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EVALUATION FORM
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Please complete this evaluation form and place it in the box provided at the registration
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Street, New York, NY 10007.
How to Handle an Employment Discrimination Case Day One
May 19, 2014; 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
I.
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Louis Pechman
Hon. Ronald L. Ellis
James Lemonedes
Douglas Wigdor
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N S T I T U T E
I
C L E
N Y C L A
H OW TO H ANDLE AN
E MPLOYMENT
D ISCRIMINATION C ASE
D AY T WO
Prepared in connection with a Continuing Legal Education course presented
at New York County Lawyers’ Association, 14 Vesey Street, New York, NY
scheduled for May 19, 2014
Program Chair: Louis Pechman, Berke-Weiss and Pechman LLP
Faculty: Hon. Ronald L. Ellis, U.S .District Court SDNY; James Lemonedes, Fox
Rothschild LLP; Douglas Wigdor, Wigdor LLP
This course has been approved in accordance with the requirements of the New York State Continuing Legal Education
Board for a maximum of 3 Transitional and Non-Transitional credit hours:1 Skills; 1 Professional Practice and 1 Ethics.
This program has been approved by the Board of Continuing Legal education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 3
hours of total CLE credits. Of these, 1 qualifies as an hour of credit for ethics/professionalism, and 0 qualify as hours of
credit toward certification in civil trial law, criminal law, workers compensation law and/or matrimonial law.
ACCREDITED PROVIDER STATUS: NYCLA’s CLE Institute is currently certified as an Accredited Provider of
continuing legal education in the States of New York and New Jersey.
Information Regarding CLE Credits and Certification
How to Handle an Employment Discrimination Case Day One
May 19, 2014; 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
The New York State CLE Board Regulations require all accredited CLE
providers to provide documentation that CLE course attendees are, in fact,
present during the course. Please review the following NYCLA rules for
MCLE credit allocation and certificate distribution.
i.
You must sign-in and note the time of arrival to receive your
course materials and receive MCLE credit. The time will be
verified by the Program Assistant.
ii.
You will receive your MCLE certificate as you exit the room at
the end of the course. The certificates will bear your name and
will be arranged in alphabetical order on the tables directly outside
the auditorium.
iii.
If you arrive after the course has begun, you must sign-in and note
the time of your arrival. The time will be verified by the Program
Assistant. If it has been determined that you will still receive
educational value by attending a portion of the program, you will
receive a pro-rated CLE certificate.
iv.
Please note: We can only certify MCLE credit for the actual time
you are in attendance. If you leave before the end of the course,
you must sign-out and enter the time you are leaving. The time will
be verified by the Program Assistant. Again, if it has been
determined that you received educational value from attending a
portion of the program, your CLE credits will be pro-rated and the
certificate will be mailed to you within one week.
v.
If you leave early and do not sign out, we will assume that you left
at the midpoint of the course. If it has been determined that you
received educational value from the portion of the program you
attended, we will pro-rate the credits accordingly, unless you can
provide verification of course completion. Your certificate will
be mailed to you within one week.
Thank you for choosing NYCLA as your CLE provider!
New York County Lawyers’ Association
Continuing Legal Education Institute
14 Vesey Street, New York, N.Y. 10007 • (212) 267-6646
How to Handle an Employment Discrimination Case
Monday, May 19, 2014; 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Day Two
Program Chair:
Louis Pechman, Esq.
Berke-Weiss & Pechman LLP
Faculty:
Hon. Ronald L. Ellis, U.S. District Court, SDNY
James Lemonedes, Esq., Fox Rothschild LLP
Douglas Wigdor, Esq., Wigdor LLP
AGENDA
5:30 PM – 6:00 PM Registration
6:00 PM – 6:10 PM Introduction and Announcements
6:10 PM – 6:50 PM Mediation in Employment Discrimination Cases
Hon. Ronald L. Ellis
6:50 PM – 7:30 PM Pre-Trial Motions and Strategy from the Plaintiff’s Perspective
Douglas Wigdor, Esq.
7:30 PM – 7: 40 PM BREAK
7:40 PM – 8:20 PM Pre-Trial Motions and Trial Strategy from the Defendant's
Perspective
James Lemonedes, Esq.
