Seattle Workers Win Fight Over $15 Minimum Wage

SEATTLE (March 19th, 2015) — Susman Godfrey, working with lawyers from the Seattle City Attorneys’ Office, defeated a constitutional challenge to Seattle’s landmark $15 per hour minimum wage ordinance. In June of last year Susman Godfrey was retained as co-counsel by Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes in the high-profile dispute. The suit was brought by the International Franchise Association and several Seattle franchise businesses.

On March 17, 2015, Judge Richard A. Jones of the Western District of Washington denied the franchise group’s motion for a preliminary injunction that would have suspended implementation of certain provisions in the ordinance. In a forty-three page written decision, Judge Jones found that the plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate a likelihood of succeeding on the merits of any of their claims.

The Susman Godfrey attorneys working on the case are Seattle partners Parker C. Folse IIIEdgar G. SargentJustin A. NelsonDrew D. Hansen and Lindsay Calkins.

You can read more on this significant win at The Wall Street JournalCNNThe Seattle Times and Fortune.