Teamsters Local 117 Legal Department Overview
Teamsters Local 117 is one of only a handful of Teamsters Locals across the country that has an experienced legal team on staff. This allows your Local Union to provide members of Local 117 with unparalleled access to extensive legal resources at a significantly lower cost. With our staff of experienced attorneys, Local 117 is prepared to take on any legal fight, whether that be an arbitration, an unfair labor practice, litigation, or the need for legal assistance in challenging contract negotiations. To learn more about your rights at work, click here.

Your Union’s legal department is comprised of three attorneys:

• General Counsel, Spencer Nathan Thal;
• Staff Attorney, Daniel Swedlow;
• Associate Staff Attorney/Lobbyist, Teresita Torres;

Teamsters Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer, Tracey A. Thompson, is also an attorney by profession and provides legal counsel when necessary.

Scope of Representation
Local 117 attorneys handle litigation, arbitration and unfair labor practice charges that arise in the context of your employment with a represented company.  The accessibility of employed lawyers to Business Representatives gives your Union a powerful resource when it comes to protecting your rights on the job.

Attorneys in the Legal Department do not and cannot represent members in their private legal matters.  Local 117 attorneys do not, for example, provide counsel regarding family law, criminal law, or bankruptcy law unless a case is directly related to your workplace rights and your rights under your collective bargaining agreement.

We have, however, compiled a list of legal referrals for Local 117 members.  In many cases, our referrals will provide discounted rates exclusively to members of the Union.   If you are a registered user of your Local Union's website, you can access a list of legal referrals online. To register for the website, click here. For more information, talk to your Business Representative or call Teamsters Local 117 at 206-441-4860.

Year in Review
To learn more about the work of the Teamsters Local 117 legal team, check out the Local 117 legal year in review.

• Legal year in review 2012
• Legal year in review 2011
• Legal year in review 2010
• Legal year in review 2009
• Legal year in review 2008

After graduating from law school in 2006, Dan worked for the law firm of Stanislaw Ashbaugh where his practice focused predominately on construction litigation and representation of contractors in labor and employment matters.  In 2008, Dan joined the Seattle office of Stoel Rives where he represented management in all aspects of labor and employment law. 

Dan decided to switch sides and joined the Teamsters on July 1, 2010.  He will be handling grievance arbitrations, unfair labor practices, collective bargaining negotiations, and generally fighting for workers’ rights.

When he is not fighting for workers’ rights, Dan can be found skiing somewhere in the Cascades with his wife and five children.  In the summer, you might find Dan wistfully looking towards the mountains and wondering when the snow will start falling again.

Teresita earned a Bachelor’s Degree from The Evergreen State College in Olympia and a law degree from Seattle University School of Law.

After graduating from law school in 2004, she worked as a Legislative Aide to Speaker of the House, Frank Chopp, and Representative Mark Ericks, during the 2005 session.

She was thereafter hired as a Civil Rights Investigator by the Washington State Human Rights Commission. Teresita is an active member of the Washington State and Thurston County Bar Associations, Latino Washington Bar Association, Latino Community Resource Group and Hispanic Women’s Network.