Employment

We handle a variety of employment matters on behalf of businesses and public entities across the Pacific Northwest.  These cases range from litigating restrictive covenant provisions (e.g., non-solicitation or non-competition provisions) to handling cases or threatened litigation involving alleged discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour disputes.

Representative Cases

Non-Compete/Non-Solicitation Agreements

We have significant experience litigating the enforceability of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements on behalf of technology companies and other businesses.

Retaliation Claims

The firm represents businesses and public entities in cases involving alleged retaliation under the Washington Law Against Discrimination and the whistleblower-protection provisions in federal statutes including the False Claims Act, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and Dodd-Frank Act.

Misappropriation of Trade Secrets

We represent companies dealing with litigation (or threatened litigation) arising from allegations of misappropriation of trade secret information.

Wage and Benefit Claims

The firm has significant experience defending employers against both individual and putative class actions for unpaid wages and benefits.

Employee Handbook Claims

We successfully defended, through multiple appeals to the Ninth Circuit, the Port of Seattle against claims of retaliation in violation of the False Claims Act and claims that the Port violated its employee handbook.  Jonassen v. Port of Seattle, 685 Fed. Appx. 571 (9th Cir. 2017); Jonassen v. Port of Seattle, 550 Fed. Appx. 384 (9th Cir. 2013)

Non-Compete Against Intelius Founder Naveen Jain

We represented the founder of InfoSpace, Naveen Jain, in defending a non-compete action brought by InfoSpace. InfoSpace sought to shut down Jain’s new business, Intelius, Inc.  Following a four-day evidentiary hearing, the court rejected a request to enjoin Jain and awarded fees to our client. Following extensive expedited discovery, the entire non-compete case was dismissed on summary judgment.

Employment Claims Involving Shareholders

We have both prosecuted and defended against claims arising from the termination of an executive’s employment subsequent to a significant change-of-control in corporate ownership.  These claims frequently involve complex issues involving the disposition of a co-founder’s equity interest in the business.

Putative Class Actions re Minimum Wage Act

Our firm has defended companies and individuals in cases involving alleged violations of the Minimum Wage Act.  For example, we represented an Alaska cruise operator in a putative class action case alleging violations of Washington’s Minimum Wage Act.  The case involved the precedent-setting issue of whether the federal Fair Labor Standards Act preempted state law when applied to cruise ship companies operating in various states and jurisdictions.  See Strain v. West Travel, 117 Wn. App. 251, 70 P.3d 158 (2003).