8:20 PM – 8:50 PM Questions and Answers
PRE-TRIAL MOTIONS AND TRIAL STRATEGY FROM THE PLAINTIFF’S PROSPECTIVE
Litigating an employment discrimination case and getting ready for trial are two separate matters that
require a completely different and unique skill set. Fortunately, for me, I spent three years in the District
Attorney’s Office and two years as a law clerk to a federal judge. So, while preparing for trial and
actually trying a case may cause some people great fear and anxiety, I approach each trial as the ultimate
experience to convince a group of individuals (the jurors) that your side is right and that your client
should be awarded monetary compensation.
While I have tried many cases, preparing for trial has not gotten any easier. There are no short-cuts in
trial preparation and the obvious goal is to know more about the facts and the law than any other person in
the courtroom. Jurors will sense that and as the trial goes on, they will begin to trust you. Provided
below is a brief outline of how I prepare for trial, pre- trial motions and trial strategy. It is important to
note, however, that every good trial attorney builds his/her own technique and style. This is mine, so it
may not suit your style – but it seems to work for me!
Pre-Trial Order
Jury Charge and Verdict Sheet
In the weeks prior to your trial, many judges will frequently ask for a pre-trial order. This is a good time
to begin honing your trial strategy. While it may seem counter-intuitive, I begin my trial preparation
backward. I always start with the jury charge and verdict sheet. Drafting a precise and well researched
jury charge can literally take days. The time that it takes though is extremely important as it will inform
all of your decisions going forward. From the jury charge, a verdict sheet should be relatively straight
forward – but this process can also be time consuming depending upon the number of claims and parties.
As I am drafting the jury charge and verdict sheet I often think about whether there are any claims or
parties that should be voluntarily dismissed. As I indicated earlier, credibility is crucial with a jury – I
don’t want to stand before a jury with weak claims or sympathetic defendants that will only undermine
my good claims.
1
Document Review
After putting the finishing touches on the jury charge and verdict sheet, it is important to organize your
documents. Unfortunately, there is no easy way of going about this process. In heavy document cases, I
often enlist the assistance of trusted paralegals and associates to separate documents that have some
relevance to the case (good and bad). Obviously, before they go about this, they need to understand the
facts of the cases and the legal issues. It is also important for the lead attorney to go through the
documents to randomly check to ensure that the correct documents have been located. Litigation software
is often very useful in this phase as “key word” searches can be utilized.
Pre-Trial Motions
Once you have segregated the “universe” of documents it’s time to start thinking about pre-trial motions.
While defendants often take the “kitchen sink” approach to motions in limine – often to burden you with
having to prepare oppositions when you should be focused on other trial preparations – experience has
taught me to try and pick and choose the “big issues” that truly warrant motion practice. Most of the
time, Judges hold these motions in abeyance until they have learned more about the case and the issue is
ripe for presentation to the jury – so, often the motion practice doesn’t resolve anything in any event.
Other than seeking to exclude certain documents, other motions in limine that frequently arise are motions
to preclude certain topics such as a no probable cause determination from the EEOC, prior psychiatric
treatment, prior arrests, prior lawsuits, etc. On the flip side, defendants typically seek to exclude prior
instances of discriminatory conduct (prior bad acts), prior findings of liability, etc. Defendants may also
move to bifurcate a jury trial into a liability and damages phase, bifurcate multiple plaintiff cases, seek to
have the judge determine back and front pay, and move to preclude punitive damages.
Depositions
Depositions should be reviewed and thought should also be given to whether you intend on reading a
deposition transcript rather than calling a certain witness. We typically video tape depositions and if you
have gotten the witness to say what you need – often times it may make sense to simply show the jury the
2
video. In any event, depositions need to be reviewed in order to assist in the preparation of direct and
cross examination outlines.
Direct and Cross Examination Outlines
My direct and cross examination outlines do not contain questions that would simply be read to the
witness. This is an ill-advised way to prepare for trial and does not provide for the flexibility necessary to
do a proper examination. Rather, I have found that the best way to prepare for examinations is to simply
list topics and exhibits that you want to cover. In my exhibit binder, I have my notes and highlighted
areas that I can formulate questions as I examine the witness.
Preparing an Opening
Great thought needs to go into an opening as it will tell the story to the jury. As the plaintiff, you have the
burden of proof and therefore have the first opportunity to address the jury. It is important to lay out the
facts as well as the law so that the jury understands exactly what you are going to prove. It is equally
important to acknowledge and address the case’s weaknesses and what defendants will likely say.
