Focus of Practice

Labor and employment law: advice and counseling, litigation, neutral workplace investigations, mediation, arbitration, service as Hearing Examiner for University of Washington.

Legal Experience

Of Counsel to Sebris Busto James, January 1, 2021 to present. Shareholder, Sebris Busto James, January 2006 to December 31, 2020. Contractor, Associate, and Senior Counsel, Sebris Busto James, 1997-2005. Career Law Clerk for the Honorable Eldon B. Mahon, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, 1992-97. Associate, Preston Gates & Ellis, 1988-91.

Court Admissions

Washington State, 1988. U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, 1989. Texas State, 1992. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, 1994. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2000; U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, 2009.

Education

Columbia University Law School, New York, NY, Juris Doctor, 1988. Columbia University School of Public & International Affairs, New York, NY, Masters of International Affairs, 1988. Alfred University, Alfred, NY, Bachelor of Fine Arts, 1978. Reed College, Portland, OR, two years coursework.

Professional Associations

Co-Chair of ADR Committee of Federal Bar Association for the Western District of Washington; Washington State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section Executive Committee, Elected Member, January 2008 to December 2010. Washington Defense Trial Lawyers, President, Secretary, Board Member, 2004-10, Chair of Employment Law Section, 2003-04. Washington State Bar Association and King County Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Labor & Employment Law Sections. American Bar Association. Texas Bar Association (inactive). Association of Workplace Investigators. Volunteer Attorney at King County Neighborhood Legal Clinics, 1997 to present.

ADR Training

8-14-18, WSBA, Arbitration Ethics; 3-27-20, American Bar Association, Ethical Considerations for Use of Online Tools for Dispute Neutrals in the COVID 19 Era Managing Commercial Conflicts Through Mediation; 3-10-21, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Remote Mediation Before, During, and After (hopefully!) the Pandemic; 5-13-21, KCBA, ADR SECTION: Applied Improvisation for Conflict Resolution; 6-10-21, KCBA, Double Shot Careers: Perspectives from a Neutral to an Advocate, and an Advocate to a Neutral; 6-17-21, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, The Power of Mediation. Other: NW Dispute Resolution Conference 2013, 2017. King County Bar Association ADR Section CLEs. Seattle Federal Executive Board Mediation Panel CLEs. Settlement Consultants International, Inc. (40-hour training), 1992. Tarrant County, Texas Dispute Resolution Center CLEs, 1995-97.

ADR Experience

Member of American Arbitration Association Employment Panel. Arbitrator for Mandatory Arbitrations in King County and Pierce County Superior Courts. Mediate private workplace-related disputes. Mediator for City of Seattle mediation program since 2012, mediating SOCR cases. Mediator for Seattle Federal Executive Board since 2005, mediating workplace disputes involving federal employees. Mediator for King County Dispute Resolution Center since 1998, mediating a range of disputes, including employment, commercial, and interpersonal matters. Mediator for Tarrant County, Texas, Dispute Resolution Center from 1995-97, mediating a range of disputes, including employment, commercial, and interpersonal matters.

ADR Practice Areas

Employment