Nina T. Pirrotti

Top rated Employment & Labor attorney in New Haven, Connecticut

Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C.
Nina T. Pirrotti
Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C.

Practice Areas: Employment & Labor, Employment Litigation

Licensed in Connecticut since: 2006

Education: Yale Law School

Languages Spoken: English, Italian

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2013 - 2024

Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C.

405 Orange Street
New Haven, CT 06511 Phone: 203-777-4425 Email: Nina T. Pirrotti Visit website

Nina Pirrotti represents individuals in employment and civil rights litigation and negotiation. A member of the Executive Board of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA); Vice Chair of the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section’s Trial Advocacy Competition Committee; a Co-Chair of the Employee Privacy subcommittee of the American Bar Association’s Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee; a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF); a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers (CLEL); and a past president of the Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), she is well versed in all aspects of employment law, including discrimination (on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, religious creed, marital status, pregnancy, or national origin), sexual harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, contract disputes (including those involving restrictive covenant agreements), FMLA and related leave of absence issues, unpaid wages, severance agreements, and whistleblower claims.

Nina also advocates on behalf of students and faculty. She has guided numerous students through their universities’ internal disciplinary procedures and has advised faculty members who have been targets of internal investigations. Nina has also litigated on behalf of students seeking to discharge their rights under Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination and sexual harassment in educational institutions that receive federal funding.

Nina Pirrotti has received many honors for her advocacy on behalf of employees. She was named by Best Lawyers of America as its 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” for Employment Law- Individuals in New Haven, Connecticut and received that same honor in 2020. As one of the oldest and most respected peer review publications in the legal profession, Best Lawyers of America selects the top one percent of lawyers in the United States each year to be recognized in its rankings. While Nina has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers of America in previous years, her selection as “Lawyer of the Year” for 2023 and 2020 is due to the extremely high feedback Best Lawyers received from her peers and is a singular honor.

Nina has also been honored by Super Lawyers every year since 2013. Most recently, in 2022, she was featured on the cover of Super Lawyers Magazine and received one of Super Lawyers’ highest honors, a 2022 Top 50 Connecticut Super Lawyer, placing her among the Top 50 lawyers of the state. She was also named as a Top 25 Connecticut Women Super Lawyer. This is not the first time she has made these two top lists. Nina was also selected as a 2014 Top 50 and has repeatedly been selected as a Top 25 Connecticut Woman Super Lawyer, and as a Top 50 New England Woman Super Lawyers. In 2010, Nina was named by the Connecticut Law Tribune as one of its Women in the Law – High Achievers.

Even before Nina decided to represent employees, students, and faculty, she had already devoted almost 15 years to civil rights and public service. At the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, she was appointed to the Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau, prosecuting homicides, bank robberies, kidnappings, and pattern crimes. And as an Assistant Corporation Counsel at the Law Department for the City of New York, she received the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Municipal Affairs Award for outstanding achievement.

Nina is an experienced trial advocate, having served as lead counsel in approximately 25 jury trials and 50 bench trials. She taught Trial Advocacy at the New York Prosecutor’s Training Institute, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, and the New York City Law Department, and trial practice at Quinnipiac Law School as an adjunct professor.

Nina served as president of the CELA for approximately a decade and as a Co-Chair of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) Affiliate Relations Committee, as well as its Second Circuit representative for several years. She has also served as a Track Coordinator for the American Bar Association’s 6th and 7th Annual Section Conferences and as a liaison for the ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law’s Diversity in the Legal Profession Committee. She routinely lectures nationally on employment related topics.

In 2015, Nina was appointed by the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut to serve as a member of the Local Civil Rules Advisory Committee, which advises the Court concerning the rules for civil litigation.

In 2021, Nina was elected to the Connecticut Bar Foundation 2021 James W. Cooper Fellows Program. Fellows are nominated by their peers based on their outstanding service to the profession and larger community and are elected by the CBF Board of Directors. The James W. Cooper Fellows Program explores ways to improve the profession and the administration of justice.

