June SHRM Luncheon: Washington State Legislative Update

Join us for June's SHRM Luncheon

Date/Time: Thursday June 11th | 11:30am - 1:00pm

Location: Holiday Inn & Suites (Airport) | 4260 Mitchell Way

Tickets on Sale Until June 4th for Lunch

Tickets on Sale Until June 10th for Program-Only

Join employment attorneys Michael Church, WA SHRM Legislative Affairs Director, and Alice Riethman, Legislative Affairs Committee Member, as they provide key insights from the 2026 Washington Legislative Session. Learn about the latest employment legislation, implementation timelines, and compliance penalties that impact your organization.  

Learning Objectives:

- Attendees will be made aware of the employment-related legislation passed in the most recent Washington legislative session.

- Attendees will be provided with practical compliance take-aways and timelines for implementation of necessary changes.

About Our Presenter: Michael Church and Alice Riethman

Michael Church focuses his practice on employment litigation and advice. Michael's experience includes representing clients in class and collective action litigation, as well as other complex and multiparty disputes before state and federal courts and in arbitration.

Michael counsels and represents clients in both enforcing and defending noncompetition, nonsolicitation, trade secret, and related matters, as well as assists clients in drafting and revising restrictive covenants to stay current with a constantly evolving legal landscape. In litigation, Michael regularly represents clients in state and federal courts and arbitration. In addition to litigation, Michael helps his clients comply with employment laws by counseling employers on employment agreements, employee classification and hiring, discipline, and termination. Additionally, he helps employers prepare contracts, separation agreements, and general employee policies.

Michael has extensive experience representing employers in all aspects of employment law with a focus on complex and high-stakes litigation. Michael has particular skill in wage and hour class/collective actions, workplace investigations, unfair competition claims, trade secrets, as well as class actions relating to other employment-related matters.

Michael is admitted to practice before all Washington State Courts, the U.S. District Courts for Eastern and Western Districts of Washington, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Michael is very active in the Spokane community and serves as General Counsel for the Spokane Home Builders Association, General Counsel for Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest, Past President of Spokane Rotary Club #21 (current member, chair of the President's Advisory Council, and chair of the Human Resources Committee).

Michael also serves on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest, and he is a Board Member and Past President of the Inland Northwest Society of Human Resource Managers (INSHRM). Michael currently serves as the Legislative Affairs Director for Washington State SHRM. __

Alice Riethman, Esq. SHRM-CP, is located in beautiful Spokane, Washington where she brings a diverse background in employment litigation, representing both employees and employers, and prior experience in human resources. For clients in Washington and New Mexico, this means real-world employer advice on the most critical topics in employment, practical compliance assistance in navigating employment laws, and workplace training that is tailored to each organization’s unique needs. Prior moving to Washington State, Alice lived in Northern Virginia and worked independently and with a Washington, DC-based law firm to provide human resources consulting leadership and expertise.

Before relocating to the DC area, Alice built an employer advice and training practice in Albuquerque, NM devoted to working with organizations on workplace compliance issues and streamlining and improving the employer/employee relationship. Alice brings experience in employment litigation (representing both employers and employees) as well as management-side labor matters. Alice is a local, state, and national speaker in the areas of employment law, human resources, and public policy. As the spouse of an active-duty Air Force pilot, Alice is also a passionate and knowledgeable advocate on matters related to the employment and licensure of military spouses.

Proudly Sponsored By:

United Way of Whatcom County promotes financial stability by opening doors and removing barriers for our friends and neighbors experiencing financial hardship. Our core focus helping local ALICE households: folks who are working really hard but still can't make ends meet.

General admission tickets may be purchased at the door (lunch not included).

This program is approved for general credit for HRCI and 1.0 SHRM credit.