Fisher & Phillips LLP, a national labor and employment law firm, announces its expansion into Seattle. Davis C. Bae, a respected immigration attorney with a national practice, will lead the office as its Managing Partner. Joining him are Partners Nick Beermann and Catharine Morisset and Of Counsel Robert Neale. Clarence Belnavis, a Fisher & Phillips Partner in Portland, Oregon, and a Washington resident, will split his time between the Seattle and Portland offices.
Bae focuses his practice on providing effective immigration solutions for companies in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the United States. Bae’s clients are leaders in fields such as software, design, construction, manufacturing, utilities, fine arts, sports, international trade, and engineering. He is a frequent speaker before business and employer associations, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Washington State Bar Association, the National Association of General Contractors, and the Society of Human Resource Management. Before joining Fisher & Phillips, Bae was a partner at Jackson Lewis.
Beermann practices in all areas of labor and employment law. He focuses much of his practice on employment contracts, corporate governance, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, trade secret and non-compete matters, discrimination and harassment advice and litigation, benefits litigation and safety matters. Beermann worked in-house for a multi-national corporation in Tokyo, Japan, in 2008 and 2009. He earned his law degree, cum laude, from Seattle University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington.
Morisset focuses her practice on employment litigation in state and federal courts. She also represents employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Washington State Human Rights Commission where she defends employers against discrimination, wage-hour, and wrongful termination claims. She also counsels and trains employers. Additionally, Morisset has significant experience representing employers in the maritime industry. Morisset received her law degree from Tulane University School of Law and her Bachelors of Arts degree from Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington.
Neale has extensive experience advising companies and individuals on the complexities of business immigration law, including securing temporary work permits, submission of permanent residence applications, I-9 compliance, U.S.-Canada cross-border matters and consular processing. Before joining Fisher & Phillips, Neale spent eight years as in-house counsel at Microsoft Corporation where he assisted employees, managers, business partners and other stakeholders with their immigration needs. He also has held a managing attorney role in the Northern California offices of the largest international immigration firm, where he worked with a wide range of clients.
Belnavis has substantial experience handling various types of employment litigation including disability, racial, and gender discrimination; retaliation; sexual harassment; and wrongful discharge. He also represents employers in wage and hour claims, employment class actions, and traditional labor matters. In 2011, Belnavis was honored as a “Convocation on Equality Champion” in recognition of the diversity work that he has been engaged in during his career.
Fisher & Phillips Chairman and Managing Partner Roger Quillen said: “Seattle has been one of the premier cities where we have wanted to open an office for some time. We have been patient, because it is important to our clients and our firm that we have the right people on board. Davis, Nick, Catharine, and Rob are attorneys who embody our commitment to excellent legal work coupled with stellar client service. Our clients will be well-served by the attorneys and staff in our latest office. Clarence, who is admitted to practice in Washington, is already serving Washington clients and this affords him the ability to service them from the Seattle office.”
Bae added: “The clients with whom I work expect top-notch service along with superior legal work. Fisher & Phillips affords me the ability to have some of the best labor and employment attorneys in the country help these clients with their workplace legal matters. It is exciting to be able to open a new office for one of the top management-side firms in the U.S.”
Source: www.laborlawyers.com
