According to a class action complaint filed in federal court in California, the international law firm Perkins Coie docks paychecks for costs that employers are required to bear, such as workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, Medicare costs, Social Security costs,  and “accounting fees.”  Lead plaintiff, Harold DeGraff, says he joined the firm’s Menlo Park, California office as a transactional corporate attorney in 2007. 

The complaint alleges that these practices have been uniformly applied to dozens of attorneys classified as W-2 employees at Perkins Coie offices throughout California.  The class seeks restitution, waiting time penalties, an injunction and damages.

Headquartered in Seattle, Perkins Coie employs more than 850 attorneys across the United States and Asia.