Spencer Nathan Thal

PRO

Spencer Nathan Thal

4.9
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 35 years

Discrimination Lawyer at Poulsbo, WA
Practice Areas: Discrimination, Car Accidents, Personal Injury ... +8 more

PO Box 939, Poulsbo, WA

Virtual Consultation Available

Free Consultation

About Spencer

Biography

Offering remote consultations through video or voice from the comfort of your home, just call!

Practice Areas

11

Practice Areas

Discrimination 20%

34 years | 75 cases

20%
Car Accident 15%

34 years | 200 cases

15%
Employment and Labor 10%

34 years | 250 cases

10%
Personal Injury 10%

34 years | 100 cases

10%
Sexual Harassment 10%

10%
Wrongful Termination 10%

10%
Motorcycle Accident 5%

5%
Slip and Fall Accident 5%

5%
Trucking Accident 5%

5%
Wills and Living Wills 5%

5%
Wrongful Death 5%

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 20 minutes

Contingency

25%-40%

Retainer

Sometimes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Awards

Client's Choice
Client's Choice
2025 2024 2023
...
+ 6

Licenses

Licensed in Washington for 35 years

State: Washington

Acquired: 1990

Active

No misconduct found

Licensed in Oregon for 35 years

State: Oregon

Acquired: 1991

Inactive

No misconduct found

Location

Vanguard Law

PO Box 939, Poulsbo, WA, 98370

vanguardlawfirm.com

Law Offices of Spencer Nathan Thal

9125 - 15th Place South, Seattle, WA, 98108

vanguardlawfirm.com

Online Presence

Other places you can find Spencer online.

Spencer Nathan Thal's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

140 Client Reviews

Showing 111 - 115 of 140 reviews

Posted by Todd | January 27, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Employment & Labor

Masterful Negotiator

We hired Spencer as our employees guild legal representative six years ago. Throughout the years we have had to consult him from time to time about labor issues and if he cant answer the phone he always responds promptly usually within minutes. Another strong attribute is his ability to decipher ...complex labor issues explained to him over the phone and come up with equitable solutions. Our guild recently went through labor negotiations and brought Spencer in to negotiate for us for the first time. He was able to get a tentative agreement that will be the best we have seen in at least 12 years and do it in less than half the time of previous negotiations. I would not hesitate to contact Spencer for ANY legal issues, work related or personal, and would highly recommend that anyone reading this do the same.

Posted by anonymous | January 14, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Discrimination

Truly excellent at what he does

I can not speak highly enough of Spencer and the quality of his legal services. I was in a complex discrimination situation that involved agencies and laws he didn’t normally work with. He still took me on and guided me through to the finish line with patience and skill. He’s incredibly intelligent a...nd is an impressive legal strategist. He takes great time and care to calculate his every move. Big firm lawyers were no match for Spencer’s skill and experience. If you find yourself in a complex discrimination situation, Spencer is the passionate, highly experienced, level headed, and strategic lawyer you need to navigate it and come to a resolution that fits you. I highly recommend him and have the upmost respect for him.

Posted by anonymous | January 14, 2019 | Employment & Labor

Helpful and Knowledgeable

Spencer assisted me with interpreting employment law. He came highly recommended from a friend and I was not disappointed. He is very knowledgeable and took the time to understand my situation, my understanding and filled in the gaps to solve my situation. Thank you!

Posted by anonymous | December 06, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Tireless and Honorable

Tireless and honorable are the two words I feel best describes how Spencer Thal worked on my behalf. One of the things I appreciated was that Spencer returned my inquiry request a mere hour after it was sent...on a Saturday morning. Spencer was personable, always reachable, and consistent in his ...approach. He worked on my behalf, in what appeared to be a helpless situation, to help me receive exactly what I hoped for. I cannot thank him enough for the way he sought to seek out justice on behalf of my family and I.

Posted by Ric | October 30, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Employment & Labor

Revising my Separation Agreement from previous Employer

I hired Spencer to rework a Separation Agreement from my previous Employer. Since I have never hired a lawyer before, I was a little unsure of what to expect. Spencer was great. He listened patiently to my long explanation of my situation. Then he gave me a straight forward opinion as to what he thou...ght my position was, and what he could do for me if I chose to retain his services. The same day I hired him, he started to work on my case. He contacted my former Employer to work on my behalf and he gave me daily updates on how it was going. Spencer was able to get me a more lucrative Separation package than what my former Employer originally offered. I am very happy with the services I received from Spencer and would highly recommend him to anyone else.

See All Client Reviews

Spencer Nathan Thal's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Spencer
Kevin Paul Smith headshot
Kevin Smith

Employment and labor lawyer | Feb 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I fully endorse Spencer. He has proven himself to be extremely knowledgeable and effective counsel. He is also very responsive to communications being sure to inform you of major developments every step of the way. Spencer will be my first contact for possible referrals of plaintiff side employment related matters."

Peter Altman headshot
Peter Altman

Employment and labor lawyer | May 16

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. I've worked with Spencer at several different public agencies. He is a zealous advocate for his clients, but also fair and reasonable. If you're looking for legal counsel on labor & employment matters, look no further."

