Attorney Profiles

Stephen Teller

The lawyers in my office practice in the areas of Employment Discrimination, Wrongful Termination, Qui Tam (whistleblowers exposing fraud against the government), Sexual Harassment, other discriminatory harassment, Doctor, Dentist, and Therapist Misconduct, and Legal Malpractice. We do Plaintiff work only, and are proud to be Trial Lawyers.

After graduating from Reed College with a B.A. in Psychology and a commendation for academic excellence (1989), I returned to Seattle to enter the Joint Degree Program in Law and Psychology at the University of Washington where I earned a Master's Degree in Psychology in 1992 and my J.D. in 1993. From 1993 to 2000 I worked for three excellent employment discrimination and personal injury law firms, where I learned from some of the best.

As a law student, I joined the Washington State Association for Justice (WSAJ), and joined the Washington Employment Lawyers Association (WELA) soon after, and have been active in both organizations since, including as Treasurer, Vice-Chair, then Chair of WELA, and with memberships on the Legislative Steering committee and in the Employment Law Section for WSAJ. I am an Eagle member of WSAJ.

Many years ago I co-authored a book chapter on Eyewitness Testimony Research, and wrote my Master's Thesis on Lawyers' predictions of case outcomes. More recently I have contributed to the WSAJ Trial News and to the recently-published WSAJ Employment Law Deskbook (Forms Chapter). For those who are impressed by such things, I am listed in Marquis' Who's Who in American Law, Millennium Edition, and have appeared occasionally on local television, including here: http://www.king5.com/home/Cancer-patient-says-Microsoft-cut-his-job-because-he-got-sick-120423754.html. Recently, I was honored by my peers with the designation of "Superlawyer," for 2012.

In addition to personal growth, I believe my purposes here include helping others and stopping the abuse of power.

If you or someone you know needs help with legal representation in Washington State, please give us a call. You will talk directly to the lawyers and work with us throughout the case.

Sara Amies

Sara Amies concentrates her practice on employment law issues facing employees and small employers, particularly around discrimination and non-compete issues. Sara donates many hours of pro bono service through the King County Bar Association to tenants facing eviction. In 2006, she was recognized as a KCBA Volunteer of the Year. Sara grew up in La Conner, Washington.

Experience:

Sara has successfully negotiated confidential pre-litigation settlements and litigated employment discrimination cases against major Northwest employers for employees terminated in retaliation for advocating for safety in the workplace, for reporting fraud against consumers, and for reporting sex discrimination. In 2009, she successfully challenged a flawed Labor & Industries Safety Discrimination Investigation, forced L&I to re-investigate her client’s claims for the first time in its history, and caused the employer to settle the case.

Sara worked as a paralegal for before becoming a lawyer. During law school, she served as a legal extern to the Honorable Mary Yu, King County Superior Court. In addition to her regular practice, Sara volunteers with the KCBA Housing Justice Project, supports Legal Voice, and serves on the Judicial Evaluation Committee for King County Washington Women Lawyers. She enjoys gardening, hiking, and rowing on Lake Washington.

Bar Admissions/Professional Affiliations:

Washington State Bar Association

U.S. District Court of the Western District of Washington
King County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section,

Pacific Coast Labor & Employment Law Conference Planning Committee,

Special Topics Subcommittee Co-Chair, 2011
Washington Employment Lawyers’ Association
King County Washington Women Lawyers,

Board of Directors, Co-Vice President for CLEs, 2006-2011;
Judicial Evaluation Committee, 2012-present.

Education:

Juris Doctor, Seattle University School of Law, cum laude

Bachelor of Arts, The Evergreen State College, World Literature

Andrea Scheele

Andrea Scheele focuses her practice on representing employees harmed by sexual harassment and retaliation at work. She also advocates for clients in the areas of racial and sexual orientation discrimination, family status discrimination, and FMLA violations. Andrea is admitted to practice before the Washington State Supreme Court, Federal District Court for the Western District of Washington, and she regularly represents clients in unemployment appeals and other matters before the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings.

