Areas of Practice
Gwendolyn Payton is the chair of the Class Action Practice Group and focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, class actions, intellectual property, antitrust and trade litigation. She has an active trial practice in state and federal courts, and regularly argues appeals in state and federal court. Gwendolyn is also the chair of Lane Powell’s Hiring Committee, as well as chair of the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee for the Seattle office. She is a recognized speaker on a variety of issues and has spoken internationally on e-commerce and other legal issues. Gwendolyn has been named as a “Washington Rising Star” every year since 2001 by Super Lawyers magazine and was also named one of the “Forty under 40” by Puget Sound Business Journal.
Admitted to Practice
- Alaska
- Washington
- District Court, Western District of Washington
- District Court, Eastern District of Washington
- District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- District Court, Southern District of Texas
- District Court, Northern District of Texas
- District Court, Northern District of California
- District Court, Northern District of Alabama
- District Court, District of Oregon
- District Court, District of Alaska
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
Academics
- University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 1996)
- University of Chicago (B.A., 1994)
Practice Group and Specialty Team Memberships
- Member, Lane Powell Board of Directors
- Chair, Lane Powell Class Action Defense Practice Group
- Chair, Lane Powell Hiring Committee
- Chair, Lane Powell Pro Bono Committee, Seattle Office
- Antitrust and Trade Regulation
- Food, Beverage and Hospitality
- Health Care
- Intellectual Property and Technology
- Litigation
- Privacy and Data Security
Representative Matters and Clients
- Lead Counsel for Premera Blue Cross in MDL 1334 and other matters
- Counsel for Plaintiff VoiceStream Wireless n/k/a T-Mobile USA in complex commercial suit
- Counsel for Cutter & Buck in Cutter & Buck Securities Litigation and related directors and officers’ liability insurance coverage suit
- Counsel for Texaco in multi-million dollar environmental clean-up claim
- Counsel for the Fishing Company of Alaska in Greenpeace v. Nat’l Marine Fisheries Serv. and numerous other regulatory and federal court actions
- Counsel for plaintiff prosecuting multiple securities fraud claims in Eagle River Investments v. Liebsack, et al.
- Counsel for various Washington State cities in successful constitutional challenge to Washington Initiative 695
- Counsel for a plaintiff magazine publisher in antitrust trial to successful verdict
Awards and Honors
- Peer Review Rated “AV” in Martindale-Hubbell
- Named as a “Washington Rising Star,” Super Lawyers magazine (2001-2012)
- Selected “Future Star” by Benchmark Litigation (2009-2013); “Top 250 Women in Litigation” (2012)
- Named one of the “Forty under 40,” Puget Sound Business Journal (2008)
Professional and Community Activities
- President, Board of Directors of the Boyer Children’s Clinic
- Steering Committee Member, American Bar Association Death Penalty Representation Project
- Pacific Northwest Ballet
- Trustee
- Gala Chair (2013)
- Advisory Board, Seattle Dance Project
- Advisory Board, Velocity Dance Center
- Advisory Counsel, Yoga Behind Bars