Sean M. Phelan
A significant part of Sean's practice is devoted to helping employees
with disabilities, including mental or psychiatric disabilities, to obtain
reasonable accommodations, such as medical leave, a reduced schedule,
assistive devices, or other job modifications, that can enable employees
to continue working. Sean also pursues discrimination and retaliation
claims for her clients through negotiation, mediation and litigation.
In addition, Sean frequently counsels and represents employees regarding
severance offers, employment contracts and wage disputes.
Sean is fluent in spoken and written Spanish, and enjoys representing Spanish
–speaking clients in employment claims. She has traveled, worked
or studied in various parts of the world, including Chile, Switzerland,
Costa Rica, and the Ivory Coast. Most recently, Sean participated in a
number of research delegations to Cuba, where she studied the recent re-emergence
of self-employment.
Sean is also a trained mediator and has completed Pepperdine University's
course on
Mediating the Litigated Case. She is available to serve as a mediator in employment disputes and welcomes
opportunities to combine her mediation training and bilingual skills.
Client Comments about Sean:
"Sean worked sympathetically and patiently with me in a moment of
personal crisis when I found myself unexpectedly being separated from
my employment. Not only did she represent my interests fairly and professionally,
she walked me through, step-by-step, the severance agreement I was offered.
The supportive and candid advice she provided not only readied me for
my transition out of my old job, but frankly gave me much more confidence
to seek my next job with a new employer. I would highly recommend Sean
to anyone who inquired."
Sales & Marketing Executive
"Ms. Phelan's representation goes above and beyond by demonstrating
honesty, grace, and patience with her clients as well as before the court.
I highly recommend Attorney Sean M. Phelan and the law firm of Frank Freed
Subit & Thomas LLP."
Public employee
Education
J.D. – City University of New York (CUNY) Law School
B.A. – Cornell University
Bar Admissions
Washington; New York
Professional & Civic Involvement
Sean is the current Treasurer of the Washington Employment Lawyers'
Association (WELA), and a past co-chair of the EEO Committee of the annual
King County Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference. Sean is
also a founding member of the Laurel Rubin Farmworker Justice Project,
a program that has funded summer internships for law students who represent
farmworkers in central and eastern Washington State. She is a past Chair
of the Washington State Bar Association Labor and Employment Section,
past co-chair of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association Employment
Section and a past Board Member of the King County Washington Women Lawyers.
Sean has presented at numerous professional conferences and has been named
A Rising Star by Washington Law & Politics.
In addition to her employment law practice, Sean has been an adjunct professor
at Seattle University, where she has taught a legal writing lab.
Personal
When she is not lawyering, Sean is an avid traveler every chance she gets.
She also enjoys encaustic painting, dancing, spending time with her dog
Otis, cooking and reading.