Seyfarth Announces New Seattle Presence

SEATTLE (July 7, 2020) -- Seyfarth announced today the formal launch of its new Seattle office, the firm’s first in the Pacific Northwest and fifth on the West Coast. Serving clients around the globe, this marks Seyfarth’s 17th office.

Seyfarth’s office will be located at 999 Third Avenue, in the Central Business District near Seattle’s Waterfront, and is led by partners Thomas J. Wybenga and Denice Tokunaga, who serve as office co-managing partners.

“We are excited to announce that Seyfarth is in Seattle with a remarkable team of lawyers,” said Pete Miller, Seyfarth’s chair and managing partner. “Our clients have an important role in shaping the firm’s future and the strong relationships we have in the Pacific Northwest make Seattle a natural fit for our global platform.”

Seyfarth has served dozens of significant clients in Seattle and throughout the Pacific Northwest for many years. Within close proximity to a number of clients and the courts, the new Seattle office is full-service and seeded by Seyfarth leaders committed to building upon the firm’s reputation for excellent client service. In addition, office leadership is dedicated to continuing the firm’s proud legacy of inclusion, pro bono, and community involvement by staying connected to national and local efforts across the firm.

“After assembling a core roster of talent and designing an impressive new office space, we are thrilled at long last to officially call Seattle home,” said Thomas Wybenga, a King County resident since 2004 and long-time partner in Seyfarth’s Labor & Employment department. “While the brick and mortar presence is new, Seyfarth and our Seattle team have an established history of serving clients throughout this region. We have also been very active in the community here, and that strong commitment to local charitable and civic organizations will continue and surely grow along with us.”

“A key international business hub, Seattle is home to some of the most iconic brands in the world,” said Denice Tokunaga, a long-time Seattle resident and partner in Seyfarth’s Real Estate department. “With global capabilities across many industries, Seyfarth is well-suited to serve Seattle’s dynamic business community both domestically and abroad. I’m honored to lead this new team.”

Seyfarth’s Seattle office is currently comprised of 13 lawyers, including seven partners, from a cross-section of the firm’s nationally ranked departments.

About the Seattle Partners

• Thomas J. Wybenga, Office Managing Partner, Labor & Employment
  For more than 20 years, Wybenga’s practice has focused exclusively on employment law. In addition to providing daily advice and counsel on workplace legal issues, he oversees and litigates employment cases across the country, as well as defending companies in federal, state, and local agency charges.
• Denice Tokunaga, Office Managing Partner, Real Estate
  In a career spanning over two decades, Tokunaga has helped private and public companies, developers, government entities, utilities, and institutional investors achieve their goals on a wide range of projects. Her work covers the full spectrum of commercial and industrial real estate matters, including leasing, acquisition and disposition, and development.
• Jami Balint, Real Estate
  Balint focuses her practice on providing legal advice and assistance to clients in all aspects of commercial, industrial, and residential real estate transactions and development, including commercial leasing, property acquisitions and dispositions, due diligence and feasibility analyses, development strategies, environmental review, permitting and administrative proceedings, and construction contracting.
• Liz Deckman, Employee Benefits
  Deckman has extensive experience advising companies regarding employee benefits and ERISA. She has designed and implemented all types of tax-qualified retirement plans and trusts, including Section 401(k), profit sharing, cash balance, defined benefit, and nonqualified retirement plans. Deckman also drafts and implements health and welfare plans and advises employers on related issues, such as COBRA, health care reform, and fiduciary issues.
• Molly Gabel, Labor & Employment
  Gabel previously served as the head labor and employment and litigation attorney at Alaska Airlines, Inc. and Horizon Air Industries, Inc. She has advised on, managed, and handled every aspect of labor and employment law that an air carrier faces, including preemption litigation, wage-hour class actions, and PAGA lawsuits. Gabel has also represented companies in other industries, including hospitality, health care, retail, manufacturing, trucking, media, entertainment, construction, and mining.
• Helen M. McFarland, Labor & Employment
  McFarland represents employers in Washington, Oregon, and California in all aspects of employment law, including the defense of wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, unfair competition, independent contractor misclassification, and wage and hour claims. She also has an extensive advice and counseling practice that focuses on avoiding litigation and helping employers implement legally compliant policies and practices.
• Robert S. Over, Corporate
  Over focuses his practice on real estate and securities with an emphasis on business entity formation and acquisitions, governance issues, private placements, and related tax planning matters. He also has substantial litigation experience involving commercial contracts, business transactions, and complex antitrust matters.

With construction underway and targeted for completion in the fall, Seyfarth’s Seattle office will open in accordance with applicable health and safety guidelines, and with the approval of the firm’s national Return to Office (RTO) task force.

Long-known for its dedication, excellence, and innovation in serving clients, Seyfarth attorneys and teams have earned a number of honors from The Legal 500 and Chambers USA, which note the firm’s continued leadership across a variety of practice areas. A recognized industry leader in law firm inclusion and diversity, Seyfarth recently launched The Belonging Project, a first-of-its-kind nationwide collaborative initiative to proactively combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on inclusion and diversity in the profession.

About Seyfarth
With more than 900 lawyers across 17 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides advisory, litigation, and transactional legal services to clients worldwide.

Contacts:

Martin Grego, Senior Public Relations Manager, (312) 460-6659, mgrego@seyfarth.com