings; conduit, corporate and project finance transactions; employment advice for termination and wrongful discharge claims, wage and hour disputes, and employee policy manuals; mediation services for real estate and employment-related disputes.
Daniel L. Thieme is experienced in all areas of employment relations law. He has particular expertise in the areas of wage and hour law, executive and employee compensation, business sales and restructuring, employee intellectual property issues, employment agreements and policies, and discrimination law. With respect to wage and hour and compensation law, Dan’s experience includes: Wage and hour class action defense Overtime and minimum wage compliance Executive compensation, including...
Tahl Tyson is an international employment law partner at Littler with over 25 years of practice. She is a US-based UK solicitor, and is also admitted to practice in the US. She advises employers on UK and cross-border employment matters. Tahl was in-house global employment counsel and a member of the HR senior leadership team for a global publicly traded company, where she advised on workplace issues spanning 40 countries. While resident in the company’s Paris office, she provided site ...
Linda D. Walton is a member of the firm's Labor & Employment Law National practice and former chair of the firm's Strategic Diversity Committee. In her practice, Ms. Walton defends both private sector and public sector employers in state and federal employment-related litigation matters. Through day-to-day counseling and the design and presentation of preventative law training programs for managers, supervisors and human resources personnel, Ms. Walton also devotes a significant part of h...
Rod’s practice focuses on labor and employment law and involves litigation, counseling, training, and negotiating. Rod has extensive experience defending both public- and private-sector employers in discrimination, wrongful discharge, and unpaid wage cases in state and federal courts. He has also represented public and private employers in union organizing campaigns, representation proceedings, unfair labor practice proceedings, and union discrimination matters before the Public Employm...
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