Emily Bushaw

Partner

Seattle

206.359.3069

emily.bushaw@ashurstperkins.com

Overview
Experience

Introduction

Advocating for clients in employment litigation, arbitration, and counseling, Emily emphasizes preventive strategies in her practice and advises employers on how to avoid litigation.

Emily Bushaw represents employers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage-and-hour class actions, as well as whistleblower, trade secret, and noncompetition disputes. She provides guidance and training on human resources issues, discipline and discharge, employee handbooks and policies, wage-and-hour law, employee classification issues, and arbitration and separation agreements.

Emily counsels employers on how to comply with federal and state statutes, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, and the Washington Law Against Discrimination. She also has deep knowledge of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

Emily conducts workplace investigations and assists in the resolution of prelitigation harassment, discrimination, and retaliation charges before state and federal agencies, such as the Washington State Human Rights Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the DOJ's Immigrant and Employee Rights Section. She handles confidential internal investigations involving allegations of misconduct, including race, gender, and age discrimination; sexual harassment or assault; and immigration and citizenship status or national origin discrimination. Additionally, Emily counsels corporate boards, legal departments, and human resources professionals through the investigation process and on key litigation defense and go-forward strategies.

Education & credentials

Education

Gonzaga University School of Law, J.D.,
summa cum laude, Vested Associate Editor, Gonzaga Law Review
Western Washington University, B.A., Political Science

Bar and Court Admissions

Washington
Oregon
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

Professional recognition

Recognition, Awards and Listings

Ranked by Chambers USA as "America's Leading Lawyers" for Labor & Employment, 2026
Listed as a "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers Magazine, 2016-2019

Impact

Professional Leadership

Washington Employment Law Letter, Editor
American Employment Law Council, Member
Washington Hospitality Association, Member

Community Involvement

Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle (MAMA Seattle), Co-Director of Mentorship

Class Action Litigation

Butler v. Holiday

Served as local counsel in class action involving alleged misclassification of exempt managers. Case dismissed.

Ginsburg, et al. v. Comcast

Defeated class certification in a putative wage-and-hour class action involving an alleged class of call center employees.

Lucke, et al. v. Comcast

Resolved individual claims prior to class certification in the defense of a putative wage-and-hour class action involving an alleged class of service technician employees.

Sharp v. Amazon

Serve as local counsel in wage and hour putative class action currently pending.

Mina v. Amazon

Serve as local counsel in wage and hour putative class action currently pending.

Wilson v. Independent Brewers United

King County Superior Court
Defense of proposed class action involving service charges and meal and rest breaks. Settled.

General Litigation

Post Consumer Brands, LLC v. General Mills, Inc.

U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
Successfully defeated motion for preliminary injunction in design patent infringement action, as lead defense counsel on behalf of defendant General Mills. After transfer of the action from the Eastern District of Missouri to the District of Minnesota, conducted two months of expedited discovery relating to plaintiff’s design patent infringement claim. The District of Minnesota denied the motion for preliminary injunction, holding that General Mills had raised a substantial question concerning the validity of plaintiff’s design patent.

Noncompetition/Trade Secrets Litigation

Willis of Seattle v. Parker Smith & Feek, et al.

Superior Court of Washington, King County
Counsel for Willis Group in action alleging breach of non-competition agreements and related tort claims.

Single Plaintiff Employment Litigation

Bakki v. The Boeing Company

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Defense summary judgment motion granted on all claims, including disparate treatment on the basis of race, aiding and abetting discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful discharge in violation of public policy.

Nahum v. The Boeing Company

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Defense summary judgment motion granted on all claims, including disparate treatment on the basis of race, hostile work environment in violation of Title VII, and defamation.

Leonard v. The Boeing Company

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Defense summary judgment motion granted on all claims, including disparate treatment on the basis of age in violation of the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) and breach of contract.

Handson v. Overlake Hospital Medical Center

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Defense summary judgment motion granted on all claims, including disparate treatment on the basis of race and disability in violation of Title VII and the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), failure to accommodate in violation of the ADA and the WLAD, retaliation, wrongful discharge, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Kayky v. The Boeing Company

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Defense summary judgment motion granted on all claims, including hostile work environment, national origin discrimination, and retaliation.

Kearney v. The Boeing Company

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Defense summary judgment motion granted on all claims, including gender discrimination and retaliation under the Washington Law Against Discrimination.

Osborne v. The Boeing Company

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Defense summary judgment motion granted on all claims, including hostile work environment, discrimination and retaliation under the Washington Law Against Discrimination.

Lee v. General Dynamics Land Systems

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Defense summary judgment motion granted on all claims, including race discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII 42, U.S.C. Section 1981, and the Washington Law Against Discrimination.

Johnson v. General Dynamics Land Systems

American Arbitration Association
Defense summary judgment motion granted on all claims, including hostile work environment, race discrimination and retaliation under the Washington Law Against Discrimination.