Littler Bolsters Pacific Northwest Presence with a Group of Four New Attorneys

Nation’s Largest Employment and Labor Firm Adds Two Shareholders and Two Associates to Seattle Office

SEATTLE, WA (September 13, 2011) – Littler Mendelson, P.C. (Littler), the nation’s largest employment and labor law firm representing management, continues its Pacific Northwest expansion with the addition of four attorneys. Tahl Tyson and Pam Salgado have joined as shareholders, and Deidra Nguyen and Breanne Sheetz have joined as experienced associates in the firm’s growing Seattle office.

“Tahl and Pam are well-regarded in the business and legal communities, and will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our presence not only in the Pacific Northwest, but globally,” said James G. Zissler, office managing shareholder of the firm’s Seattle office. “In addition to Tahl and Pam, we are excited about the addition of our two new associates.  The collective knowledge and experience that this group of four brings will serve our clients well as we continue to reinforce our reputation for providing top quality labor and employment representation.”

With more than 20 years of experience, Tahl Tyson has a significant background handling domestic and international employment law matters at both top law firms and global corporate environments. Her international capabilities will be instrumental as the firm continues to expand its global footprint. Prior to joining Littler, Tyson most recently served as the Global Director of Employee Relations for Expedia, a global publicly-traded company headquartered in Bellevue, WA. At Expedia, Tyson provided practical, strategic and tactical advice to global HR and cross-functional teams on workplace issues, including performance management, conflict resolution, employment contract negotiations, reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, out-sourcing and in-sourcing, and executive mobility. Her law firm experience includes practicing as a partner at a national business and litigation law firm in Seattle, where she focused on defending employers in sex, age, race and disability discrimination, wrongful discharge and wage and hour litigation in state and federal courts, jury and bench trials, administrative agencies and labor arbitration. Tyson is licensed to practice before all state and federal courts in Washington, and is a solicitor in England and Wales, with current practicing certificates. She is also a member of the French American Chamber of Commerce. Tyson holds various degrees, including a B.A. from Yale University, M.A. from the University of Hawaii, and J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.

Pam Salgado also brings more than 20 years of experience to Littler. She counsels employers and high-level executives on all areas of employment law, and regularly defends employers in employment-related litigation and governmental proceedings, including claims for discrimination, failure to accommodate, wage and hour violations, retaliation, and wrongful discharge.  In addition, she has substantial experience defending and prosecuting trade secret and unfair competition claims.   A Seattle native, she frequently speaks and trains on HR and employment issues.  She is also an active member of the community through her memberships with the Washington State Bar Association, Washington Women Lawyers, and local chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. She is licensed to practice before all state and federal courts in Washington. She received her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Washington and J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law.

Deidra Nguyen counsels and trains employers on a wide range of employment law issues, including non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, wage and hour, workers’ compensation, unemployment, discrimination and harassment, and disability and accommodation. She has also represented clients in matters under investigation by the United States Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Washington State Human Rights Commission, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, and various other state and federal employment agencies. Nguyen is licensed to practice before all state and federal courts in Washington. She received her B.A. from the University of Washington and her J.D. summa cum laude from the Seattle University School of Law.

Breanne Sheetz advises and represents employers in a broad range of employment law matters arising under federal and state law, including wage and hour class and collective actions, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, and preventative employer training and counseling. She is also co-author of a book on the Fair Labor Standards Act and a book chapter on Washington wage and hour laws. Sheetz is admitted to practice before all state courts in Washington. She is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She received her B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Puget Sound and J.D. cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School.

About Littler Mendelson

With more than 825 attorneys and 52 offices, Littler Mendelson is the largest U.S.-based law firm exclusively devoted to representing management in employment and labor law matters. As the only U.S. member of the Ius Laboris global alliance, Littler has extensive resources to address the needs of multi-national clients, from navigating international employment laws and labor relations issues to applying corporate policies worldwide. Established in 1942, the firm has litigated, mediated and negotiated some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record.