Carson Phillips-Spotts

Carson is dedicated to standing up for people whose rights have been violated.

At SGB, Carson represents workers and people who have been injured by the negligence or criminal acts of others. He is proud to stand on the side of people.  

Before joining SGB, Carson worked for the region’s largest labor law firm where he represented individuals and unions in state and federal court litigation, as well as in labor arbitrations.

Before that, Carson completed a clerkship with a justice on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Carson earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Maine. While at Maine Law, he was selected as the Charles Harvey Trial Practice Immersion Fellow. Upon graduation, he was awarded the Alumni Association Award by the faculty for being an outstanding member of his class.

Prior to law school, Carson worked as an immigration services paralegal at the Latin American Association where he helped low-income individuals and families navigate all aspects of the immigration process.

Carson obtained his undergraduate degree from Colby College, where he was a three-year starter on the football team and the recipient of the Tom Austin Award for exemplary contribution to the football program.

Carson lives in West Seattle with his wife and two kids. When not working, he enjoys spending time with family, rooting for Atlanta sports teams, and exploring the Pacific Northwest.

• $31,000,000 products liability settlement;
  
• $3,000,000 employment discrimination settlement on behalf of two Black employees;
• $2,500,000 wage-and-hour class action settlement on behalf of insulation workers, Ortega et al. v. Insulation4Less;
• $1,900,000 personal injury settlement against a municipality;
• $1,300,000 hostile work environment discrimination settlement;
• $1,000,000 (policy limits) settlement for medical negligence claim;
• $850,0000 wage-and-hour class action settlement on behalf of hourly restaurant workers, Garcia v. Moctezuma’s Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar;
• $475,000 settlement for disability discrimination on behalf of a maintenance worker;
• $535,000 settlement for gender discrimination claim;
• Obtained wage-and-hour class action settlement on behalf of tutors not compensated for all hours worked, Robinson v. VR Ventures LLC.

Education

• University of Maine School of Law, J.D., cum laude
  
• Colby College, B.A. in Latin American Studies
  

Admissions

• Washington State Bar Association

Speaking Engagements

• "Wage and Hour Law From the Plaintiff’s Perspective," The Seminar Group Labor & Employment Law Conference, August 2024.
• "The Latest Defense Tactics and How to Preempt Them," American Association for Justice (AAJ) Annual Convention, July 2024.
• "Death, Taxes, and Zoom: Hybrid Trials In The “Post-COVID” Era," Washington State Association for Justice, (WSAJ) Winter Trial Skills Conference, December 2023.
• "Opportunities and Pitfalls in Representing Unionized Employees," Washington Employment Lawyers Association, Annual CLE 2020.

Professional Associations

• EAGLE Member, Washington State Association for Justice
• Member, Washington Employment Lawyers Association
• Labor Subcommittee Chair, Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference
• Member, Loren Miller Bar Association
• Plaintiffs’ representative, WSBA Labor & Employment Executive Committee
• Member, National Crime Victim Bar Association
• Member, Breakfast Group

Publications

• "Addressing the Social Media Paradox," American Association for Justice Trial Magazine, February 2023.
• "Instagram vs. Reality: Social Media Discovery and Claims for Non-Economic Damages," WSAJ Trial News, July/August 2022.
• "How Collective Bargaining Agreements Affect Your Clients’ Rights in Employment Litigation," WSAJ Trial News, July/August 2020.