Buchalter Adds Two Lawyers to New Seattle Office
After announcing the opening of a new office earlier this year, Buchalter announced that Tonie L. Bitseff and James E. Brown II have joined its growing Seattle office. Bitseff will be a member of the firm-wide Labor and Employment Practice, and Brown a member of both Buchalter’s Intellectual Property and Energy & Natural Resources Practices.
“Tonie and James are welcome additions to our Seattle office. I am confident they will each make significant contributions to the local office culture and firm,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Adam J. Bass. “I look forward to expanding our footprint in the Puget Sound region.”
Bitseff advises clients on health benefits, pension plans, and other forms of compensation and employee benefits. Her clients seek guidance on welfare plans, defined benefit plans, benefit outsourcing, vendor management, contract negotiations, dependent and domestic partner coverage and rights, ERISA fiduciary liability, ERISA claims procedures, appeals, escalations, and government audits.
Focusing his practice on energy regulatory matters, compliance, contracts and complex litigation, Brown’s experience includes providing strategic legal analysis and advice on a number of issues, including distributed generation and renewable energy, smart grid technology, mergers and acquisitions of utility companies, government rulemakings, easements, construction of environmental structures, privacy and data security (including GDPR), and first amendment rights on public property.
“I am thrilled to welcome Tonie and James to Buchalter and the Seattle office. Their impressive experience and unique backgrounds enable us to offer additional legal services to our clients in the Pacific Northwest,” said Seattle Managing Shareholder Jeffrey Frank.
Earning her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law in 1996, Bitseff also received her LL.M. in Taxation and Compensation from the University Of Washington School Of Law. She earned her B.A. in Speech Communications from the University of Washington.
Brown earned his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and his B.A. in Banking and Finance from Morehouse College.
