Sebris Busto James

What Sebris Busto James does

Sebris Busto James is a private specialty law firm founded in 1992 and headquartered at 15375 SE 30th Place, Suite 310, Bellevue, Washington. The firm exclusively represents management-side employers in labor and employment matters, with a geographic focus on the Pacific Northwest and the Seattle metropolitan area. The firm operates with approximately 14 attorneys and 16 total employees, positioning itself as a cost-effective alternative to large multi-practice corporate law firms in the region through a senior-attorney-heavy staffing model and low overhead. The two original co-founders, Robert Sebris Jr. and Mark Busto, have both retired from active practice, and Jeffrey A. James currently serves as Managing Shareholder following the death of former Managing Shareholder Judd Lees in July 2019.

The firm's practice is organized around seven integrated service areas: Administrative Charges and Complaints, Employment Litigation, Human Resources Policies and Systems, Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining, Management and Employee Training, Preventative Counseling, and Workplace Investigations. Matters are handled before state and federal courts and administrative agencies including the EEOC, NLRB, Washington State Human Rights Commission, and the Washington Department of Labor and Industries. The client base spans private sector employers, public sector entities (municipalities, counties, school districts), and a focused healthcare vertical, with services spanning the dispute lifecycle from proactive policy drafting and training through administrative proceedings, litigation defense, neutral workplace investigations, and collective bargaining. The firm has earned consistent third-party recognition including Best Lawyers Regional Tier 1 designations (Employment Law, Labor Law, Litigation), Chambers USA rankings, Super Lawyers selections, and AV Peer Review ratings.

The firm generates revenue through traditional professional services billing — hourly fees, fixed fees for discrete matters, and project-based arrangements — with engagements initiated through direct attorney consultation, professional referrals, and reputation-driven inbound demand. The firm maintains no software product, no API or platform offering, and no disclosed pricing. Marketing is conducted through the firm's website (sbj.law), LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, monthly Employment Law Notes publications, speaking engagements at WSBA and ABA events, and earned media including case victory announcements. The firm has no parent company, subsidiaries, or external institutional investors, and is wholly owned by its practicing shareholders under a private professional corporation structure.

Name

Sebris Busto James

Legal name

Sebris Busto James

Website

https://sbj.law

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sebris Busto James is a Bellevue, Washington-based labor and employment law firm founded in 1992, exclusively serving management-side employers in the Pacific Northwest. With approximately 14 attorneys, the firm delivers litigation, labor relations, workplace investigations, training, and preventative counseling services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor and Employment Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Labor Relations & Employment Practice Advisory (BPAHAGAK), Workforce Compliance & Employment Law Risk Management (Local Labor Law, Tax, Statutory) (BPACAHAH), HR Compliance, Employment Law & Employee Relations Training (EDABAIAE)

Keywords

• Labor and employment law
• Employment litigation defense
• Workplace investigations
• HR policies and systems
• Labor relations bargaining

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: The firm generates revenue through legal services billing for employers seeking labor and employment law counsel, litigation representation, workplace investigations, training programs, and preventive counseling. Services are provided on a fee-for-service basis typical of law firms, including hourly billing, fixed fees for specific matters, and project-based arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sebris Busto James is a specialized labor and employment law firm exclusively serving management-side employers. The firm provides legal representation across seven practice areas: Administrative Charges & Complaints, Employment Litigation, Human Resources Policies & Systems, Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining, Management and Employee Training, Preventative Counseling, and Workplace Investigations. Services span proactive compliance counseling, policy drafting, training, workplace investigations, administrative agency representation, and litigation defense before state and federal courts and agencies including EEOC, NLRB, and WSHRC.

Product overview

Sebris Busto James is a law firm offering a unified suite of labor and employment law services exclusively to management-side employers. The firm does not offer a software product; its practice is organized around seven interconnected legal service areas: Administrative Charges & Complaints, Employment Litigation, Human Resources Policies & Systems, Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining, Management and Employee Training, Preventative Counseling, and Workplace Investigations. Together, these services provide employers with comprehensive support from proactive compliance counseling and policy development through administrative proceedings, litigation defense, workplace investigations, and labor negotiations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Administrative Charges & Complaints Legal representation and counsel for employers before administrative agencies including the EEOC, Washington State Human Rights Commission, U.S. Department of Labor, and Washington Department of Labor and Industries, involving claims investigation, written responses, witness interviews, and hearings.
• Employment Litigation Full-spectrum employment litigation representation covering wrongful discharge, discrimination, workplace harassment, wage and hour disputes, retaliation claims, and non-competition/trade secrets matters in state and federal courts.
• Human Resources Policies & Systems Development and review of employment applications, employee handbooks, pay systems, performance management systems, and human resources policies to minimize employer liability and ensure legal compliance.
• Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining Comprehensive labor law services including union avoidance, representation elections, collective bargaining (traditional and interest-based), unfair labor practice representation before the NLRB, grievance handling, and labor arbitrations.
• Management and Employee Training Interactive workplace training programs for managers and employees covering equal employment opportunity, performance management, wage and hour compliance, workplace investigations, hiring practices, union avoidance, and accommodation obligations.
• Preventative Counseling Proactive employment law counseling on terminations, discipline, compensation, labor relations, wage compliance, complaint responses, non-compete agreements, workplace safety, leaves of absence, and disability accommodations.
• Workplace Investigations Conduct or assist with investigations of harassment, discrimination, and workplace misconduct claims, either as legal counsel or as independent workplace investigators serving as neutral fact-finders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully obtained summary judgment dismissals in employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, and wage and hour matters
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Littler Mendelson: The largest U.S. law firm exclusively dedicated to management-side labor and employment law representation. Directly comparable as a specialty L&E boutique serving employers across litigation, compliance, and workplace investigations, though with substantially greater scale and geographic reach.
• Ogletree Deakins: Major management-side labor and employment law specialty firm with national footprint. Directly competes for employer-side L&E mandates in litigation, workplace law, and immigration, serving similar in-house counsel and HR buyer personas.
• Jackson Lewis: National management-side labor and employment law firm focused exclusively on representing employers. Closely comparable specialty boutique model serving overlapping client segments across litigation prevention, workplace investigations, and traditional labor.
• Fisher Phillips: National labor and employment law firm representing employers exclusively across all major practice areas. Directly comparable specialty focus on employment litigation, labor relations, and workplace law consulting for management-side clients.
• Seyfarth Shaw: Full-service AmLaw firm with one of the largest dedicated employment law practices in the U.S. Comparable on employment litigation, workplace investigations, and management-side counseling, though operates as a broader multi-practice platform.

Regional players

• Davis Wright Tremaine: Pacific Northwest-based multi-practice law firm with established employment law group serving employers in Washington State. Regional competitor for L&E mandates with broader practice areas than SBJ's exclusive focus.
• Perkins Coie: Major Pacific Northwest-headquartered law firm with labor and employment practice serving technology and other regional employers. Competes for larger employer L&E engagements with significantly broader institutional resources.
• Holland & Hart: Mountain West and Pacific Northwest regional law firm with employment and labor practice. Comparable as a multi-office regional competitor for mid-market employer L&E mandates in overlapping geographies.
• Foster Garvey: Pacific Northwest regional law firm with employment law practice serving Washington and Oregon employers. Comparable specialty focus on employer-side representation within the same regional market SBJ serves.
• Miller Nash: Pacific Northwest regional law firm with employment law and labor relations practice. Comparable as a multi-office regional firm offering employer-side L&E services in Washington and Oregon.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sebrisbusto
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/sebris-busto-james

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sebris Busto James