Top Honors for SBJ Attorneys!
August 21, 2025
SBJ attorneys continue to be recognized for their skill and expertise in employment and labor law, once again being named as Super Lawyers and among the Best
SBJ attorneys continue to be recognized for their skill and expertise in employment and labor law, once again being named as Super Lawyers and among the Best
Jeff James and Monica Ghosh obtained summary judgment on behalf of a public entity that had terminated a disruptive employee during her probationary period. The plaintiff, acting
Jeff James and Monica Ghosh recently received good news times two from the EEOC. The EEOC issued notice that it was dropping two pending investigations against SBJ
Jeff James and Monica Ghosh succeeded in convincing the United States District Court, and then the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, to dismiss the claims of a
Following a hotly contested public hearing, Jeff James prevailed on behalf of a public entity before the Civil Service Commission. The employer had terminated a law enforcement
Jeff James and Julian Cano succeeded in getting dismissed a putative class action before it got off the ground. The plaintiff sued her former employer, a public
Jeff James and Monica Ghosh teamed up to defeat a class action brought against our client before the United States Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration
Jeff James and Amanda Masters recently locked in a client’s class action dismissal by the Court of Appeals. The plaintiffs/appellants had petitioned the Washington State Supreme Court
Once again, SBJ attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America for their skill and expertise in employment and labor law. BEST LAWYERS
Jeff James and Jessica Cox received good news – twice – from Division III of the Washington Court of Appeals in a class action brought by former
Jeff James and Amanda Masters were happy to receive an Order from the Washington State Supreme Court denying plaintiff’s petition for discretionary review and cementing their string
Jeff James succeeded in convincing the New York State Human Rights Commission (“NYSHRC”) that there was no probable cause for finding a failure to accommodate a disability
Washington employers should take note of significant changes to the State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law (PFML) starting in 2026. The legislative amendments to RCW 50A, passed in April 2025, go into effect January 1, 2026. […]
Washington’s Supreme Court recently issued its ruling on the scope of the pay transparency provision of the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (“EPOA”), Ch. 49.58 RCW. The law requires employers disclose wage scales, salary ranges, and benefits information in all job listings. […]
On May 20, 2025, Senate Bill 5291 was signed into law and introduced significant amendments to Washington State’s WA Cares Fund. The amendments make it easier for employees to qualify for coverage, create additional insurance frameworks, and expand participation classes. […]
As we head into fall, Washington healthcare employers should begin preparing for new meal and rest break waiver requirements that go into effect January 1, 2026. […]
The debate over AI and its effects on the workforce as we know it took a turn for the dramatic in July when Ford CEO Jim Farley made headlines for proclaiming “half” of all white-collar workers would be replaced by AI in the United States. […]
Effective July 2025, 2026, and 2027, new Washington State laws and amendments will impact employers at every stage of the employment process. […]
The Trump Administration has continued to legislate via Executive Order. In recent months, these Orders have had the effect of upending some federal employment policies that have been in effect for half a century. This note explores one of those changes: the President’s direction that all federal agencies eliminate use of disparate impact theory and its implications for employers. […]
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument on February 26, 2025, in a case that will decide whether “majority group” plaintiffs must offer additional evidence of “background circumstances” to overcome step one (membership in a protected class) of the familiar McDonnell Douglas framework at summary judgment. […]
Since January 1, 2018, employers in Washington State have been required to provide non-exempt employees with paid sick leave under Washington’s Paid Sick Leave law. Legislation passed in 2024 expands leave protections under the law, including the definition of “family members” for whom employees may use paid sick leave hours to provide care. […]
With the recent flurry of newsworthy appointments and executive orders from the Trump Administration’s first month in office, the landscape of employment law has already shifted. This note focuses on one such seismic change: Trump’s appointment of a new Acting Chair for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Andrea Lucas. […]
In recent years, technological improvements have made it possible for wearable digital devices to collect vast amounts of data—including about the human body. In what once would be a scenario in a science-fiction novel, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently issued a factsheet covering wearable technologies in the workplace that includes guidance on employers’ use of everything from smart watches and glasses to exoskeletons. […]
On September 30, 2024, Division One of the Washington State Court of Appeals issued a decision in Androckitis v. Virginia Mason Medical Center that clarified what is owed to an employee who does not receive a full, uninterrupted 30-minute meal break. Unfortunately, the decision is not good news for employers. […]