Chelsea Dwyer Petersen
Chelsea is known for achieving timely, efficient resolutions for class-action clients.
Employment litigator Chelsea Dwyer Petersen emphasizes complex class-action litigation, pay equity audits, and high-level workplace investigations. She proactively defends clients against discrimination and wage-and-hour class actions as well as collective-action cases. Her experience spans all phases of class cases, from early strategic assessment to trial.
Chelsea represents employers in claims raised to state and federal enforcement agencies and filed in state and federal court.
In workplace investigations, Chelsea serves as a neutral investigator while advising clients on critical litigation defense and media strategies. She guides corporate boards, legal departments, and human resources professionals through investigations from allegation through conclusion.
As a trainer and counselor, Chelsea helps clients minimize litigation risk through trainings and by creating employment handbooks and business policies. She helps employers comply with federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Washington Law Against Discrimination and the Washington Minimum Wage Act.
Education & Credentials
Education
- Seattle University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2002
- University of California, Berkeley, B.A., 1994
Bar and Court Admissions
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Washington
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
Related Employment
- Perkins Coie LLP, Seattle, WA, Summer Associate, 2001
- King County Prosecutor’s Office, Seattle, WA, Extern, Most Dangerous Offenders Project, Summer 2000
- Perkins Coie LLP, Seattle, WA, Client Relations Coordinator, 1996-1999; Big Deals of Washington publication researcher, 1999-2002
Professional Recognition
Listed in Best Lawyers in America: Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2018-2024
Washington Super Lawyers "Rising Star," 2008-2012
Impact
Professional Leadership
- Washington Employment Law Letter, Co-Editor
- Parent Affinity Group, Perkins Coie, Founder and Former Chair
- Actions Specialty Group, Perkins Coie, Former Chair
Community Involvement
- Girls on the Run of Puget Sound, Board of Directors
Insights
News
Professional Experience
Employment Class Actions and Collective Actions
Ginsburg, et al. v. Comcast
Defeated class certification in a putative wage-and-hour class action involving an alleged class of call center employees.
Lucke, et al. v. Comcast
Resolved individual claims prior to class certification in the defense of a putative wage-and-hour class action involving an alleged class of service technician employees.
Minter v. OfficeMax and companion case Gonzalez v. OfficeMax
Defeated class certification and obtained summary judgment dismissal of Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims in consolidated cases related to meals and rest periods.
Strange & Morris v. Les Schwab Tire Centers Inc. and EEOC v. Les Schwab Tire Centers Inc.
Defeated class certification of a private putative gender discrimination class action and negotiated favorable consent decree in a consolidated pattern and practice discrimination case brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) involving hiring and promotion.
Adolf v. Les Schwab Tire Centers, Inc.
Defeated class certification and obtained dismissal of a Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claim in a California putative wage-and-hour class action related to meals and rest periods.
Gerard v. Les Schwab Tire Centers, Inc.
Defeated class certification in a putative class case alleging violations of California state wage-and-hour laws related to alleged misclassification of store managers and resulting failure to pay overtime.
Rogers v. Les Schwab Tire Centers, Inc.
Leveraged success in defeating class certification in a related case (Gerard v. Les Schwab) to obtain favorable class-wide settlement in a California wage-and-hour putative class case involving alleged misclassification of assistant managers.
Nouri v. Boeing
Achieved a jury verdict on a disparate treatment claim and a bench verdict on a disparate impact claim in a national origin discrimination class case involving the company’s compensation and retention systems. The verdict was affirmed on appeal.
Solomon Williams, et al. v. The Boeing Company
Obtained a jury trial victory on a disparate treatment claim and positive ruling from the bench on a disparate impact claim in a race discrimination class action.
EEOC v. Wyndham
Secured partial dismissal by summary judgment and negotiated the resolution of five-plaintiff case involving allegations of sexual harassment.
Rosemarie Troy, et al. v. Kehe Food Distributors, Inc.
Negotiated the favorable settlement of a hybrid class/collective action related to classification of employees under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state wage laws.
Construction Services Company
Defeated class certification in a wage-and-hour class action involving an alleged class of current and former non-managerial and nonsupervisory employees.
The Boeing Company
Negotiated the favorable settlement of a nationwide wage-and-hour class/collective action related to classification of employees under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) nationwide and Washington state law.
Restaurant Group
Negotiated favorable settlement in a wage-and-hour class action involving service charge disclosure, minimum wage, and rest break claims.
Labor & Employment
Workplace Harassment Investigations
Conducted internal investigations for multiple clients relating to unlawful employee conduct and sexual assault/harassment allegations.
National Retailer
Negotiated favorable settlements in three separate single-plaintiff matters in which a former employee was accused of sexual assault by three different women.
Single-Plaintiff Litigation and Counseling
Defended discrimination charges filed with the EEOC and state agencies, single-plaintiff litigation, and/or has provided ongoing, long-term counseling for the following clients: General Dynamics Land Systems, Microsoft Corporation, Starbucks Corporation, Chihuly, Inc. and The Boeing Company.