Fred B. Burnside
Partner
Co-chair, Class Action Defense Group
Fred Burnside concentrates his practice in complex civil litigation, with particular emphasis on class-action defense, consumer financial services litigation, and hydroelectric relicensing litigation. He is co-chair of Davis Wright Tremaine’s class action defense group. Fred has counseled and represented numerous clients in class action lawsuits across the country, including Amazon.com, AOL, AT&T, eBay, Microsoft Corp., Providence Hospital Systems, Scholastic Inc., Shell Oil, Skype Inc., Starbucks, T-Mobile USA, The University of California, Verizon Wireless, and others.
Fred has served as deputy practice group chair, Hiring Committee member, Executive Committee member, and is currently a member of the firm’s Share Committee. He is also co-chair of the ABA’s Annual National Institute on Class Actions, former co-chair of the Consumer Law Subcommittee on Class and Derivative Suits, editor of the ABA Class Action Committee's Annual Survey of State Class Action Litigation, and is a member of the American Law Institute.
Class Action Litigation
Consumer Financial Services Litigation, Federal Appellate Decisions
Consumer Financial Services Litigation, State Supreme Court Appellate Decisions
Consumer Financial Services Litigation, State Court of Appeals Decisions
Consumer Financial Services Litigation, Federal Trial Court Decisions
Land Use Litigation
Admitted to Practice
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Washington
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California
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Oregon
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U.S. District Court Western District of Washington
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U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington
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U.S. District Court Northern District of California
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U.S. District Court Southern District of California
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U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
Education
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J.D., University of Wisconsin Law School, cum laude
- Note & Comment Editor; Malt & Barley Editor - Wisconsin Law Review
- Member, University of Wisconsin Moot Court Board
- Recipient, Wisconsin State Bar Award for Highest Academic Achievement
- Elected as Student Graduation Speaker
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B.A., Philosophy, The Colorado College, with distinction
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Philosophy-Department Nominee for the Rhodes Scholarship
- Recipient, Robert Lewis and J. Glenn Gray Awards for Scholarship in Philosophy
Memberships & Affiliations
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- Co-chair, Davis Wright Tremaine's Class Action Defense Group
- Member, Davis Wright Tremaine’s Share Committee
- Board Member of The William L. Dwyer American Inn of Court
- Co-chair National Institute on Class Actions, Class Action and Derivative Suits Committee, American Bar Association
- Washington State Liaison, Class Action and Derivative Suits Committee, American Bar Association
- American Law Institute, Principles of Aggregate (Class Action) Litigation, Members Consultative Group
Professional Recognition
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- Named one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" in Litigation: General Commercial (Washington) by Chambers USA, 2017-2020
- Selected to "Washington Super Lawyers," Thomson Reuters, 2014-2020
- Selected to "Washington Rising Stars," Thomson Reuters, 2007-2008, 2010-2012
- Named as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" in Commercial Litigation by Best Lawyers, 2013
- Elected to American Law Institute

Background
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- Associate, Milberg, Weiss, Bershad, Hynes & Lerach, San Diego, Calif.
- Judicial Intern, Hon. Barbara B. Crabb (W.D. Wisc.), Madison, Wis.