ATTORNEYS IN
WASHINGTON
John Chun doesn’t need
a tie and an ‘attitude’
to win the day
BREAKING
THE MOLD
Seattle’s John Chun of Summit Law Group has a most dubious honor
in the Super Lawyers archives. He is the first—and only—lawyer to
ever be photographed in a bean bag chair. “It was my idea,” he says.
“It goes with the Summit nontraditional thing.” That “thing” is a
point of pride for Chun, who, when profiled in 2007, had just joined
Summit; now he sits on the executive board. “I’m very proud of this
firm,” he says. “It’s a very unique model. We basically overhauled
the traditional law firm model and created a new one.” The Summit
Law model gives equal footing—and square footage—to all lawyers.
“All the lawyers are partners,” he says. “Even junior lawyers.” The
firm nixed plum corner offices—everyone has the same office size:
10-by-12-feet if you’re curious. It even eschewed glossy downtown
offices for space on the fringe of the city to reduce rates. “We also
have a value-adjustment line on our bills,” Chun says. That means
clients have the freedom to adjust the proposed fee to a number that
they feel matches the value of the legal services provided. “What’s
interesting is that we’re in our 15th year, and it’s proved to be a
sustainable model. We’ve grown in the recession.”
Chun’s complex commercial and employment litigation practice has
enjoyed growth and success as well. In 2009, he won dismissal on
all claims in a case in which he was lead counsel for the city in an
action brought by a police officer claiming wrongful termination. He
also makes it a priority to flex his community service muscle with
organizations like the Federal Bar Association and the Washington
Low Income Housing Alliance. “My practice is through-the-roof busy,
so either I’m in the office or with my kids,” he says. “I try to sneak in a
glass of wine here or there.”
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