Credibility is crucial. Therefore, never promise anything that you cannot deliver on. If you plan to ask
for a large sum of money at the conclusion of the trial, you should also let the jury know that you will be
doing that at the closing arguments.
Jury Selection
Depending on your venue, you may either play an active or silent role in the jury selection. If you are
given an opportunity to address the jury in voir dire, attempt to build alliances among the jurors that you
like. This can be accomplished by asking other jurors to agree with a juror who has made a remark that
you think is positive and important to the case.
3
As you will likely need a unanimous jury to obtain a positive verdict, you should be looking to exclude
jurors who appear to be contentious and opinionated – those that may play “devil’s advocate” or take the
opposing view are jurors as a plaintiff’s lawyer you want to avoid.
Douglas H. Wigdor
Partner
WIGDOR LLP
85 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003
T: (212) 257-6800 | F: (212) 257-6845
[email protected]
www.wigdorlaw.com
4
Faculty Biographies
Louis Pechman
Louis Pechman has been recognized as a New York Super Lawyer and a Best Lawyer in the area
of Employment and Labor Law. In 2013, Mr. Pechman was honored as a “Top 100 New York
Metro Super Lawyer.” Mr. Pechman has also been rated “Superb” on Avvo.com and rated AV®
Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Pechman practices before federal and state courts and government agencies in all areas of
workplace law, including employment discrimination, union-management relations, employment
contracts, non-competition agreements, independent contractor issues, and wage and overtime
disputes. Mr. Pechman has litigated hundreds of federal and state court cases. As a practitioner
for thirty years in the labor and employment field, Mr. Pechman offers both individual
employees and employers practical guidance on improving the employment relationship and,
where appropriate, terminating that relationship.
A frequent contributor to the New York Law Journal and other business and legal publications,
Mr. Pechman often gives presentations on employment law topics, including fair pay practices,
the Americans with Disabilities Act, sexual harassment, and the development of human resource
policies and procedures. He has lectured at the Fordham University School of Law, New York
University School of Law, the Practising Law Institute, the American Bar Association and is a
former Chair of the New York County Lawyers’ Association Committee on Labor Relations and
Employment Law. Since 1996, Mr. Pechman has developed and moderated NYCLA’s annual
program on “How to Handle an Employment Discrimination Case.” He also moderates an annual
program at NYCLA on “How to Handle a Wage and Hour Case.”
Mr. Pechman is one of the leading practitioners in the area of restaurant litigation involving
claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law, and has recovered over
twenty million dollars in back wages for restaurant workers. He is the founder of waiterpay.com,
a site that focuses on complex wage and hour issues in the New York restaurant industry and
authors the Restaurant Worker News Blog.
Prior to founding Berke-Weiss & Pechman LLP, Mr. Pechman worked as a labor and
employment attorney at three Manhattan law firms, as in-house labor counsel with the New York
Daily News, and as a Field Examiner with the National Labor Relations Board. Admitted to the
New York and New Jersey Bars, he is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Industrial
and Labor Relations and the Fordham University School of Law.
Areas of Practice
•
•
•
•
Workplace Law
Employment Discrimination
Union-Management Relations
Employment Contracts
•
•
•
•
Non-Competition Agreements
Independent Contractor Issues
Wage/Hour Disputes
ERISA
Bar Admissions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
New York, 1984
New Jersey, 1985
U.S. District Court Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court Western District of New York
U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
Education
•
•
Fordham University School of Law, New York, New York, J.D.
Cornell University, Industrial and Labor Relations, B.S.
