Geoffrey Chism, Appellant, v. Tri-State Construction, Inc., Et Al., Respondents

¶1 Following a month-long jury trial, attorney Geoffrey Chism was awarded $750,000 for breach of two compensation contracts by his former employer, Tri-State Construction, Inc., and exemplary damages for unlawful wage withholding. The trial court then dramatically reduced Chism’s recovery, premised on findings that Chism violated Washington’s Rules of Professional Conduct (RPCs) during his time as Tri-State’s in-house general counsel. By ordering disgorgement of Chism’s wages based on novel interpretations of several RPCs, the trial court exceeded the disciplinary authority delegated to it by…