 |
JOHN H. CHUN
Employment/Litigation Attorney
(206) 676-7000
V-Card 
Practice: John Chun is a trial lawyer and client counselor whose practice focuses on employment and complex commercial disputes. He also provides services as an investigator, arbitrator, and mediator in various types of matters. Prior to entering private practice, John served as a judicial law clerk for the Hon. Eugene A. Wright, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Cornell Law School. John currently serves as a trustee of the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington, a board member of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, and a member of his firm’s executive board.
Experience: John has extensive experience in state and federal trial and appellate courts, arbitration proceedings, administrative matters, and governmental and other investigations. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants, large and small businesses, public entities, and individuals in various types of employment, complex commercial, and international cases. John has represented clients locally, regionally, and nationally. Though his work usually takes place within the United States, it has taken him as far away as Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for in-court deposition proceedings; and he has had cases involving parties from Europe, Asia, and Central America. John’s work has involved a broad range of industries, including aviation, financial services, private equity, legal services, hospitality, telecommunications, fishing, construction, sustainability and green building, real estate, transportation, healthcare, environmental services, industrial services, manufacturing, retail, software, Internet, and life sciences.
Representative engagements:
Employment Cases
- Lead counsel for city in action brought by police officer claiming wrongful termination in violation of public policy. Through motions to dismiss and for summary judgment, obtained dismissal of all claims. Also obtained award of costs.
- Lead counsel for transit authority in action involving claims of disability discrimination, retaliation, civil rights violations, and conspiracy brought by transit operator. Obtained summary judgment in favor of transit authority.
- Represented city in gender discrimination action brought by former police officer. Obtained summary judgment in favor of city.
- Represented employer in race discrimination action. Obtained defense judgment at trial. Also obtained award of costs.
- Lead counsel for employer in discrimination action. Obtained dismissal of disability discrimination claim. Thereafter, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the remaining gender discrimination claim and the case.
- Lead counsel for employer in action for wages. After approximately eight months of litigation, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the case.
- Lead counsel for employer/federal contractor in U.S. Department of Labor investigation of claims of discrimination by group of employees. Obtained dismissal of all charges of discrimination.
- Represented employer in breach of contract action brought by former executive. Obtained summary judgment in favor of employer. Obtained affirmance on appeal.
- Lead counsel for two paramedic-firefighters sued by a co-worker for defamation and other claims. Through motions to strike and dismiss, which included arguments under the Washington Anti-SLAPP law, obtained dismissal of all claims. Also obtained award of statutory penalties for each client. And obtained award of 100% of attorney fees requested.
- Lead trial counsel for plaintiff in gender discrimination action. Obtained judgment in favor of plaintiff at trial. Also obtained award of attorney fees and costs. During the litigation, obtained discovery sanctions against defendant, including monetary terms plus the striking of all affirmative defenses.
- Numerous matters settled on favorable terms.
Commercial Cases
- Lead trial counsel for industrial laundry in breach of contract action against restaurant chain. Obtained judgment for plaintiff at trial. Also obtained award of 100% of attorney fees and costs requested.
- Lead trial counsel for hotels in breach of contract action brought by airport shuttle service.
Obtained defense judgment at trial. Also obtained award of attorney fees and costs.
- Lead counsel for hotels in appeal of above case by airport shuttle service. Obtained dismissal of appeal by using judgment on award of attorney fees and costs to execute on plaintiff’s claims.
- Lead counsel for defendant in civil action under Washington’s Criminal Profiteering Act. While our motion to dismiss was pending, the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed its claim against our client.
- Lead counsel for trade associations in "reverse-FOIA" action against federal government.
Obtained injunctive relief prohibiting federal government from releasing information at issue.
- Lead counsel for commercial landlord in fraud action brought by tenant. Obtained summary judgment
in favor of landlord. Also obtained award of 100% of attorney fees and costs requested.
- Lead counsel for foreign company in action to enforce foreign arbitration award against U.S. company. The court ordered the U.S. company to deposit the amount of the award into the court's registry pending the resolution of a related foreign arbitration proceeding.
- Represented local software company in arbitration hearing against national wireless company.
Obtained seven-figure arbitration award, plus award of attorney fees and costs, in favor of software company.
- Lead counsel for plaintiff in commercial matter. Obtained discovery sanctions against defendants, including monetary terms, contempt order, and order that defendants were prohibited from opposing plaintiff’s claims of conversion and misappropriation. The case then settled.
- Lead counsel for American company in commercial action against European company. On appeal, obtained reversal of federal district court’s dismissal of case on forum non conveniens grounds.
- Represented and advised law firms and attorneys in matters with law firms, former partners, and other parties.
- Numerous matters settled on favorable terms.
Service as Investigator
- Experience includes investigations for public and private entities in matters involving managers, non-management employees, and elected and appointed officials. Issues have included allegations of fraud (including accounting fraud), mismanagement, embezzlement, conflict of interest, discrimination, and harassment.
Service as Neutral
- John has served as an arbitrator and mediator in numerous cases involving employment, complex commercial, and other issues. He has been on the American Arbitration Association’s Commercial and Employment Panels since 2005. He has been a Rule 39.1 Neutral for the United States District Court, Western District of Washington, Official Register of Qualified Mediators and Arbitrators, since 2004. He served as a Hearing Examiner Pro Tem for the City of Seattle, Civil Service Commission from 2004 to 2005. And he was an Arbitrator for the King County Superior Court Arbitrator Panel from 2002 to 2005.