Honors and Awards
•
•
•
•
Best Lawyer, Employment and Labor Law, 2006 – 2014
New York Metro Super Lawyers, Top 100, 2013
New York Super Lawyer, 2006 – 2013
Rated AV® – Preeminent
Professional Associations and Memberships
•
•
•
•
•
Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Member, Labor and Employment Law
Committee
New York Women’s Bar Association, Co-Chair, Committee on Employment and Equal
Opportunity for Women
New York County Lawyers’ Association, Chair of the Committee on Labor Relations and
Employment Law, 1994-1998
New York State Bar Association, Member, Section on Labor and Employment Law
American Bar Association, Member, Section on Labor and Employment Law
Ronald Ellis - Judgepedia
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Ronald Ellis
From Judgepedia
Ronald Ellis
Ronald L. Ellis is a federal magistrate judge for the United
States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
He was appointed to this position in 1993.[1]
Biography and Education
Judge Ellis was born in 1950 in LaFourche, Louisiana. Judge
Ellis received his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering
from Manhattan College in 1972 and his J.D. degree from
Contents
◾ 1 Biography and Education
◾ 2 Career
◾ 3 Notable cases
◾ 3.1 Bernie Madoff case (2009)
◾ 4 External links
◾ 5 References
New York University in 1975.[2]
Career
Judge Ellis began his career as a patent attorney. He soon joined the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational
Fund, Inc., where he worked from 1976 until his judicial appointment. During this time, he was the
Director of the Fund's Fair Employment Program (1984 to 1990) and the Director of its Poverty & Justice
Program (1990 to 1993). He also taught law for twelve years at New York University and for three years at
the New York Law School.[1][3]
Notable cases
Bernie Madoff case (2009)
Do you have a photo that could go
here? Submit it for this profile by
emailing us!
(mailto:[email protected])
Current Court Information:
United States District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Title: Magistrate Judge
Station: New York, NY
Service:
Active: 1993 - Present
Personal History
Born: 1950
Hometown: LaFourche, LA
Undergraduate: Manhattan
College, B.S.,
1972
Law School: New York U. Law,
J.D., 1975
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
*UNITED STATES v. BERNARD L. MADOFF (http://cryptome.org/madoff/usa-061.pdf) 09 cr. 213(DC)
Ellis was the presiding judge in the case of disgraced investor Bernard Madoff in a alleged Ponzi scheme that impacted close to $50 billion dollars.
On January 12, 2009, Ellis ruled against a prosecutor's motion to revoke the bail of Bernard Madoff on the allegation that he sent heirlooms as part
of the remaining assets he owned; which Federal Prosecutors claimed was a violation of his bail agreement. Madoff, who was charged in December
2008 with running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme, continued to live under house arrest in his apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Ellis
imposed new conditions which included ordering Madoff to compile an inventory of all items in his home and barring him from transferring
property. “Because the government has failed to meet its legal burden, the motion is denied,” Ellis wrote in a 22-page ruling. “The government has
failed to articulate any flaw in the current conditions of release”. The United State's Attorney's Office revoked bail January 9,2009 after officials
discover Madoff's attempts to mail valuable items to close family and friends.[4] After waiving grand jury indictment, Madoff plead guilty to eleven
criminal charges, including mail fraud and money laundering. Through comment by his attorney, Madoff announced that he would not appeal his
150-year sentence.[5][6]
External links
◾ List of magistrate judges for the Southern District of New York (http://www1.nysd.uscourts.gov/judges.php?show=magistrate)
◾ The Robing Room- Rate Judge Ellis (http://www.therobingroom.com/Judge.aspx?ID=1440)
References
1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York: A Retrospective (1990-2000), "Hon. Ronald L. Ellis profile," December 2002
(http://www.nycla.org/publications/fedcts.pdf) Scroll to page 47
2. ↑ Just the Beginning Foundation: Biography of Ronald L. Ellis (http://www.jtbf.org/index.php?
src=directory&view=biographies&srctype=detail&refno=154)
3. ↑ Columbia Law School: Ronald L. Ellis biography (http://www.law.columbia.edu/fac/Ronald_Ellis)
4. ↑ "Bloomberg News," Federal Judge rules to keep Madoff's Bail, January 12, 2009 (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?
pid=20601087&sid=aY6Nb3uJLN74&refer=home)
http://judgepedia.org/Ronald_Ellis
5/16/2014
Ronald Ellis - Judgepedia
Page 2 of 2
5. ↑ ABC News, "Bernie Madoff Won't Appeal 150-Year Prison Term, Attorney Says," July 9, 2009 (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Madoff/story?
id=8041942&page=1#.UWc0qKuglZ8)
6. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Madoff Jailed After Admitting Epic Scam," March 13, 2009 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123685693449906551.html)
Federal judges who have served the United States District Court for the Southern District of
New York
[show]
Retrieved from "http://judgepedia.org/index.php?title=Ronald_Ellis&oldid=769567"
Categories: Magistrate judge, Southern District of New York Manhattan College Alumni New York U. Law Alumni
Federal magistrate judge
◾ This page was last modified on 28 February 2014, at 14:07.
