Professional Biography

Emily A. Bushaw Partner

  • Seattle

    D +1.206.359.3069

    F +1.206.359.9000

    Seattle

    1201 Third Avenue, Suite 4900

    Seattle, WA 98101-3099

    +1.206.359.3069

    EBushaw@perkinscoie.com

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Overview

Partner Emily Bushaw focuses on employment litigation, arbitration, and counseling. Known for resolving issues efficiently, Emily regularly wins summary judgment motions to help clients avoid lengthy and costly trials. Her extensive experience includes defense of discrimination, harassment, retaliation claims, wage-and-hour class actions, whistleblower, trade secret, and noncompetition claims.

Emily also dedicates part of her practice to advising employers on how to avoid employment litigation. She provides guidance to clients regarding human resources issues, discipline and discharge, employee handbooks and policies, wage-and-hour law, employee classification issues, and arbitration and separation agreements. In particular, she counsels employers on how to comply with federal and state statutes, such as Title VII, the ADA, FMLA, FLSA, NLRA, Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

Emily regularly conducts workplace investigations and assists in the resolution of pre-litigation harassment, discrimination, and retaliation charges before state and federal agencies such as the Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC); the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); and the Department of Justice’s Immigrant & Employee Rights (IER) Section. In her workplace investigations practice, Emily focuses on confidential internal investigations involving allegations of misconduct, including race, gender, and age discrimination, sexual harassment or assault, and immigration/citizenship status or national origin discrimination. She works as impartial investigator while counseling businesses on key litigation defense and go-forward strategies. Emily also counsels corporate boards, legal departments, and human resources professionals through the investigation process, from initial allegation through final conclusion.

Maintaining an active pro bono practice, Emily helps clients obtain lawful immigration status in the United States and also represents clients before the Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board.

Professional Recognition

  • Listed as a "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers Magazine, 2016 – 2019

Professional Leadership

  • Washington Employment Law Letter, Editor

Related Employment

  • Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office, Civil Division, Olympia, WA, Special Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, 2009 2010
  • Washington State Court of Appeals, Div. III, Spokane, WA, Judicial Extern for The Hon. Teresa C. Kulik, 2008
  • Perkins Coie LLP, Seattle, WA, Summer Associate, 2008

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