Fred B. Burnside

Fred Burnside concentrates his complex civil litigation practice on matters related to class-action defense, consumer financial services, and commercial litigation. His more than 25 years as an attorney is distinguished by significant victories in state and federal trial and appellate courts, particularly in actions challenging financial services and privacy.

Fred has represented dozens of major financial service providers facing claims relating to bank fees and charges under federal and state consumer credit and protection statutes. He also has successfully defended technology clients and financial services entities in privacy litigation, mass arbitrations, and regulatory inquiries. Fred also has the rare experience of taking a financial services class action through a jury trial—and winning—as well as prevailing in the United States Supreme Court on class-action issues. With an established track record of securing outright victory or favorable settlements, Fred has become the go-to attorney for consumer financial service providers and technology companies facing class action lawsuits.

His leadership at DWT includes serving as the co-chair of the Class Action Defense group and current member of the DWT's Executive Committee. Fred previously served as the firm's Deputy Chair of the Litigation Department, Hiring Committee Member, and has twice served three-year terms on the firm's Share (Compensation) Committee. He is a co-chair of the ABA's Annual National Institute on Class Actions, editor of the ABA Class Action Committee's Annual, "The Law of Class Actions: Fifty-State Survey" (and author of the Oregon and Washinton chapters), and a member of the American Law Institute.