Tousley Brain Stephens
Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC is a Seattle-based litigation boutique founded in 1978 with nine attorneys, providing litigation, class action, real estate, and business legal services to individuals, businesses, government entities, tribal communities, and healthcare organizations across the Pacific Northwest and nationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Tousley Brain Stephens does
Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC is a Seattle-based professional limited liability law firm founded in 1978, operating with nine attorneys across four practice areas: litigation, class action, real estate, and business. The firm serves a heterogeneous client base that includes individuals, businesses, government entities, tribal communities, and healthcare organizations, with its litigation and class action practices nationally recognized and cumulative client recoveries exceeding $2 billion across data breach, pharmaceutical, consumer products, financial services, condemnation, and construction defect matters. The firm's Pacific Northwest transaction practice is regionally renowned, and geographic reach spans Washington and Alaska-based matters as well as national class actions filed in federal courts.
The firm generates revenue through professional services billing — predominantly hourly rate engagements with time tracked in tenths of an hour (with a two-tenths minimum) and monthly invoicing, supplemented by flat fees for certain well-defined engagements. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; payment is due on receipt with 1% monthly interest on overdue balances. Go-to-market is sales-led through attorney relationships, peer recognition (Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Litigation Counsel of America, Martindale-Hubbell AV ratings), and a content marketing footprint that includes the firm website, Practical Advice blog, educational videos, and client testimonials. The firm participates in large-scale class actions through co-counsel relationships with national plaintiffs firms including Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, Boies Schiller & Flexner, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, and Scott + Scott, which enables participation in mega-litigation disproportionate to its solo headcount.
Tousley Brain Stephens does not operate a technology platform. The firm uses ShareFile for document exchange and maintains a website with blog and video content, but offers no proprietary technology products, no AI-augmented services, no APIs, and no software integrations. The competitive positioning rests entirely on attorney expertise, brand recognition accumulated since 1978, and the network of co-counsel relationships that allow the small boutique to compete against much larger firms in class action and complex litigation matters.
Tousley Brain Stephens firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tousley Brain Stephens
- Legal name
- Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC
- Website
- https://tousley.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC is a Seattle-based litigation boutique founded in 1978 with nine attorneys, providing litigation, class action, real estate, and business legal services to individuals, businesses, government entities, tribal communities, and healthcare organizations across the Pacific Northwest and nationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tousley Brain Stephens industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services
- NAICS
- Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- eDiscovery, Litigation Support & Legal Hold (BPAEAPAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG), Real Estate Transaction Advisory & Due Diligence (FSAEAJAJ), Privacy Management (Consent, DSAR, RoPA) (HDADAFAH)
Keywords
Where Tousley Brain Stephens is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tousley Brain Stephens business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Legal Services - Hourly Rate: Fees based on hourly rates for attorneys, legal assistants, and staff members working on client matters. Time is recorded in tenths of an hour with a two-tenths minimum. Hourly rates may adjust during the course of representation.
- Flat Fee Services: For certain well-defined services, the firm charges a flat fee. Amount, specific services, and payment timing are stated in writing in advance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Hourly Rate Billing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Tousley Brain Stephens product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC is a Seattle-based law firm that delivers sophisticated litigation, class action, real estate, and business legal services to individuals, businesses, government entities, tribal communities, and healthcare organizations. Founded in 1978 with 9 experienced attorneys, the firm handles matters in state and federal courts across the United States, with a nationally recognized litigation practice that has recovered over $2 billion for clients across data breach, consumer protection, securities, product liability, and real estate matters.
Product overview
Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC is a Seattle-based law firm offering four primary and complementary legal service practice areas: Litigation, Class Action, Real Estate, and Business. The firm operates as a unified legal practice where attorneys across these areas provide sophisticated legal services to clients, with the litigation and class action practices being nationally recognized. The firm was established in 1978 and comprises 9 experienced attorneys with over $2B recovered for clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Litigation Services Sophisticated litigation services representing individuals and companies in state and federal courts. The firm is known for success against much larger firms both locally and nationally.
- Class Action Practice National class action litigation practice handling consumer protection, data breach, securities, and product liability cases. The firm has recovered over $2 billion for clients across class action matters including data breaches, pharmaceutical fraud, and securities litigation.
- Real Estate Law Transactional real estate services including acquisitions, dispositions, finance, and commercial real estate matters. The firm brings deep knowledge of the law to every real estate transaction, including eminent domain and condemnation work.
- Business Services Business advisory and legal services serving as a strategic business partner for companies in various industries, including business acquisitions and dispositions, finance transactions, and entity organization/formation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Recovered over $2 billion for clients
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Tousley Brain Stephens
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Tousley Brain Stephens technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Tousley Brain Stephens partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.
- Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLPmajorCo-counsel relationship in class action litigation. TBS attorney Kim D. Stephens worked with Elizabeth J. Cabraser in Neurontin class action against Pfizer ($325 million settlement). Also co-counsel in Carnival COVID-19 litigation.
- Boies Schiller & Flexner LLPmajorCo-counsel relationship in Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance class action ($84 million settlement). David Boies of Boies Schiller worked with TBS.
- Kersten & McKinnon S.C.minorCo-counsel with George P. Kerenstein in Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance class action settlement.
