Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Employment & Labor; view more
Licensed in Washington since: 2003
Education: Georgia State University College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2016 - 2024 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2008 - 2012, 2014 - 2015 Details
Attorney James W. Beck is a partner with Beck Chase Gilman PLCC law firm in Tacoma, Washington. A top-ranked trial lawyer with more than 17 years of legal experience, Mr. Beck has gained a reputation as a staunch and tireless advocate for individuals and families across his region who are dealing with complex, pressing legal challenges involving any of the following areas:
· Wrongful death
· Catastrophic personal injury
· Sexual abuse
· Wrongful termination
· Sexual harassment
· Workplace discrimination
Over the course of his legal career, Mr. Beck has achieved remarkable success advocating on behalf of his plaintiff clients, and he has secured substantial amounts of compensation for those suffering needlessly as a result of someone else's negligent, careless or unlawful actions. Honored for his outstanding professionalism and service, he has earned many accolades and endorsements from his peers.
A 1999 graduate of the University of Georgia, Mr. Beck attended Georgia State College of Law at Georgia State University, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree summa cum laude in 2003, graduating top of his class. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Western and Eastern Districts of Washington as well as before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
A leader in his legal community, Mr. Beck currently serves as treasurer and board of governors member of the Washington State Bar Association, and he is an active member of the Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, the Washington State Association for Justice, the Washington Employment Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice, among his other professional affiliations. He is also master and board member of the Hon. Robert J. Bryan Inn of Court.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Employment & Labor: EmployeeFocus areas
Brain Injury, Construction Accident, Employment Law - Employee, Labor Law, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Sexual Harassment, Wage & Hour Laws, Whistleblower, Wrongful Death
First Admitted: 2003, Washington
Professional Webpage: https://bcglawyers.com/james-beck/
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
- Member of GTH Board of Directors – 2010 – 2015; 2018
- American Association for Justice
- Washington State Courts
- Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
- Washington State Bar Association
- Member, Washington Employment Lawyers Association
- Board Member, Washington State for Justice Association
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- Member, Washington State For Justice Association
- Master and Board Member for Robert J. Bryan Inns of Court
- $612,971 judgment following jury verdict. Trial Counsel for U.S. Air Force Reservist who was terminated from employment after his return from active service. Delay v. Ace Heating, W.D. Wash. Case No. C06-1008.
- $1,600,000 settlement. Represented four former employees asserting that the chief deputy prosecutor showed favoritism to younger employees, subjected older employees to condescending, hostile and demeaning conduct, and made ageist comments. Attorneys Stephanie L. Bloomfield and James W. Beck represented the four employees in their lawsuit against Clallam County. Case v. Clallam County, Jefferson County Superior Court Cause No. 09-2-00072-6.
- $680,000 settlement. Brought case against the Department of Social and Health Services after the negligent placement of children into a foster care home wherein the children contracted E. coli. Campbell v. DSHS, Pierce County Superior Court Cause No. 09-2-07786-5.
- $1,106,094 judgment following jury verdict. Represented a former Western State Hospital employee in a four-week jury trial. The employee, a mandatory reporter, was demoted and then terminated after reporting expired meat he thought would be served to a vulnerable adult population. The suit sought damages against the State for retaliation. After the verdict, the Court entered an injunction to ensure the Hospital changes policies on retaliation. Quayle v. State of Washington, Pierce County Superior Court Case No.: 15-2-05962-4., 2015
- $1,357,776 in jury verdicts and judgments. Represented a Registered Nurse who was retaliated against by Western State Hospital and denied access to public records. Boyd v. Western State Hospital, Pierce County Superior Court Cause No. 12 2 07223-5; Boyd v. Western State Hospital, 187 Wn. App. 5 (2015); Boyd v. Western State Hospital, Pierce County Superior Court Cause No. 14-2-05677-5; and Boyd v. Western State Hospital, Pierce County Superior Court Cause No. 14-2-08149-4., 2014
- $333,541.30 judgment following jury verdict. Represented Army Reservist retaliated against in violation of USERRA. Quinn v. Everett Safe & Lock, Inc., W.D. Wash. Case No. 13-000005., 2013
- $1,000,000 settlement. Represented child of police officer killed by Maurice Clemmons in Lakewood, Washington. Department of Corrections failed to hold Clemmons under warrant.
