Trish K. Murphy - Seattle, WA
Attorney at Trish K. Murphy
Employment Law Lawyers in Seattle, WA
1215 Fourth Avenue Suite 1350 Seattle, WA 98161
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
30
Years
Experience
Seattle Employment Law Lawyer
Updated: 07/17/2026
Areas of Practice
- Employment Law
Attorney Information
Overview
Attorney Trish Murphy is the founder of Northwest Workplace Law PLLC, a law firm devoted to independent investigations and labor and employment law advice and counsel.
With nearly three decades of experience in workplace law, labor relations, and investigations, Trish has developed a finely honed understanding of organizational dynamics and issues affecting workplaces and campuses.
A seasoned investigator, Trish focuses the majority of her practice on conducting high quality, impartial investigations of a diverse range of claims. She has performed more than 300 workplace investigations and Title IX/campus investigations, many involving highly charged situations with complex facts and sensitive allegations.
Trish is an Association of Workplace Investigators Certificate Holder (AWI-CH), a certified Title IX/civil rights investigator, an approved sexual misconduct investigator for United Educators, and a licensed attorney in Washington and Oregon.
Trish’s background includes representing employers, employees, and unions and serving as a neutral for a civil rights enforcement agency. From this varied experience, she brings a well rounded perspective from all sides, ensuring a fair and even-handed approach.
Clients rely on Trish’s expertise in conducting high caliber investigations that provide reliable insights and a full picture that requires no guesswork. To learn more, visit our Approach page.
Trish’s experience includes offering strategic counsel on a wide spectrum of employment law issues, effective advocacy in labor arbitration and unfair labor practice cases, and over a decade of experience serving as chief spokesperson in labor negotiations. She also has served as a Contributing Editor for the American Bar Association’s Bloomberg BNA labor law treatise, The Developing Labor Law, since 2015.
Trish is active in the professional legal community and has held a number of leadership positions.
- Chair, King County Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section (2013-14)
- Chair, Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference (2012-13)
- Trustee, King County Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section (2008-17)
- Chair, Mary Ellen Krug Scholarship Committee (2009-17)
- Active member of the Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference Planning Committee for more than two decades, including serving as Labor Chair/Co-Chair, EEO Co-Chair, Marketing Co-Chair, and Arrangements Chair
Awards and Honors
Awards
Honors
- Microsoft Excellence in Collaboration Award, 2009
- Washington Super Lawyers, 2020 - 2026
- Client Champion Award, Martindale-Hubbell, 2024
- Mary Ellen Krug Award, King County Bar Association, 1996
Other Sources of Feedback About Trish K. Murphy
Included on the 2026 Washington Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 Washington Super Lawyers list
- 2024 Washington Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Washington Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Washington Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Washington Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Washington Super Lawyers list
Education
Legal Education
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University of Washington School of Law,
Seattle,
Washington, 1996
J.D.
Honors: Mary Ellen Krug Award (labor and employment law)
Law Review: Washington Law Review, Editor, 1994 - 1996
Non Legal Education
-
University of Washington,
Seattle,
Washington, 1993
B.A.
Honors: magna cum laude
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
Current Employment Position(s)
-
Attorney
Languages
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English
Classes and Seminars
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47th Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Conference: Workplace Investigations for a Unionized Workforce, 2024
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Northwest Association of Title IX Administrators: Best Practices for Effective Credibility Assessments, 2021
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WA Public Employer Labor Relations Association: Investigative Interviews and Evidence Gathering, 2020
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Association of Workplace Investigators: Workplace Investigations, 2019
- Jackson Lewis Pacific Northwest Workplace Forum: Ethical Issues in Employment Investigations, 2009
Published Works
Articles
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Without Distinction: Recognizing Coverage of Same-Gender Sexual Harassment Under Title VII, 70 Wash. L. Rev. 1125, 1995
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Contributing Editor, The Developing Labor Law 2015-present, American Bar Association Bloomberg BNA
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King County Bar Bulletin: The Right to Use Employers' Email to Discuss Workplace Issues, 2015
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King County Bar Bulletin: Challenges at the Intersection of the NLRA and an Employer's Obligation to Investigate, 2014
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King County Bar Bulletin: The ADA, FMLA, and FLSA: Why Employers Need Job Descriptions, 2014
Bar Admissions
- Washington, 1996
- Oregon, 2024
- U.S. District Court Western District of Washington
Specialties and Certifications
- Association of Workplace Investigators Certificate (AWI-CH)
Other Affiliations
- American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, 2011 - Present (Member)
- King County Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, 2013 - 2014 (Chair)
- King County Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section (Trustee), 2008 - 2017
- Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA)
- Washington State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, 2007 - Present (Member)
- King County Bar Association
- Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference, 2012 - 2013 (Chair)
- Mary Ellen Krug Scholarship Committee, 2009 - 2017 (Chair)
- Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference Planning Committee (Labor Chair/Co-Chair, EEO Co-Chair, Marketing Co-Chair, and Arrangements Chair)
- Association of Title IX Administrators, 2016 - Present (Member)
- Association of Workplace Investigators, 2013 - Present (Member)
- Society for Human Resource Management, 2009 - Present (Member)
- Northwest Association of Title IX Administrators, 2021 - 2022 (President)
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