- Hausfield LLPminorCo-counsel relationship in Cedar Shake & Shingle Price Fixing antitrust class action filed April 2019.
- Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.minorCo-counsel in Navistar Maxxforce engine class action complaint filed July 2014.
- Caddell & ChapmanminorCo-counsel in Navistar Maxxforce engine class action complaint filed July 2014.
- Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLCmajorCo-counsel in Washington Mutual Mortgage Backed Securities Litigation ($26 million settlement). Served as lead counsel.
- Scott + Scott LLPmajorCo-counsel in Washington Mutual Mortgage Backed Securities Litigation. Also co-counsel in Eddie Bauer data breach case.
- Watson Burns PLLCminorCo-counsel in Werner pull-down attic ladder class action ($48 million settlement).
- Farris Bobango PLCminorCo-counsel in Werner pull-down attic ladder class action settlement.
- S.D. Matthews and AssociatesminorCo-counsel in Werner pull-down attic ladder class action settlement.
- Carlson Lynch Sweet Kilpela & Carpenter LLPminorCo-counsel in Eddie Bauer data breach litigation.
- Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLPminorCo-counsel in Eddie Bauer data breach litigation.
- Murray Law FirmminorCo-counsel in Eddie Bauer data breach litigation.
- Zimmerman ReedminorCo-counsel in Eddie Bauer data breach litigation.
- Chestnut CambronneminorCo-counsel in Eddie Bauer data breach litigation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tousley Brain Stephens competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- K&L Gates LLP: Major global law firm with a substantial Seattle office covering litigation, real estate, and business matters. Overlaps with TBS across all four practice areas but operates at significantly larger scale across many practice domains.
- Boies Schiller & Flexner LLP: National litigation firm that has co-counseled with TBS on the $84M Northwestern Mutual class action. Adjacent in class action posture (and recurring co-counsel partner) but materially larger and broader in practice scope.
Direct peers
- Keller Rohrback L.L.P. Seattle-based complex litigation and class action firm with a national practice. Similar plaintiff-side orientation, similar Washington-bar roots, and comparable class action track record including data breach and consumer protection matters.
- Stokes Lawrence Velikanovich Moore & Shore LLP: Seattle-based mid-size law firm offering business, real estate, and litigation services. Comparable in size, regional footprint, and four-corner practice area mix (litigation, business, real estate, and IP-adjacent work).
- Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP: Seattle-based plaintiffs' class action firm with national reach. Like TBS, HBSS pursues high-profile consumer protection, securities, and data breach class actions, and has served as lead counsel in major MDLs. Most direct comparable in practice area, location, and business model.
- Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP: National plaintiffs' firm with deep class action practice. Co-counsel partner with TBS in the $325M Neurontin settlement. Closely comparable in case mix (data breach, consumer protection, securities) and lead-counsel posture.
- Pacifica Law Group LLP: Seattle-based litigation firm with a public entity and condemnation practice that overlaps with TBS's representation of government clients and Swinomish tribal matters. Comparable in size and regional positioning.
- Lane Powell PC: Pacific Northwest-based law firm with similar litigation, real estate, and business practice areas. Larger than TBS but operationally comparable, serving similar regional clients in commercial disputes and transactions.
- Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC: National plaintiffs' class action firm with which TBS has co-counseled in Washington Mutual MBS litigation. Similar plaintiff-side complex litigation and class action focus, with a comparable fee model based on contingency work.
Emerging players
- Susman Godfrey LLP: Elite commercial litigation boutique with strong trial results. Compares to TBS as a focus competitor for high-stakes plaintiff-side litigation and class action work, though larger and more nationally focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tousley Brain Stephens social profiles
Digital presenceTousley Brain Stephens financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tousley Brain Stephens leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Tousley Brain Stephens funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tousley Brain Stephens M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tousley Brain Stephens
What does Tousley Brain Stephens do?
Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC is a Seattle-based law firm that delivers sophisticated litigation, class action, real estate, and business legal services to individuals, businesses, government entities, tribal communities, and healthcare organizations. Founded in 1978 with 9 experienced attorneys, the firm handles matters in state and federal courts across the United States, with a nationally recognized litigation practice that has recovered over $2 billion for clients across data breach, consumer protection, securities, product liability, and real estate matters.
Is Tousley Brain Stephens a public or private company?
Tousley Brain Stephens is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Tousley Brain Stephens founded?
Tousley Brain Stephens was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tousley Brain Stephens based?
Tousley Brain Stephens is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tousley Brain Stephens make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Legal Services - Hourly Rate is the primary driver. The others are flat Fee Services.
Who are Tousley Brain Stephens's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are K&L Gates LLP and Boies Schiller & Flexner LLP. Direct peers are Keller Rohrback L.L.P., Stokes Lawrence Velikanovich Moore & Shore LLP, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP, Pacifica Law Group LLP, Lane Powell PC and Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC. Susman Godfrey LLP is listed as an emerging player.
Does Tousley Brain Stephens have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tousley Brain Stephens.
What industry is Tousley Brain Stephens in?
Tousley Brain Stephens's product category is Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAPAE, eDiscovery, Litigation Support & Legal Hold, with a secondary code of BPAHALAG, Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services. Its NAICS code is 5411 and its SIC code is 8111.