Seyfarth Significantly Bolsters Wage-and-Hour Practice in Seattle with Additions of Katie Rosen and Devin Smith

May 21, 2026 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP has made transformational additions to its Labor & Employment practice in Seattle by bringing in two of the market’s leading L&E practitioners: Kathryn (Katie) Rosen and Devin Smith.

Rosen and Smith join Seyfarth from Davis Wright Tremaine LLP (“DWT”), where they formed a powerhouse team to defend employers in complex employment litigation. They focus particularly on employment class actions under Washington State law—an area growing exponentially.

“The state of Washington has experienced a dramatic surge in wage‑and‑hour litigation in recent years, with annual filings increasing exponentially,” said Thomas Wybenga, co-managing partner of Seyfarth’s Seattle office. “Seattle finds itself at the epicenter of this explosive growth in the wage-hour class action space. Katie and Devin materially expand our ability to serve clients facing such cases in this rapidly evolving market, and to elevate the Firm’s profile as the preeminent wage‑and‑hour defense firm in the Pacific Northwest.”

“Katie and Devin are each excellent employment lawyers with an outstanding reputation in the legal community and incredible knowledge of the changing Washington landscape,” said Denice Tokunaga, co-managing partner of Seyfarth’s Seattle office. “Individually, as well as together, they deepen our bench and enhance our reputation locally and nationally. They share our cultural values and will fit in seamlessly with our Seyfarth team here in Seattle.”

“Katie and Devin are proven, sophisticated advocates with substantial courtroom experience, trusted client relationships, and strong reputations within the Washington legal community,” said Laura Maechtlen, chair of Seyfarth’s national Labor & Employment department. “They represent a uniquely powerful combination. They form a highly synergistic team whose combined practices will enable us to grow our business significantly and further position Seyfarth as the destination platform for high stakes complex employment litigation in the Northwest market and beyond.”

Katie Rosen provides more than 25 years of substantial experience defending employers in employment class actions. She also serves as de facto in-house employment counsel for a variety of companies, providing day-to-day support for all aspects of the employment relationship.

Rosen has handled more than 150 class action matters, defeating certification and achieving favorable results, including successfully defending a national retail chain in the largest wage-and-hour class action in Washington history. She has counseled big and small employers on all aspects of the employment relationship, providing out-of-the box solutions tailored to each client's business objectives and workplace culture.

Rosen has built a strong reputation for resolving thorny cases favorably where necessary and for trying—and winning—difficult cases when resolution outside of trial is not possible or advisable. She is a frequent speaker on wage-and-hour issues.

“We are excited by Seyfarth's focus on innovation, efficiency, and scalable client solutions which will provide us with an opportunity to greatly expand our practice, both in size and scope,” said Rosen. “The firm’s strategic focus and institutional support for labor and employment made it an obvious choice for us. Joining Seyfarth is a rare and compelling opportunity that we are thrilled to accept.”

Devin Smith brings significant experience as a class action and employment litigator defending wage-and-hour class actions in the healthcare, retail, restaurant, security, and transportation industries, as well as many others. He is the former co-chair of DWT’s employment class action defense team.  For years, Smith has been at the forefront of developing new and creative defenses to employment class action lawsuits in Washington and is widely viewed as a go-to lawyer for high-stakes class action cases.

In addition to class actions, Devin has been entrusted by a wide range of clients – from Fortune 100 companies to sole proprietors – to protect their interests across the full range of employment claims, including discrimination, retaliation, harassment, failure to accommodate, and FMLA violations.  Smith regularly resolves noncompetition and nonsolicitation disputes through negotiated resolution or, when necessary, court intervention. Smith is a former in-house counsel at Microsoft.

“Seattle is one of the most active and rapidly evolving wage-and-hour markets in the country,” said Smith. “We are delighted to join forces with such a highly regarded team of employment litigators who share our commitment to client service, mentorship, and leadership. Seyfarth’s expertise and national reach in labor and employment will allow us to extend our practice beyond Washington State and service clients all around the country.”

Rosen received her JD from Tulane University Law School and a BA from the University of Washington.

Smith earned his JD at the University of Washington School of Law. He also holds an MS from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a BS from Cornell University.

Seyfarth’s market-leading and award-winning Labor and Employment practice delivers strategic counsel and defense of disputes across the full employee lifecycle and every facet of labor and employment law, backed by more than 400 attorneys and a global reach spanning nearly 200 countries. This integrated approach positions Seyfarth as an industry leader and go-to advisor, offering clients innovative solutions and a deep bench of experienced attorneys to address the most challenging workplace legal issues.

Seyfarth’s Seattle office is home to more than 50 attorneys focused on delivering responsive, business-minded counsel to clients across the Pacific Northwest and around the world. The Seattle team partners closely with clients to navigate complex litigation and transactional matters with a highly collaborative approach to leverage deep expertise from among the Firm’s nationally ranked practices. Known for pragmatic solutions and innovative service delivery, the team advises leading companies across various industries, including retail, technology, transportation, and real estate.

About Seyfarth: With approximately 1,000 lawyers across 17 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides top-tier advisory, litigation, and transactional legal services to clients worldwide.