Prior to joining Summit Law Group, John was a partner at Preston Gates & Ellis LLP (now K&L Gates). Before entering private practice, he served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Eugene A. Wright, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Bar and Court Admissions: Washington; United States Supreme Court; United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; United States District Court, Western District of Washington; United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington.
Education: Columbia University (B.A. 1991); Cornell Law School (J.D. 1994);
Cornell Law Review (Note Editor, 1993-94; Associate Editor, 1992-93); American Jurisprudence Award, Torts.
Professional Recognition: AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell; "Super Lawyer," (each year, 2004-2011; top 100, 2007, 2011; “Top Attorneys in Employment and Labor,” Corporate Counsel Edition (2009); “Top Attorneys in Corporate Litigation,” Corporate Counsel Edition (2010)); “Top Lawyer,” Seattle Metropolitan Magazine (2010); "League of Justice" and “Top Lawyer,” Washington CEO (2006 and
2007, respectively); "40 Under Forty," Puget Sound Business Journal (2005); "Rising Star," Washington
Law & Politics (2003); Community Leadership Award, Korean American Bar Association of Washington (2007); Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America.
Professional & Community Activities:
Academic: Adjunct Professor, Seattle University School of
Law (2002-2005)
Memberships & Associations: American Bar Association; Washington State Bar Association; King
County Bar Association (member, Litigation and Labor & Employment Law Sections); Federal Bar Association
for the Western District of Washington (Trustee, 2010-Present); Litigation Counsel
of America; William L. Dwyer Inn of Court; American Arbitration Association; Participant, FutureFirm Competition,
University of Indiana School of Law, April 18-19, 2009; Delegate, Governor Christine Gregoire’s Trade Mission
to the Republic of Korea (2006); National Asian Pacific American Bar Association; Asian Bar
Association of Washington; International Association of Korean Lawyers (co-chair, Seattle 2006
Conference Planning Committee); Korean American Bar Association of Washington (President, 2003;
Board Member, 2002-2004; Mentor 2010-2011; Advisory Board Member, 2011)
Selected Presentations:
- Presentation, Washington’s New Anti-SLAPP Act, CLE, Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys Conference, April 29, 2011
- Presentation, “Ten Mistakes Lawyers Make in an Arbitration,” CLE, American Arbitration Association and ABAW, April 20, 2011
- Co-Presenter, “Non-Traditional, Value-Based Approaches to Law Firm Services,” CLE, C4CM, February 10, 2011
- Panelist, Civil Litigation Basics, CLE, WAMBAC, June 25, 2010
- Panelist, Basic Motions Practice in Federal Court, CLE, Federal Bar Association for the Western District of Washington, March 4, 2010
- Presentation, Employment Bootcamp Seminar, CLE, Washington State Bar Association, February 26, 2009
- Panelist, Advice for Junior Attorneys, CLE, WAMBAC, May 30, 2008
- Presentation, “The Business of Summit Law Group,” Northwest Next Leaders Council Luncheon, January 28, 2008
- Presentation, “Social and Legal Considerations of Video Interviews and Video Resumes for
Employers and Recruiters,” Webinar, November 15, 2007
- Co-Presenter, “Avoiding the Train Wreck: Don’t Let Procedural Rules Derail Your Discipline
Decisions,” Labor Relations Institute, May 16, 2007
- Presentation, “Just Cause and Grievance Arbitration,” State of Washington Training, numerous presentations since 2007)
- Co-Presenter, “Personnel Policy Hotlist,” Summit Law Group Employment Law Seminar, March 30, 2007
- Presentation, "Legal Issues When Doing Business in Korea," Doing Business With Korea Conference, St. Martin's University, November 22, 2006
- Presentation, Labor & Employment Law Panel, CLE, International Association of Korean Lawyers Conference, August 25, 2006
- Presentation, "Reality HR: New Employment Cases," Preston Gates & Ellis Breakfast Briefing, October 26, 2005
- Presentation, Labor & Employment Law Panel, CLE, International Association of Korean Lawyers Conference, September 24, 2004
- Presentation, United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Technical Assistance Program Seminar, August 26, 2003, September 14, 2004
- Presentation, Motion Practice in Washington, CLE, Lorman, December 6, 2002
- Presentation, Current Employment Discrimination Law Issues, CLE, Sterling Education Services, November 21, 2002
- Presentation, "The Basics of Interviewing and Investigation in Washington," CLE, NBI, September 10, 2002
Publications:
- Co-author, “Levying on the Opponent’s Claim Against Your Client,” Washington State Bar News,
Volume 62, No. 10 (October 2008)
- Author, “Surprise Decision: Washington Supreme Court Narrows Definition of Disability
Under State Law,” Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington HR Advisor (August 2006)
- Co-author, Securing Insurance Coverage for Employment Law Claims, CLE (October 2002)
- Author, "The New Citadel: A Reasonably Designed Products Liability Restatement," 79 CORNELL L.
REV. 1654 (1994)
Community Service: Board Member, Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (2010-Present); Sandwich Volunteer, St. Martin De Porres Shelter (2010-present); Member, Alumni Board of The Catlin Gabel School (2010-present); Northwest Next Leaders Council (Board Member, 2007-2008; Mentor, 2008-2009); King County Bar Foundation, Future of the Law Institute (Board, 2005-2006;
Governing Council, 2004-2005; Project Planning Committee, 2002); Asian Pacific Islander Community
Leadership Foundation (Executive Board Member and Treasurer, 2005-2007); Board Member, North
Seattle Boys and Girls Club (1999); Volunteer Attorney, King County Bar Foundation and Korean
Community Counseling Center Legal Clinics (1996-2005).
|