Nina received her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University, where she majored in Theater. She received her law degree from Yale Law School, where she was a member of the Journal of Law and Feminism and participated in the Barrister’s Union, a competitive mock trial organization. Nina began her legal career as an associate at commercial litigation firms and devoted significant time to pro bono matters, including employment discrimination and First Amendment/whistleblower cases.

First Admitted: 1992, New York

Professional Webpage: https://garrisonlaw.com/about-the-firm/nina-t-pirrotti/

Special Licenses/Certifications:

  • Connecticut Bar Admission, 2006

  • New York Bar Admission, 1992
Other Outstanding Achievements:
  • Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Municipal Affairs Award for outstanding achievement; American Jurisprudence awards in Constitutional Law, Legal Writing I, Legal Writing II, Torts, Criminal Law, Legal Procedure; Civil Procedure
Educational Background:
  • J.D., Yale Law School. Nina Pirrotti was a member of the Journal of Law and Feminism and participated in the Barrister’s Union, a competitive mock trial organization., 1991
  • B.A., Wesleyan University, 1985
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
  • $850,000 settlement on behalf of employee who endured disability discrimination and FMLA retaliation., 2021
  • Obtained $1.75 million settlement against a major university following litigation of Title IX and Title VII claims on behalf of an employee who had been sexually harassed and assaulted in the workplace. , 2020
  • Obtained mid-six figure settlement following litigation of Equal Pay Act and gender discrimination claims on behalf of a female physician leader who was paid significantly less than her male counterpart., 2018
  • Achieved $1 million settlement on behalf of an employee who had been sexually harassed and assaulted by a co-worker. The settlement included this major employer’s commitment to revamping its sexual harassment training, investigation and response to those who report it.
  • Represented five plaintiffs (three members of management and two staff members) insexual harassment and retaliation claims against a major Connecticut employer, resulting in a settlement in excess of $1 million.
  • Defended hedge fund manager in complex arbitration brought by his former employer (also a hedge fund), alleging violation of the parties’ restrictive covenant. Despite employer’s demand for millions of dollars in damages, the arbitration panel awarded only nominal damages of $2.
  • Represented former employee against start-up technology company for failure to pay wages. After plaintiff quit her job prior to the expiration of her employment contract and filed a wage claim with the Department of Labor, the employer counterclaimed for breach of contract. Obtained dismissal of breach of contract action and brought successful arbitration against employer for, among other claims, retaliation and violation of wage and hour laws.
  • Co-counseled with renowned civil rights attorneys Gloria Allred and Nathan Goldberg in representing five students and alumnae who alleged that their university’s indifferent response to reports of sexual assault and harassment violated Title IX.  Case settled for $1.285 million. The university made significant positive changes in its procedures for responding to reports of sexual violence.
  • Represented high-level executive in age discrimination case against Fortune 100 company. Successfully briefed appeal to Second Circuit, which reversed District Court decision granting summary judgment. Case subsequently settled for $3.5 million.
  • Represented four sales representatives in race discrimination and hostile work environment case against local Connecticut business. Case settled for $245,000.
  • Represented two school principals in sexual harassment action against the superintendent of schools. Case settled on favorable terms, including monetary settlement and imposition of new procedure for internal complaints against superintendent.
  • Represented orchestra conductor in disability discrimination case. Case settled on favorable terms, including a significant monetary settlement, private apology, and gala retirement reception in conductor’s honor.
  • Represented insurance agent for national insurance company under Connecticut free speech statute after agent’s contract was not renewed following his complaints about fraudulent insurance practices. Case settled for $350,000.