Lauren Heather Berkowitz headshot
Lauren Berkowitz

Personal injury lawyer | May 16

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Without reservation, I endorse Spencer. He is straightforward, honest, and easy to work with both as a lawyer and as a client of his. He has a talent for getting insurance companies to respond and negotiate in PI cases, and his wealth of knowledge in labor cases is formidable."

Robert H Lavitt headshot
Robert Lavitt

Employment and labor lawyer | May 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Spencer is an excellent, creative and highly experienced labor and employment attorney."

Jon Michael Zimmerman headshot
Jon Zimmerman

Employment and labor lawyer | May 15

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Spencer is one of the best (if not the best) employment attorneys in the Seattle area. He is like a ninja, only faster and smarter. Employers respect him and some employers fear him because they know he will go to the mat for workers. Spencer will use legal jiu jitsu on employers, stunning them into submission and creating victory for Spencer’s smart, hard-working clients. Wise workers have Spencer in their corner."

James Varro Smith II headshot
James Smith

Employment and labor lawyer | Feb 02

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"Spencer is a brilliant attorney. I endorse him."

Mark Richard Busto headshot
Mark Busto

Employment and labor lawyer | Jan 06

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have worked with Spencer on Bar-related matters and cases. He is smart, committed and great fun to work with. I would trust him implicitly to represent me."

Dmitri L. Iglitzin headshot
Dmitri Iglitzin

Employment and labor lawyer | Jan 06

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known Spencer and his work for almost 20 years. I can unreservedly recommend him for his professionalism, expertise, honesty and work ethic. Any worker who is in need of legal services would be well-advised to give Spencer a call."

Daniel A Swedlow headshot
Daniel Swedlow

Employment and labor lawyer | Jan 06

Relationship: Co-worker

"Avvo will only let me endorse Spencer Thal in one category which is unfortunate because in addition to being a fantastic labor and employment lawyer, he is also a highly capable personal injury attorney. Spencer has a razor sharp mind and consistently achieves outstanding results for his clients. I am proud to call Spencer a top notch lawyer, a partner and a friend."

View All Endorsements
David H Black JR headshot
David Black

Employment and labor lawyer

Mark Richard Busto headshot
Mark Busto

Unknown lawyer

Martin Garfinkel headshot
Martin Garfinkel

Class action lawyer

Daniel A Swedlow headshot
Daniel Swedlow

Employment and labor lawyer

Dmitri L. Iglitzin headshot
Dmitri Iglitzin

Employment and labor lawyer

James Varro Smith II headshot
James Smith

Employment and labor lawyer

Russell Louis Perisho headshot
Russell Perisho

Employment and labor lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2018

Appointment to Public Employment Relations Commission, Governor Jay Inslee

2001

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

1989

Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, Columbia Law School

Work Experience

2016 - 2017

Senior Labor Relations Counsel, Air Line Pilots Association

2015 - 2017

Managing Attorney, Vanguard Law

2012 - 2015

Managing Partner, Swedlow Thal, PLLC

1996 - 2016

General Counsel, Teamsters Local Union No. 117

1993 - 1996

Attorney, Schwerin Campbell Barnard

1990 - 1993

Associate, Heller Ehrman

Associations

2018 - 2019

Public Employment Relations Commission

Commissioner

2005 - 2005

Washington State Bar Association

Chair, Labor and Employment Section

2003 - 2005

Washington State Bar Asssociation

Executive Committee, Labor and Employment Section

Sample of Legal Cases

Teamsters Local 117 v State of Washington

Victory

Race Discrimination

Significant Settlement

Employment Discrimination

Significant Settlement

Teamsters Local 117 v. Department of Corrections

Victory

Teamsters Local 117 v Port of Seattle

Victory

Teamsters Local 117 v. Golden State Foods

Victory

See More Legal Cases

Education

1994

Oxford University

MA - Masters

1990

Columbia University School of Law

J.D.

1986

Oxford University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2018

Washington Labor and Employment Relations Association Conference

Labor and Employment Law Meets Contract (CBA)

2017

Washington Labor and Employment Relations Association Conference

Advanced Contract Negotiations

2016

Washington Labor and Employment Relations Association Conference

Grievance, Gripe or Unfair Labor Practice

2015

Washington Labor and Employment Relations Association Conference

Advanced Collective Bargaining

2015

Teamsters Local 959 Steward Seminar

Contract Negotiations and Enforcement

2013

Washington Labor and Employment Relations Association Conference

Contract Negotiations: Layers of Players

2012

Training Academy

Union Representation

2011

American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section

Information Technology and Employee Rights

2010

LERA Conference

Negotiation Ethics

2009

Washington Labor and Employment Relations

Advanced Contract Interpretation

2009

Teamsters Leadership Academy

Advanced Arbitration

2008

Warehouse Division Conference

Bargaining and Costing Contracts

2007

LERA Conference

Hard Bargaining and Bad Faith

2006

Washington LERA

Negotiating Economics

Publications

1986

Oxford Journal of Legal Studies The Inequality of Bargaining Doctrine

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution