Kandis M. Sells is a Partner in the Employment & Labor practice group, located in Dorsey’s Seattle Office. Her practice consists of both employment litigation and advice work. Ms. Sells has been recognized as a Washington Rising Star, in the area of Employment Litigation Defense, in 2008, 2009 and 2010. She has been with Dorsey & Whitney LLP since 2002.
Ms. Sells has handled numerous litigation and threatened litigation in employment actions such as race, gender, national origin, and age discrimination, disability discrimination and failure to accommodate claims, FMLA violations retaliation, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and wage and hour claims. She has also handled contract and tort claims and counterclaims such as non-compete breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, interference with business expectancy, conversion, and misappropriation of trade secrets. Ms. Sells regularly handles employment-related administrative charges, such as EEOC, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, and Sarbanes-Oxley.
As a former Human Resources manager, Ms. Sells is uniquely qualified to understand the daily challenges faced by her corporate clients in managing their workforce. Ms. Sells offers a practical approach to legal advice, which includes not only the legal effects of employment decisions, but also the tactics for and impact of implementing such decisions. Ms. Sells clients obtain the benefits of her seven years in Human Resources prior to law school, and her hands-on experience in areas such as: corrective/disciplinary actions, investigations of staff misconduct and sexual harassment complaints, employee leaves of absence and disability accommodation, discrimination complaints, collective bargaining agreements, employee grievances, worker’s compensation, and position analysis.
1998-1999 – Washington State Auditor’s Office
1991-1998 – Washington State Department of Corrections