In 2010, Andrea coauthored a chapter on mitigation of damages for the ABA title, "Litigating the Sexual Harassment Case." She is a long-time board member of the Unemployment Law Project, a non-profit that provides advice and representation to those facing unemployment hearings in Washington, and is an active member of the Washington Employment Lawyers Association.

Andrea received her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law in 2005, and her B.A. from the University of Washington. During law school, Andrea externed with the U.S. Department of Labor, and the King County Dispute Resolution Center. Before law school, Andrea worked several seasons as a field archaeologist.

Andrea enjoys traveling, trying new recipes, and having adventures with her family.

Reba Weiss

Reba Weiss has focused her practice on employment discrimination cases since 1992. Reba has extensive experience in a variety of employment discrimination laws, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Washington Law Against Discrimination, as well as many others. Reba particularly enjoys working on cases representing people with disabilities who have been discriminated against in the workplace.

Experience

Reba started practicing law in 1982 as a King County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. There she honed her trial skills which have served her well over her years of practice. In 2003, Reba served as Chair of the Washington State Employment Lawyers Association Employment Law Section. She has also served as Chair of the Civil Rights Section of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) and was named a WSBA Bar Leader in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Reba has written and published a number of articles, including most recently ADAAA: Congress Reacts to Courts' Restrictive Interpretations of the ADA, published in the WSBA Bar News, September 2011. Reba served as a Judge pro tem in King County District Court from 1998-2005. Reba is a certified Arbitrator and Mediator with the American Arbitration Association.

When she is not practicing law, Reba enjoys cooking, crocheting, walking, and spending time with her two adult children.

Bar Admissions and Professional Associations

U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court, Western and Eastern Districts of Washington
Washington State Bar Association
Washington Employment Lawyers Association
King County Bar Association
American Arbitration Association

Education

University of Oregon, J.D., 1982

University of California, Berkeley, B.S. with honors, 1976

Gregory A. Hitzel

Greg advocates for those harmed by illegal employment practices such as workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge and failure to provide disability accommodations. Greg has experience representing physicians, refinery workers, office managers, school teachers, nurses, restaurant staff, medical assistants and plant managers, among others. Additionally, he also assists people who are in a unique position to expose fraud against the government through qui tam actions. Greg has experience helping individuals negotiate severance packages with their employers and he also helps people obtain and keep their unemployment benefits.

Greg was admitted in 2007 to practice law in Washington State and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court in both the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington. He is a member of various professional associations, including the Washington Association for Justice and the Washington Employment Lawyers Association.

Greg received his BA in Psychology and his BBA in Business Finance, cum laude, from Gonzaga University in 2002. He received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Seattle University School of Law in 2007. While attending Seattle University, Greg participated as a staff editor for the Seattle Journal for Social Justice and served as an extern for the Honorable Judge Mary Yu. Greg is a volunteer attorney with the King County Bar Association's Greenwood Neighborhood Legal Clinic, as well as the Association's Nonprofit Legal Clinic.

J. Denise Diskin

Denise Diskin works on behalf of individuals facing discrimination in the workplace, as well as families experiencing divorce and negotiating child custody. Denise is passionate about the rights of employees and families. She is dedicated to upholding those rights by representing individuals in unemployment appeals, discrimination litigation, and family law proceedings.

Denise has a particular interest in advocating on behalf of employees wrongfully denied family leave for illness or pregnancy, as well as furthering the rights of GLBT individuals in the workplace. She is also well versed in representing transgender clients and survivors of sex or gender-based harassment and domestic violence.

She has handled cases before the U.S. District Court, King County Superior Court, King County District Court, Office of Administrative Hearings, and the American Arbitration Association, and has negotiated settlements in formal and informal mediation.

Denise currently chairs the QLaw Foundation's GLBT Legal Clinic Committee and serves on the QLaw Foundation Board and Washington State Association for Justice Diversity Committee. She has also volunteered with the Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference, Legal Voice, the King County Bar Association, and the Legal Aid Society - Employment Law Center.

Bar/Court Admissions:

State of Washington
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

Professional Affiliations:

Education:

J.D.; University of California, Hastings College of the Law

B.A.; University of California, Santa Cruz with honors