Charles Leitch

Charles Leitch

Direct: 206.462.6705
Email: cpl@pattersonbuchanan.com
Download vcf File | Print this Page

Founding Principal

Admitted to practice in Washington and Oregon

Practice Area

Charles P.E. Leitch is a Founding Principal of Patterson Buchanan Fobes Leitch & Kalzer, Inc., P.S.  Prior to founding PBFL&K, he was a partner in the Seattle litigation firm of Lee Smart Cook Martin and Patterson. Before transitioning to his civil practice, he served as a prosecutor on the city and county levels.

Mr. Leitch’s civil litigation practice emphasizes complex public sector tort defense, school law, employment law, abuse litigation, and civil rights. His experience includes over fifteen years of work for school districts, counties, cities, law enforcement, Fire/Emergency Medical Service entities and corporate clients. Throughout his career, he has tried over one-hundred bench and jury trials in State court and Federal District court.  These include complex jury litigation.

Mr. Leitch also provides counsel on prevention and response to harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) in personal and electronic form, effective supervision of technology/social media in workplace and educational settings, and technology privacy issues.  Within this context, he routinely advises on policy creation, implementation oversight, training, and limits to enforcement.  He serves on multiple regional HIB and cyberbullying public entity committees and workgroups.  In addition,he is a member of the Washington State Attorney General's Youth Internet Safety Taskforce and the Advisory Board of the Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe.org) in Washington D.C. He regularly updates public entities and their community populations on technology/social media issues. 

Mr. Leitch also advises on critical response to workplace violence, boundary invasion and abuse, and catastrophic events.  He routinely coordinates response to governmental agency inquiry and handles proceedings such as administrative hearings, grievance arbitrations, and terminations within the scope of his practice. 

Education

  • Willamette University School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 1995
  • Willamette University Center for Dispute Resolution, Certificate of Dispute Resolution, 1995
    • With Mediation Honors
  • Whitman College, Bachelor of Arts, History, 1991

Admissions

  • Supreme Court of the State of Washington
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • Supreme Court of the State of Oregon

Professional Memberships

  • Washington State Bar Association
  • King County Bar Association
  • Washington Council of School Attorneys
  • Education Law Association
  • International Association of Fire Chiefs
  • Washington Fire Commissioners Association
  • Council on Litigation Management

Publications / Presentations / Speaking Engagements

Mr. Leitch is a veteran presenter.  He routinely provides training within his practice areas on request,  including workplace and school safety, harassment, employee and technology supervision, and best employment practices. He conducts orientations on social media, cyberbullying, and exploitation prevention for employers, public agencies, and school districts nationwide, including specific presentation formats for students, parents, staff, and administrators. He is also regularly asked to present nationwide on digital supervision and the challenges created by the growth of technology.  Information on some of his recent and upcoming speaking engagements is available here.

Honors and Awards

Mr. Leitch was elected to the Order of Barristers and has been repeatedly rated as one of Washington State’s “Rising Star” attorneys by Law & Politics magazine.

Representative Cases


Appellate Cases:

  • Osborn v. Mason County,157 Wash.2d 18, 134 P.3d 197, Wash., May 18, 2006 (NO. 76101-9)

Jury Trials:

  • Carlson v. PCFD #21/Graham Fire & Rescue:  Defense verdict in eight-million dollar paramedic malpractice jury trial.
  • Barbee v. Jefferson County:  Defense verdict in ten-million dollar federal civil rights jury trial.