Areas of Practice

GOVERNMENT REGULATORY LAW
Our lawyers assist businesses, associations, and individuals in handling all aspects of governmental matters, including licensing, investigations, enforcements, legislation and rulemaking, appellate actions, and other actions undertaken by state and federal agencies, boards and commissions. In our state practice, our lawyers have extensive experience in representing clients in connection with a variety of actions by state agencies including the Departments of Health, Financial Institutions, Labor and Industries, Licensing, Social and Health Services and also with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, Board of Accountancy, Gambling Commission, Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General Office, Executive Ethics Board and Public Disclosure Commission, among others. Our lawyers also have expertise in Health Care Law and extensive and unique experience in the representation of hospitals and other health care entities in certificate of need proceedings before the Department of Health. We also provide advice to state and local governments on issues related to ethics, public disclosure, and other laws relating to the duties of government agencies.

In our federal practice, our lawyers represent businesses and individuals in governmental enforcement actions in federal court. Our focus is on the defense of white collar criminal cases, including representing clients in Grand Jury investigations and criminal prosecutions. We emphasize thorough investigation, careful legal analysis, and effective litigation techniques including early analysis of all possible avenues of resolution.

A major component of our governmental practice includes working with businesses to avoid problems with government authorities by devising creative solutions to potential problems and implementing effective compliance programs.

EMPLOYMENT LAW
Our lawyers provide veteran employer preventive counseling and representation in all types of employment disputes before federal and state courts and agencies, and in arbitration. This includes claims involving labor, wage/hour, employment discrimination, non-competition/trade secrets, Sarbanes/Oxley, ERISA, workers’ compensation, OSHA/WISHA investigations and citations, and civil rights claims.

Our lawyers have more than 75 years of combined experience in successfully litigating and trying these types of employment claims on behalf of employers, employees and government entities. This includes more than 100 trials, hearings and arbitrations to successful conclusion before the National Labor Relations Board, the Washington State Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, the American Arbitration Association, and federal and state courts of all levels in the State of Washington.

We emphasize proactive planning to avoid disputes with employees, and creative, cost-effective resolution of employment disputes.

APPELLATE ADVOCACY
Our lawyers have briefed and argued cases before the United States Supreme Court, the Washington Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and all divisions of the Washington State Court of Appeals. Our appellate advocacy includes cases referred by or in association with trial counsel. Our lawyers also have authored many “friend of the court" amicus curiae briefs for clients who are not parties to a case but have information or arguments they wish to present to the Court.

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