Ken Payson helps clients find the earliest, most cost-effective exit from actual or threatened class-action litigation. The co-chair of DWT's class-action defense group, for more than 25 years he has guided clients safely through the complex statutory and regulatory framework of privacy, false advertising, employment, and product liability class-action jurisprudence.
A nationally respected litigator, Ken has repeatedly been recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers in commercial and class-action litigation. Ken represents clients from a wide range of industries, including global technology companies, healthcare providers, financial institutions, telecommunication providers, and digital and print media companies. He has obtained numerous orders dismissing putative class actions or denying class certification, and has successfully defended them on appeal. He serves as lead counsel in class actions across the nation.
Practice Highlights
Privacy class actions
False advertising and deceptive business practices class actions
Employment class actions and litigation
Privacy Class Actions
False Advertising and Deceptive Business Practices Class Actions
Employment Class Actions and Litigation
Product Liability Class Actions
Admitted to Practice
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Washington
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U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
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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 Illinois
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U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
Education
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J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, 1996
- Associate Editor, California Law Review
- Editor-in-Chief, Asian Law Journal
- Anthony Dragonette Memorial Award, Outstanding Student in Civil Trial Program
- American Jurisprudence Award, Highest Grades and Rank in Civil Trial Practice and Pre-Trial Civil Litigation Courses
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B.A., California State University, East Bay, 1993, magna cum laude
Memberships & Affiliations
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- Washington Leadership Institute Advisory Board, 2007-2010; Executive Director Search Committee, 2007; Judicial Recommendation Committee, 1997-2000 – Washington State Bar Association
- Board of Governors, 1999-2000; Alternate Governor, 2002-2005; Student Scholarship Committee, 2010-2016 – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- Washington State Minority & Justice Commission, 1999-2005
- Co-chair, Joint Committee on Law Firm Diversity, 2007-2009 – Minority Bar Associations of Washington
- President, 2004; President-Elect, 2003; Vice President, 2002; Board of Directors, 1997-1999, 2002-2005, 2007-2008; Judicial Evaluations Committee, Chair, 1997-1999 – Asian Bar Association of Washington
- President, 2015-2016; Board of Directors, 2013-2018, 2023-2024 – Asian Bar Association of Washington Student Scholarship Foundation
- Chair, 2017-2018; Board of Directors, 2017-2018 – Washington Initiative for Diversity
- Co-chair, Development Task Force – King County Bar Foundation Diversity Coalition, 2002
Professional Recognition
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- Named one of the "Best Lawyers in America" by Best Lawyers in Commercial Litigation, 2013-present; in Appellate Practice, 2019-present
- Named one of the "Best Lawyers Under 40," National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, 2002
- Selected to "Washington Super Lawyers," Thomson Reuters, 2005-2018
- Selected to "Washington Rising Stars," Thomson Reuters, 2004-2005
- Received the "Excellence in Diversity Award," Washington State Bar Association, 2009
- Received the "Edward J. Davis Diversity & Mentorship Award," Davis Wright Tremaine, 2021
Background
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- Adjunct Professor, Seattle University School of Law, Seattle
- Shareholder, Heller Ehrman LLP, Seattle
- Law Clerk, Hon. Barbara Durham, Chief Justice, Washington State Supreme Court, Olympia, Wash.