Focus of Practice

My legal practice has been mostly labor and employment law. I have also done some commercial litigation and bankruptcy work. Since 2022, I have been exclusively a neutral, as a mediator of employment and contract disputes and as an arbitrator.

Legal Experience

I was first admitted to the California Bar in 1983. I practiced labor and employment law in Los Angeles for 6 years. In 1989, I moved to the State of Washington and was admitted to the Washington Bar. I was General Counsel at Frederick & Nelson from 1989 to 1993, where I practiced commercial law, employment law, labor law, and bankruptcy law. I then practiced labor and employment law, and a little bankruptcy, at Davis Wright Tremaine until 2022. My practice involved all types of labor and employment litigation, including arbitrations. I have argued twice before the Washington Supreme Court and three times before the Ninth Circuit. In 2022, I started an independent mediation practice at RainierADR PLLC. For more information, please see www.RainierADR.com.

Court Admissions

W.D. WA; E.D. WA; C.D. CA; N.D. CA; E.D. CA; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Education

B.S., Industrial & Labor Relations, Cornell University J.D., University of California, Berkeley

Professional Associations

ABA Section on Labor & Employment Law; College of Labor & Employment Lawyers; Labor Relations Advisory Committee

ADR Training

In October 2019, I completed 40 hours of Employment Law Mediator Training at Cornell University, School of Industrial & Labor Relations in New York City. From March through September 2020, I completed the Small Claims Court Intensive curriculum at the Dispute Resolution Center of King County. The Intensive included online instruction modules which took approximately 20 hours, 17 hours of training pratice, and a mock mediation evaluation. Following that classroom experience, I observed four small claims court mediations and co-mediated three more. I was then evaluated in a solo mediation and, in December 2021, I was authorized to lead solo mediations in small claims court. In 2023, I was selected as an arbitrator for the AAA arbitration panel, the Washington State Public Employment Relations Commission Panel, and the Montana State arbitration panel. I also completed the "Becoming a Labor Arbitrator" course of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

ADR Experience

In the last 3 years, I have conducted over 100 mediations of employment disputes and of small claims disputes. In addition, during my 38 years of legal practice, I participated in more than one hundred labor and employment mediations and arbitrations as an advocate.

ADR Practice Areas

Business Litigation, Civil Rights, Contracts, Employment