- $31,240,547 jury damages verdict reduced by 55 percent for combination of comparative fault and the inherent risks of skiing. Trial Counsel for a paralyzed skier against Ski Lifts Inc. The jury returned a verdict in the plaintiff’s favor after proving that the resort was negligent in its construction of a man-made ski jump and in its failure to respond to repeated prior injuries and specific warnings by other customers. Salvini v. Ski Lifts Inc., King County Superior Court Cause No. 05-2-13652-9. The case was appealed and affirmed by Division I of the Court of Appeals. Salvini v. Ski Lifts, Inc., 2008 WL 4616708 (2008). Review was subsequently denied by Washington State Supreme Court.
- $1,106,094 judgment following jury verdict. Represented a former Western State Hospital employee in a four-week jury trial. The employee, a mandatory reporter, was demoted and then terminated after reporting expired meat he thought would be served to a vulnerable adult population. The suit sought damages against the State for retaliation. After the verdict, the Court entered an injunction to ensure the Hospital changes policies on retaliation. Quayle v. State of Washington, Pierce County Superior Court Case No.: 15-2-05962-4., 2015
- $315,000 judgment. Represented Registered Nurse against Western State Hospital for sexual harassment and retaliation by hospital administrator. Lawrence v. Western State Hospital, Pierce County Superior Court Cause No. 15 2-07035-1., 2015
- Confidential settlement. Trial and Appellate Counsel for employee in Ockletree v. Franciscan Health System, 179 Wn.2d 769 (2014). In a sharply divided 5-4 decision in February 2014, the Washington Supreme Court held that religious non-profit employers cannot discriminate against their employees whose jobs are unrelated to the religious mission of the employer. While the Court held that a state law exemption for religious employers is not unconstitutional in all circumstances, it determined that our client, a hospital security guard who was terminated after suffering a stroke, could continue his disability discrimination case against Franciscan Health System., 2014
- Appellate Counsel in Belo Management Services, Inc. v. Click! Network, 184 Wn. App. 649, 343 P.3d 370 (2014). Prevailed before the Washington Court of Appeals on behalf of The News Tribune, which was wrongly denied access to public records, including government contracts., 2014
- $942,252 judgment following jury trial. Trial Counsel for Army Reservist who was discriminated against and retaliated against in violation of USERRA. Campbell v. Catholic Community Services Association of Western Washington, W.D. Wash. Case No. 10-1579-JCC.
- $4,370,000 jury verdict. Trial Counsel for family of slain Rainier, Washington resident in wrongful death action. Keith v. Skewis, Thurston County Superior Court Cause No. 06 2 01220-5.
- $3,044,014 judgment. Represented construction worker injured in fall resulting from unsafe work site. Later filed subsequent insurance bad faith lawsuit after an assignment of interests against insurance company. Rosales-Guzman v. Spruce Hills, LLC, Snohomish County Superior Court No. 11-2-04773-1; Rosales-Guzman v. Lloyd’s Syndicate 2112, King County Superior Court No. 12-2-28503-9; Lloyd’s Syndicate 2112 v. Lasher, 2:14-cv-00917-JCC (“After incurring substantial fees and costs to defend the lawsuit, Lloyds paid Guzman the sum of $3,000,000 to settle the lawsuit.”).
- Appellate Co-Counsel on employment discrimination lawsuit against Thurston County Prosecutor's Office. Trial judgment of approximately $3 million affirmed by Division II of the Court of Appeals. Broyles v. Thurston County, 147 Wn. App. 409 (2008).
- $308,167 jury verdict and judgments. Represented Western State Hospital employee who was retaliated against by Hospital and denied access to public records after reporting instances of patient neglect and abuse. Sekulic v. Western State Hospital, Pierce County Superior Court Cause No. 14 2 08828-6, 2014
- $225,000 jury verdict for assault, battery, invasion of privacy and negligence. C.F. v. Barr and Puyallup Basketball Academy, Pierce County Superior Court Cause No. 14-2-07951-1., 2014
- Washington State for Justice Association Foundation Amicus Committee Member
- Washington State Bar Association Professionalism Committee
- Washington State Bar Association Amicus Committee
- Selected for the 2016-2020 Washington Super Lawyer lists
- University of Georgia, B.S., Ecology, 1999
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2016 - 2024
- Rising Stars: 2008 - 2012, 2014 - 2015