http://judgepedia.org/Ronald_Ellis
5/16/2014
James M. Lemonedes | New York, New York Attorney | Fox Rothschild LLP
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MENU
James M. Lemonedes
Partner
New York, NY
212.878.7918
Jim is the Chair of the New York Employment Litigation Group, which addresses Fox clients’ labor and
employment litigation needs in all federal and state courts and administrative tribunals, as well as arbitration
hearings in New York. As former Senior Counsel/Trial Specialist for the New York City Corporation Counsel’s
Office, Jim possesses a wealth of experience handling federal and state court litigations involving employment
discrimination, civil rights claims, wage and hour matters and policy issues. He has served as lead counsel in more
than 60 federal and state trials that have gone to verdict and has appeared in numerous administrative
proceedings.
Jim frequently handles class action and collective action law suits as well as single and multi-plaintiff claims
under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Uniformed Services Employment and
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James M. Lemonedes | New York, New York Attorney | Fox Rothschild LLP
Page 2 of 4
Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), as well as such claims under the New York State and New York City
Human Rights Laws and the New York Labor Law. Jim is also experienced in handling constitutional claims
under Sections 1981 and 1983 of the United States Code.
Representative Matters
Jim has appeared as lead trial counsel in the following representative matters:
Scott v. City of New York
Successfully defended the City of New York in a class action law suit involving 16,000 present and former police
officers and detectives claiming violations of the FLSA and seeking $500 million in damages
Mullins v. City of New York
Successfully defended the City of New York in a collective action case brought on by 4,000 present and former
police sergeants claiming violations of the FLSA and seeking $60 million in damages
Plummer v. Quinn
Successfully defended Speaker of the New York City Council Christine Quinn and the City of New York against a
Section 1983 claim
Almontaser v. NYC Dept. of Education
Successfully defended the New York City Department of Education and several individual defendants against a
Section 1983 claim regarding an organization that distributed T-shirts displaying an offensive slogan
Latino Officers Association v. New York City
Defended New York City in a class action law suit filed on behalf of 15,000 current and former minority police
officers alleging violations of Title VII and Section 1981, employment discrimination and employment
misconduct, which ultimately was settled on very favorable terms
Patrolman’s Benevolent Ass’n v. City of New York
Represented the City of New York and various high-ranking public officials in a multi-plaintiff jury trial
concerning Title VII and Section 1983 discrimination and retaliation violations regarding the transfer of minority
police officers in the wake of the Abner Louima incident
Tesser v. Board of Education for the City of New York
Successfully defended the New York City Board of Education against a Title VII religious discrimination and
retaliation claim
USA v. City
Represented the City of New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Fire Department for the City of New York
(FDNY) in a multi-plaintiff and US Department of Justice action asserting race discrimination under Title VII and
Section 1983 in the hiring of minorities
Davis v. City of New York
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5/16/2014
James M. Lemonedes | New York, New York Attorney | Fox Rothschild LLP
Page 3 of 4
Successfully defended the City of New York against a claim from a former city councilman running for a position
on New York City Council after the New York Police Department enforced a provision that “deems reigned” any
police officer who is nominated by any party for an elected official and who does not decline that nomination
within ten days
Before Fox Rothschild
Prior to joining the firm, Jim served as Senior Counsel to the New York City Corporation Counsel. He also spent
several years in private practice at his own firm.
Jim is a former law clerk for the Honorable Edward M. Conan of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District
of New York. While in law school, he served as survey editor of the Syracuse Law Review.
Biography
News
Practice Areas
Labor & Employment
Bar Admissions
New York
Education
J.D., cum laude, Syracuse University College of Law, 1979
B.A., The George Washington University, 1976
Court Admissions
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships
New York City Bar Association (Chair, FLSA sub-committee; member, Labor & Employment Law Committee)
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5/16/2014
James M. Lemonedes | New York, New York Attorney | Fox Rothschild LLP
Page 4 of 4
Hellenic Lawyers Association
©2014 All content of this web site is the property and copyright of Fox Rothschild LLP and may not be reproduced in any format without
prior express permission.
Contact [email protected] for more information or to seek permission to reproduce content.
