Brendan Donckers

Practice Areas

• State and Federal Court Litigation and Appeals

Practice Description

Brendan Donckers is a partner at BJT. He litigates civil cases and appeals in state and federal courts with a focus on individual and class action consumer protection cases, employment litigation, and civil rights. He also represents individuals, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and small businesses in disputes involving real and personal property, contracts, public records, land use, nuisance, and torts. Brendan has argued appeals at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Washington Supreme Court, the Washington Court of Appeals and was second-chair in a landmark FOIA case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Brendan is the president of the Board of Trustees for the Northwest Justice Project and a member of the board of the Northwest Consumer Law Center. Brendan provides regular pro bono representation to low income tenants facing eviction through the King County Bar Association’s Housing Justice Project and mentors law students and new lawyers from Seattle University’s School of Law. Brendan was a mayoral appointee to the Seattle Ethics and Election Commission from 2014 to 2021, a commission he chaired from 2018 to 2020, and a mayoral appointee to the Pioneer Square Preservation Board from 2017 to 2021.

Before joining BJT, Brendan litigated environmental, land use, and public records cases with David Mann and Mickey Gendler at Gendler & Mann. He also worked as a staff attorney in the Washington Supreme Court Commissioner’s Office and for the Washington State House’s Democratic Caucus. Brendan previously served as board president of the Historic South Downtown Preservation and Development Authority and as a member of the boards of the King County Chapter of Washington Conservation Voters, the Washington State Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Renton/Skyway Boys and Girls Club of King County, the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program’s Advisory Committee on Tolling and Traffic Management, and the Alliance of Pioneer Square.

Before returning to Seattle for law school, Brendan worked on a global security initiative with the United Nations Foundation in Washington, D.C. He was also a campaign aide to former U.S. Congressman, Jim McDermott. Brendan received his J.D. with honors from Seattle University and a B.A. from Santa Clara University. At Santa Clara, he double-majored in English and Philosophy and was Valedictorian of 2002’s graduating class.

Representative Cases:

Zamora, et al., v. Fife Motel, Inc., King County Cause No. 18-2-06771-5 (2018) (Represented six families in housing discrimination and unfair practices litigation against owner of mobile home park; families obtained damages and injunctive relief)

Thomas v. American Family Mutual Ins. Co., et al., King County Cause No. 17-2-03702-8, 2:17-cv-00475 (W.D.Wash. 2017) (Represented consumer in litigation arising out of unfair and deceptive collection practices on subrogation claims)

Voorhees v. Gene Juarez Salons, LLC, King County Cause No. 17-2-23-151-7 (2017) (Represented multiple classes of employees in wage and hour litigation)

Chelan Basin Conservancy v. GBI Holding Co., 188 Wn.2d 692 (2017) (opinion withdrawn), 190 Wn.2d 249 (2018) (Represented nonprofit in appellate challenge to Shoreline Management Act under the public trust doctrine)

Dye v. PNC Bank N.A., et al., King County Cause No. 15-2-20567-6 (2015) (Represented foreclosed homeowner in litigation under the Consumer Protection Act; homeowner obtained relief that included unwinding foreclosure two years after the sale)

Folweiler v. Hartford Accident and Indemnity Co., King County Cause No. 16-2-04596-1; 2:16-cv-0912 (W.D.Wash. 2016) (Represented classes of healthcare providers and insureds in Consumer Protection Act litigation seeking payments under Personal Injury Protection (“PIP”) policies)

Beck v. CH2M Hill, 2:13-cv-00787 (W.D.Wash. 2013) (Represented relator in whistleblower and wrongful termination litigation under False Claims Act)

Welker v. SH & MH, Inc., et al., King County Cause No. 13-2-08231-4 (2013) (Represented 18 neighbors in private nuisance litigation against motel ownership)

Centerpoint Aviation Law v. Seattle Solidarity Network, King County Cause No. 13-2-38735-2 (2013), Court of Appeals No. 717006-I (2014); Cornell v. Seattle Solidarity Network, King County Cause No. 13-2-37727-6 (2013) (Represented members of a nonprofit defending the exercise of free speech under anti-SLAPP statute)

Oldrich v. CWD Group, et al., King County Cause No. 13-2-22959-5 (2013) (Represented employee in orientation discrimination case under the WLAD)

Riverview Community Group v. Spencer & Livingston Partnership, et al., 181 Wn.2d 888 (2014), 173 Wn. App. 568 (2014), Lincoln Co. Cause No. 11-2-0031-2 (2011) (Represented LLC in real property and equitable servitude case before trial court, Court of Appeals, and Washington Supreme Court)

Scheid v. Fred Meyer, King County Cause No. 13-2-09192-5 (2013) (Represented employee in disability discrimination case under WLAD)

Cornu-Labat v. Hosp. Dist. No. 2 of Grant County, 177 Wn.2d 221 (2013) (Represented healthcare practitioner seeking relief under the Public Records Act before the Court of Appeals and Washington Supreme Court)

Villalobos v. Deutsche Bank Nat’l Trust Co., et al., 2:09-cv-017450 (W.D.Wash. 2009) (Represented homeowners in predatory lending litigation against mortgage lender, mortgage broker, loan servicer, investment bank, and securitizing trustee. Co-counsel with Lili Sotelo and the Northwest Justice Project)

Publications

• “WA Supreme Court Clarifies that Insured Can Sue Their Insurer Under the CPA for Wrongfully Denying PIP Benefits,” WSAJ Trial News, Vol. 55, No. 8 (April 2020), available at: https://www.trialnewsonline.org/trialnews/april_2020/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1575284#articleId1575284
• “Landlord/Tenant Law & Covid-19: An Update on Washington’s Eviction Moratorium & Options for Renters,” Northwest Consumer Law Center (Mar. 31, 2020), available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whClo28RoPU&t=27s
• “The Elements of a CPA Claim: Causation” and “Foreclosure,” Chapters One and Four, Washington Consumer Protection Deskbook, Washington State Association of Justice (2017)
• “Hague Convention on International Child Abduction: A Child’s Return and the Presence of Domestic Violence”, Appendix G, Domestic Violence Manual for Judges, Washington State Gender and Justice Commission (2006)

Professional Honors and Affiliations

• Named “Rising Star” by Washington Super Lawyers (2014 to present)
• Imagine Justice Honoree (Economic Justice), Columbia Legal Services (2016)
• Private Partnership with Northwest Justice Project (Legal Services Corporation, 2011)
• Access to Justice Service Award (S.U. Access to Justice Institute, 2006)
• Public Interest Law Fellowship (S.U. Public Interest Law Foundation, 2006)
• Haywood Burns Memorial Fellowship (National Lawyers Guild, 2005)
• Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Sigma Nu, Phi Sigma Tau and Sigma Tau Delta (2002)
• Member, National Association of Consumer Advocates
• Member, Washington State Association of Justice
• Member, Washington Employment Lawyers Association and WELA Legislative Committee

Admissions & Courts

• Admitted to U.S. Supreme Court
• Admitted to U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
• Admitted to U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
• Admitted to U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
• Admitted to all Washington Courts
• Member, Federal Bar Association, Western District of Washington
• Member, Washington State Bar Association

Education

• J.D., Seattle University School of Law, Seattle, WA, 2007
• B.A., Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, 2002