James Merle Thomas

I am a Member in the Seattle Office.  An accomplished and respected trial and appellate attorney, I have 31 years’ experience in litigating cases in Washington state courts, federal courts in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, before Washington appellate courts and in the Ninth Circuit.  I have a broad litigation background in construction issues, commercial litigation, insurance defense and coverage issues, employment matters, non-competition and unfair trade practices, discrimination and harassment claims, professional malpractice claims, product liability issues, defending and pursuing class actions, contract interpretation and performance disputes, bad faith claims, probate/trust/estate litigation, real property disputes, and title insurance claims.  I have assisted clients from individuals and small local firms, to large, well-known national and international corporations, including numerous Canadian clients, and Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Russian companies doing business in the United States.  My construction experience ranges from small projects, to shopping centers, to an interstate highway bridge, to the two tallest high-rise office towers in Seattle.  A frequent seminar speaker, I have served as a presenter on construction and employment issues at the Washington State Bar Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Associated General Contractors seminars.