Attorney Advertising
http://www.foxrothschild.com/attorneys/james-lemonedes.html
5/16/2014
Douglas Wigdor - New York's Best Employment Lawyer | Wigdor LLP
WIGDOR LLP
THE FIRM
BL O G
THE TEAM
EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION
Page 1 of 6
«
OTHER PRA CTICE AREAS
TESTIMONIAL S & VICTORIES
ţ
PRESS & NEWS
CON TACT
No other employment lawyer in New York has a comparable record both in the courtroom
and at the negotiating table. Mr. Wigdor routinely tries cases to verdict– having received
http://www.wigdorlaw.com/the-team/douglas-wigdor/
5/16/2014
Douglas Wigdor - New York's Best Employment Lawyer | Wigdor LLP
Page 2 of 6
numerous decisions in the millions of dollars and regularly appearing in the New York Law
WIGDOR LLP
Journal’s “Top Verdicts.”
«
ţ
THE FIRM THE TEAM EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION
OTHER PRA CTICE AREAS TESTIMONIAL S & VICTORIES PRESS & NEWS
As
a former Federal Law Clerk in the Eastern
District of New York, an Assistant District
Attorney, and a senior lawyer at a prominent management side employment firm, he
BL O G
CON TACT
brings his trial experience to bear, regularly trying cases in federal and state court as well as
arbitration tribunals. Because of his trial abilities, he routinely settles cases, valued in the
hundreds of millions of dollars, through informal negotiations and mediation. His cases are
regularly cited by other lawyers and judges in their judicial opinions.
á
CONTA CT
.
Over the past eight years, the New York Law Journal has featured Mr. Wigdor and
Wigdor LLP’s clients in top New York State verdicts six times, including the number one
employment verdict in 2011, and the number two employment verdict and number one
disability discrimination verdict in 2012. Mr. Wigdor also regularly appears in appellate
courts, including the Second Circuit, New York Court of Appeals and First Department
arguing some of the most ground-breaking and closely watched legal issues in the
employment field.
Some of his notable outcomes include:
• $23.72 million arbitration award on behalf of the former Chief Financial Officer of Six
Flags
• $7.5 million verdict in a disability discrimination case against Wal-Mart, one of the
largest verdicts ever in a single plaintiff case under the Americans with Disabilities Act
• $8 million (appx.) verdict on behalf of the former Editor-in-Chief of the Source
Magazine, who was retaliated against after she complained of gender discrimination
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5/16/2014
Douglas Wigdor - New York's Best Employment Lawyer | Wigdor LLP
Page 3 of 6
• $3.35 million verdict on behalf of a former employee of Nassau County whose due
WIGDOR LLP
«
ţ
process rights were violated
THE FIRM
THE TEAM
EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION
OTHER PRA CTICE AREAS
TESTIMONIAL S & VICTORIES
PRESS & NEWS
• $1.35 million verdict in a disability case where our client was terminated from his
BL O G
CON TACT
employer after disclosing he was HIV positive
Two peer review studies, The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, have
recognized Mr. Wigdor as one of the nation’s leading labor and employment lawyers. Mr.
Wigdor was recently selected as a Blue Ribbon Panelist for Super Lawyers in the
employment litigation / labor and employment field after receiving one of the highest point
totals in the Super Lawyers rankings. As a Blue Ribbon Panelist, Mr. Wigdor will rate
other candidates and provide recommendations regarding the candidacy of other lawyers to
the prestigious Super Lawyers rankings. Mr. Wigdor has also received an AV rating from
Martindale-Hubbell indicating that his peers rank him as one of the preeminent lawyers in
the labor and employment field. Avvo, a well-respected lawyer-rating agency, rates Mr.
Wigdor at 10.0, its highest rating (“superb”). Mr. Wigdor has been asked by Law360, a
news source read by thousands of corporate counsel and firm decision makers everyday, to
become a member of their 2014 Employment Law Editorial Advisory Board. Members of
this board serve as a resource for Law360 to get feedback on the publication’s coverage in
addition to insight from experts in the field, such as Mr. Wigdor. More recently Mr.
Wigdor has had the honor of being selected as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The
National Trial Lawyers.
Mr. Wigdor’s handling of numerous high profile cases has resulted in frequent media
appearances, including on Nightline, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN
American Morning, Your World with Neil Cavuto as well as regular spots on CNBC,
ABC News, CBS News, NY1, the BBC, and NBC News. Mr. Wigdor is frequently
quoted as a legal expert in newspapers and magazines including The New York Times,
Wall Street Journal, New York Law Journal, London Times, Daily Telegraph, London
Independent, USA Today, New York Post, and Daily News.
