Robin J. Shishido

PARTNER

Robin is a civil rights attorney and employment litigator. She represents individuals and groups of people who have experienced an abuse of power and violation of their rights in the workplace, including harassment, discrimination, improper pay, accommodation issues, meal and rest break violations, and retaliation for whistleblowers. For Robin, civil rights work is a calling, not just a job. In the words of clients:

“When you’re experiencing discrimination or harassment in the workplace, it’s hard, if not impossible, to separate the personal impacts you suffer from the legal issues at play – Robin is masterful at that task, but she never fails to engage with you as a whole person, not just a legal client.” (Tech Professional/Attorney)

“As a woman, mother, and person of color, I often question myself and my experiences; however, Robin took the time to listen to me and affirmed what I was experiencing . . . Robin's dedication to her clients goes far beyond just legal representation. She cares deeply about the well-being of those she works with and understands the intersectionality of their experiences. Her advocacy on my behalf helped me to secure a settlement with terms that could help me move on.” (Tech Professional)

“Robin helped me prepare for the case and depositions and was extremely thorough in her interviews with those she was deposing. I felt prepared and confident in what to expect and her thoroughness helped me be successful in this employment case. I couldn’t be happier with the result.” (Civil Service Employee)

“While always maintaining a very high level of professionalism and empathy, Robin also always gave it to me straight, being very clear about expectations, as well as the strengths and potential weaknesses of my claims, and answering my questions with a directness and honesty that consistently placed me at ease knowing that neither her time nor my time was being wasted.” (Former HR Manager)

Robin is results-oriented and will adapt her litigation style to the needs of each case. Some recent results include:

$420,000 for gender/pregnancy discrimination and FMLA interference (2023).
$805,606 total judgment in Suastez et al. v. Seattle Fire Department (King County Superior Court, 2023) for disability discrimination on behalf of two firefighter recruits.
$367,000 in Brody v. Sonoma County Dept. of Health Services (Sonoma County Superior Court, 2023) for purely emotional distress damages, limited to two years, for whistleblower retaliation against Medical Director.
$1,000,000 for disability discrimination, failure to engage in the interactive process, failure to accommodate disability, and wrongful termination from employment (2022).
$300,000 in purely emotional distress damages for quid pro quo sexual harassment, hostile work environment, failure to accommodate disability, and retaliation (2021).
$275,000 pre-filing for pregnancy discrimination and FMLA leave interference (2023).
$1,000,000 in Arias et al. v. DeRuyter & Son Dairy, LLC et al. (Yakima County Superior Court), a wage-and-hour class action on behalf of dairy workers who were denied meal and rest breaks.

Robin draws on her experience as a law clerk at the Montana Supreme Court with the Honorable Beth Baker, and externships at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Honorable Richard Clifton) and U.S. District Court for the District of Hawai'i (Honorable David Alan Ezra).

She serves on the Board of the Washington Employment Lawyers Association, is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association, the King County Bar Association, the Washington State Association for Justice (Eagle Member), and served as Subcommittee Co-Chair for the Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference.

Robin is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law. Prior to law school, she worked for public interest organizations, state government, as a tutor for at-risk youth, and as a barista and server, while studying philosophy. She completed an MA in Comparative Asian and Western Philosophy at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and an MA in Classics at St. John’s College in Santa Fe. She received her BA in Political Philosophy from The Colorado College.