Jeffrey James

Practice Areas

Litigation

Discrimination

Class Actions

Restraining Orders and Injunctive Relief

Business Torts

Wage and Hour

Reasonable Accommodation

Hiring/Firing

Labor Relations

Employment Contracts

Retaliation

Restrictive covenants

Reductions in Force (RIF) and WARN Compliance

Unemployment Compensation

Personnel Policies

Safety and Health

Training

Career

Jeffrey A. James is the Managing Shareholder at Sebris Busto James and the head of the firm’s litigation group. He has represented employers in labor and employment matters since 1988. Jeff's practice focuses on helping employers comply with state, federal and local employment laws and defending employers when litigation arises. He also prosecutes matters on behalf of employers seeking to enforce employment agreements, restrictive covenants, or other obligations. Jeff is a trial and appellate attorney who has successfully represented clients in proceedings before state and federal courts at all levels, as well as before administrative agencies and in alternative dispute resolution proceedings. Jeff is a frequent speaker at legal and industry seminars on issues affecting the workplace.

Jeff has been actively involved in federal, state, and local bar associations for over three decades. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of Washington, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court, as well as in Washington and Oregon. He is the past Secretary of the Executive Board of the Washington State Bar Association – Labor & Employment Law Section, and past Chair of the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers – Employment Law Committee.

Professional Memberships

Jeff is a member of the Washington Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section; the King County Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section; and the American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section, Employee Rights and Responsibilities Committee, where he serves as Management Co-Chair of the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Subcommittee. He is a past member of the King County Bar Association Board of Trustees and past member of the Seattle Children’s Pediatric Bioethics Advisory Council. He currently serves as a member of a judicial subcommittee evaluating the Employment Chapter of the Washington Practice Jury Instructions.

Personal

Jeff has been repeatedly named as a “Super Lawyer” by Washington Law & Politics and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, the Best Lawyers in Seattle, and The International Who’s Who of Management Labour & Employment Lawyers. He was named a “Lawyer of the Year” for Management-Side Employment Litigation in 2016 by Best Lawyers publication and has been repeatedly ranked amongst Seattle’s best lawyers by Chambers and Best Lawyers in America. He has received the highest possible peer review rating for competency and ethics (AV) by Martindale-Hubbell. For over 55 years he has cultivated a passion for soccer as a player, coach, and supporter of the Seattle Sounders. When he is not in trial or spending time outdoors with his family you can find him playing guitar or tinkering with cars.