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Mr. Wigdor coined the phrase “Recessionary Discrimination” to characterize the growing
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trend by companies of using mass lay-offs to cover-up the discriminatory treatment and/or
impact on groups of women, people of color and those over 40.
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Mr. Wigdor is also a lecturer, editor and author of articles on employment and criminal
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related subjects, having been quoted frequently in the New York Law Journal, presenting
lectures to various Bar Associations, speaking at Oxford and Cambridge Universities and
publishing articles in numerous journals. Mr. Wigdor also recently spoke at a Human
Resources seminar on the topic of retaliation in the workplace and has been a feathered
speaker at the American Conference Institute. In May 2013, at the request of The National
Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Task Force, Mr. Wigdor testified on the
Restoration of Rights and Status After Conviction. Mr. Wigdor has the rare qualification to
practice law in both the U.S. and U.K. as a qualified solicitor in England and Wales. Mr.
Wigdor’s practice focuses on litigation and counseling of individuals and companies in
connection with a wide array of employment issues, criminal matters and international
issues including:
• a group of women in a gender discrimination case against Citigroup
• a group of women in a pregnancy discrimination case against a large investment bank
• a group of women who were paid less than similarly situated men against a large bank
• executives in sexual orientation claims against their employer
• the former CFO of Six Flags
• a group of people of color in a race and national origin claim against Bank of America
• Individual women in an alleged gender discrimination class action complaint against
Dresdner Kleinwort
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5/16/2014
Douglas Wigdor - New York's Best Employment Lawyer | Wigdor LLP
• the former Tour Manager of ‘NSYNC’ in a lawsuit against ‘NSYNC’
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• numerous
their
Wall
employers
and in conjunction
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EMPLOYMENT bankers
LITIGATION against
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with negotiating employment and severance agreements
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• several employees in claims of race discrimination against Radianz, Reuters and
Equant
• several employees in age discrimination claims against their employers
• employees in a large wage and hour case against CitiMortgage
• several celebrity models, actors, actresses and well-known chefs in various legal
disputes
Mr. Wigdor had the honor of serving as a Federal Law Clerk to United States District
Judge Arthur D. Spatt and was appointed as an Assistant District Attorney in Suffolk
County, New York; where he investigated, prosecuted and tried hundreds of criminal
matters ranging from robberies and burglaries to complex schemes to defraud. Mr. Wigdor
was rapidly promoted to the Complex Litigation Bureau where he both litigated and
supervised the litigation of white collar matters — complex financial crimes, including
organized crime, bank fraud, insurance fraud, tax evasion, identity theft and elder abuse.
Because of the breadth of his criminal litigation experience, Mr. Wigdor was appointed
under the Federal Criminal Justice Act to serve a three-year term, in the Eastern District of
New York, as a criminal defense lawyer in selected criminal cases.
Mr. Wigdor received his undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis,
cum laude, where he was a member of the Varsity Tennis Team; a Masters Degree from
Oxford University in England; and his Juris Doctor from Catholic University School of
Law in Washington, D.C., graduating in the top of his class. Mr. Wigdor was a Senior Staff
Member on the Catholic University Law Review and an Editor of the Oxford International
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Douglas Wigdor - New York's Best Employment Lawyer | Wigdor LLP
Page 6 of 6
Review. While at Oxford, Mr. Wigdor received a coveted “Full-Blue,” was a member of
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the Vincent’s Club and was the President of his College Student Body.
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OTHER PRA CTICE AREAS TESTIMONIAL S & VICTORIES PRESS & NEWS
Mr.
Wigdor is an active and philanthropic
member of the Forest Hills community, where
he serves on the legal committee of the Forest Hills Gardens Association, has had the
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privilege of managing several baseball teams in the Forest Hills Little League and coaching
a basketball team at the Forest Hills YMHA and Forest Hills Community House. Mr.
Wigdor is a former member of the Governing Committee of the Oxonian Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing heads of state to address its members, and was also
a member in both the Alexander Hamilton and Theodore Roosevelt Inns of Court wherein
he worked together with other selected lawyers and state and federal judges in the analysis
of current legal issues.
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5/16/2014