About My Practice
Attorney Stephen Teller has been an employment lawyer for more than twenty five years. His practice is focused primarily on representing employees in discrimination and wrongful work practices matters (including wrongful termination). He represents whistleblowers in protecting their rights against retaliation, individuals exposing fraud against the United States government in False Claims Act and Qui Tam actions, and clients injured in car and other accidents.
He is familiar with numerous whistleblower reward programs under which people who report corporate and government fraud can obtain a percentage of the funds involved. Medicare fraud, tax fraud, false certifications of entitlement to money, government grant rip offs, and even significant false accounting practices by private corporations involve incentive programs which reward whistleblowers.
Steve has won a number of significant harassment, whistleblower, and discrimination lawsuits at trial, and achieved numerous favorable settlement agreements on behalf of clients, against nationwide and global companies including Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent, BP, and T-Mobile. In addition to representing clients, Steve also serves as a mediator and an arbitrator in both employment and non-employment matters. Steve has been named a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers Magazine for the past six years.
How I Help
My purpose is to help people and stop the abuse of power.
Big companies and organizations often act as if they are above the law. They permit (and sometimes promote) discrimination, harassment, and unlawful wage and work practices. They engage in wrongful termination. In some cases, they break the law, defraud the government, and punish or retaliate against those who blow the whistle on their conduct.
They believe that employees are powerless against their size. They are wrong.
As an attorney, I have the ability to hold companies accountable on behalf of my clients when they break the law. I help those who have hurt by these wrongful, and often illegal, work practices. My role is to seek a fair resolution for my clients, which may consist of stopping continuing illegal practices, full and fair compensation, job reinstatement, or other corrective action.
My clients typically include managers, skilled workers, senior executives, professionals, and classes of workers who have been harmed by wrongful discrimination or unlawful employment practices. I have sued, and won, against some of the largest companies in Seattle.
When harm has occurred, I work with clients to identify the best solution for them, which may or may not include litigation. Then, I work tenaciously on their behalf in attempting to achieve their goals. If litigation is to be pursued, my focus is on achieving a full and complete win for our clients.
Bar Admissions and Professional Affiliations
- Washington State Bar Association
- Washington State Association for Justice (WSAJ)
- Eagle and Employment Law Section Member
- Washington Employment Lawyers Association (WELA)
- Past Treasurer
- Past Vice-Chair
- Past Chair
Education
- J.D. and M.A. in Psychology, University of Washington, Joint Degree Program in Law and Psychology
- B.A. in Psychology, Reed College, Commendation for Academic Excellence
Publications and Recognition
- Co-author book chapter on Eyewitness Testimony Research
- Master's Thesis on Lawyers' predictions of case outcomes
- Contributor to WSAJ Trial News
- Contributor to the recently-published WSAJ Employment Law Deskbook (Forms Chapter)
- Appeared occasionally on local television, including here.