FN-5740504 MN-5740504 LN-5740504, Esq.
Labor & Employment Attorney, Mediator, and Arbitrator.
New York, New York
Experienced employment law mediator, arbitrator and litigator. I have trial experience as both in-house counsel and in private practice in defending and, at times bringing, cases involving breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, the Defend Trade Secrets Act, violations of federal and state laws in cases alleging sex, sexual harassment, race, religion, national origin, disability, and FLSA wage and hour and state law prevailing wage claims. A firm believer in ADR and the practicalities and efficiencies inherent in mediation and arbitration versus civil court litigation.
Messner Reeves LLP, Employment Law Partner, N.Y. Office
Labor & Employment Attorney, Mediator, and Arbitrator.
Labo4 and Employment Law Partner, Messner Reeves LLP, 2023, ; Partner, Seglias, 2022-2023; Partner, Michelman & Robinson, 2019-2022; Partner, Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney, 2012-2019; Partner, Fox Rothschild, 2010-2012; Partner, Seyfarth Shaw, 2006-2010; Partner, Brown Raysman, 2002-2006; Senior Vice President Employment Law and Human Resources, Frontier Telephone, 2000-2002; Partner, Greenberg Traurig, 1999-2000; Associate General Counsel for Labor and Employment Law, Frontier Telephone, 1996-1999; Law Firm Associate, 1986-1996.
Over 30 years' experience as a counselor, litigator, and manager concentrating on the law of the workplace, workplace dynamics, corporate governance, policy design, and team management. Extensive employment law experience as a litigator and counselor. Employment law cases litigated include numerous cases, in arbitration, state and federal courts involving age, race, disability, national origin, sex, sexual harassment, and equal pay discrimination, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, non-competition agreements, wage and hour, and failure to pay the prevailing wage.
Recent representations include filing the first Defend Trade Secrets Act case in the US and obtaining the first seizure order; representing a plaintiff finance executive in a defamation, breach of oral contract jury trial in the Southern District of New York resulting in a million-dollar plaintiff's award; defending one of New York's largest hospital networks in a six-week national origin, sex discrimination jury trial in New York Supreme Court, Bronx County. Significant experience in corporate governance, conflict management; and bringing misappropriation of trade secret cases against employees in a variety of settings, countries, and circumstances.
Recent representations include filing the first Defend Trade Secrets Act case in the US and obtaining the first seizure order; representing a plaintiff finance executive in a defamation, breach of oral contract jury trial in the Southern District of New York resulting in a million-dollar plaintiff's award; defending one of New York's largest hospital networks in a six-week national origin, sex discrimination jury trial in New York Supreme Court, Bronx County. Significant experience in corporate governance, conflict management; and bringing misappropriation of trade secret cases against employees in a variety of settings, countries, and circumstances.
Extensive experience in the mediation of both labor, employment, and breach of contract matters. Recent cases include an age and national origin claims collectively brought by several drug store managers against a major drug store chain, numerous FLSA actions for misclassification and unpaid wages, an ADA claim brought by department store worker against a major cosmetics company that required resolution of joint employment issues, and breach of an executive employment agreement matter involving breach of a non-compete and misappropriation of trade secrets.
Sexual harassment, violations of the FLSA, breach of contract and related business torts, defamation per-se, race and age discrimination, misappropriation of trade secrets (DTSA, UTSA, and NY Law), worker classification, divorce and child parenting plans.
I am not simply a messenger who travels between caucus rooms. Rather, I am an active participant and idea generator in the mediation process. I know the law and what makes employment and labor litigation different from its commercial counterpart. I understand that optics can be as important as facts. The workplace is emotional. It is a complex, hierarchical, rule-based, eco-system populated by people with different educations, agendas, expectations, sensitivities, and perceptions. I appreciate the tensions these conflicting forces generate and that they must be considered and monetized when fashioning a workable settlement. Using the currency of mediation: law, facts, money, time, non-economic tangibles, tenacity, creativity, a new perspective, and appreciating the pluses and minuses of each side’s, I work doggedly with the parties to achieve settlement.
Word, Excel, Power Point, Notability, various document management programs.
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (JD, Law Journal-1986); University of Michigan (BA, honors, Political Science-1981).
Admitted to the Bar: New York (1987); US District Court: Southern, Eastern, Western Districts of New York, District of Connecticut; US Court of Appeals: 2nd and 5th Circuits; US Supreme Court.
ABA; NYSBA; Federal Bar Council, Inn of Court Master; International Bar Association; SDNY Court Appointed Mediator for Employment Law; SHRM.
Publications:
Battling Bias in Workplace Predictive A.I.: Challenges for Employers and the Bar, New York Law Journal, January 19, 2024.
Undue Hardship: An Employer Response to Requests for Religious Accommodation to Avoid Mandatory Vaccination. NY Law Journal, 2021.
Speaker: International Bar Association.
Seminars/Webinars: Restrictive Covenants, Mandatory Vaccinations, Wearables in the Workplace, Mediating Employment Law Disputes, Misappropriation of Trade Secrets.
Battling Bias in Workplace Predictive A.I.: Challenges for Employers and the Bar, New York Law Journal, January 19, 2024.
Undue Hardship: An Employer Response to Requests for Religious Accommodation to Avoid Mandatory Vaccination. NY Law Journal, 2021.
Speaker: International Bar Association.
Seminars/Webinars: Restrictive Covenants, Mandatory Vaccinations, Wearables in the Workplace, Mediating Employment Law Disputes, Misappropriation of Trade Secrets.
Five boroughs of the City of New York and Fairfield County, CT.
$650 Per Hour
English
United States of America
New York, NY
The AAA’s Rules provide the AAA with the authority to administer a mediation including, mediator appointment, general oversight and billing. Accordingly, mediations that proceed without AAA administration are not considered AAA mediations, even when the parties select an mediator who is on the AAA’s Roster.
The information contained in this resume has been supplied solely by the individual mediator and may, or may not, be a complete recitation of their experience. The AAA assumes no responsibility for the content, completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in a mediator’s resume. If you have any questions about a mediator’s experience or background, you are encouraged to contact your case manager.
Mediators on the AAA Roster are not employees or agents of the AAA.
The information contained in this resume has been supplied solely by the individual mediator and may, or may not, be a complete recitation of their experience. The AAA assumes no responsibility for the content, completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in a mediator’s resume. If you have any questions about a mediator’s experience or background, you are encouraged to contact your case manager.
Mediators on the AAA Roster are not employees or agents of the AAA.