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
  • Framing Your Case to Defeat Summary Judgement, National Employment Lawyers Association Fall Conference, Atlanta GA (October 6, 2023), 2023
  • Yes, You Can! How to Be an Ally for Women Physician Colleagues, American College of Physicians - CT Chapter via Zoom (September 5, 2023), 2023
  • Introduction to Law, Social Justice and Trial Practice, Guest Lecturer, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (August 10, 2023), 2023
  • The Impact of Worker Tracking / Monitoring on Employee Privacy and Productivity, ABA Labor and Employment Section ERR Committee Annual meeting, Speaker/Moderator, Palm Springs, California., The Impact of Worker Tracking / Monitoring on Employee Privacy and Productivity, 2023
  • U.S. Women’s Soccer: Advancing Equity and Equality Through the Collective Bargaining Process, American Bar Association, Washington DC (November 12, 2022), U.S. Women’s Soccer: Advancing Equity and Equality Through the Collective Bargaining Process, 2022
  • Prevent Liability Before the Lawsuit: Perspectives from Plaintiff’s Counsel, CBIA, Farmington, CT (November 3, 2022), Speaker, Prevent Liability Before the Lawsuit: Perspectives from Plaintiff’s Counsel, 2022
  • A Rapidly Evolving Workplace: New Claims and New Themes, Panelist, A Rapidly Evolving Workplace: New Claims and New Themes, Practising Law Institute, 2022
  • Virtual, Speaker, He for She: How to be an Ally for Women Physician Colleagues, American College of Physicians - CT Chapter, 2022
  • Introduction to Law, Social Justice and Trial Practice, Guest Lecturer, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 2022
  • Workers Rising: Honoring Courageous Plaintiffs, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, 2022
  • Employment Claims Born of the Pandemic, Practising Law Institute (PLI) Chronicle, Writer, Employment Claims Born of the Pandemic, Practising Law Institute Chronicle, 2021
  • Psychological Issues in the Workplace 2021: A Profoundly Changed Workplace: New Claims and New Themes, Practising Law Institute (PLI), New York City and Live Webcast, Panelist, Psychological Issues in the Workplace 2021: A Profoundly Changed Workplace: New Claims and New Themes, Practising Law Institute, 2021
  • Yes, You Can! How to Be an Ally for Women Physician Colleagues, American College of Physicians - CT Chapter via Zoom, Speaker, Yes, You Can! How to Be an Ally for Women Physician Colleagues, American College of Physicians - CT Chapter, 2021
  • Gender Inequities in Careers in Medicine, American College of Physicians - CT Chapter via Zoom, Speaker, Gender Inequities in Careers in Medicine, American College of Physicians - CT Chapter, 2021
  • Ten Commandments of Persuasive Cross-Examination, Co-Presenter, Connecticut Bar Association, Co-Presenter, Ten Commandments of Persuasive Cross-Examination, Connecticut Bar Association, 2021
  • How COVID-19 Struck A Blow to Women's Careers and the Strategies to Recover, New York City Bar Association, Panelist, How COVID-19 Struck A Blow to Women's Careers and the Strategies to Recover, New York City Bar Association, 2021
  • How to Cross Without Being Cross, Guest Lecturer, Trial Advocacy Class at American University, Washington, DC, Guest Lecturer, How to Cross Without Being Cross, Trial Advocacy Class at American University, 2021
  • Promoting & Ensuring Diversity in the Workplace, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Panel via Zoom., Speaker, Promoting & Ensuring Diversity in the Workplace, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, 2020
  • Gender Pay Equality - Women in Medicine, American College of Physicians - CT Chapter, via Zoom, Speaker, Gender Pay Equality - Women in Medicine, American College of Physicians - CT Chapter, 2020
  • Discrimination and Retaliation in the Medical Profession, American College of Physicians - CT Chapter, via Zoom, Speaker, Discrimination and Retaliation in the Medical Profession, American College of Physicians - CT Chapter, 2020
  • Psychological Issues in the Workplace 2020: Resolving Emotionally Complicated Employment Disputes Through Mediation, Speaker, PLI Conference, NY, NY, 2020
  • The Nuts & Bolts Of Litigating Sexual Harassment & Assault Cases, Moderator, National Employment Lawyers Association Virtual Convention, Moderator, The Nuts & Bolts Of Litigating Sexual Harassment & Assault Cases, NELA Virtual Convention, Employment, 2020
  • A reader writes about the state beginning chapter two of the novel we have been all been living for the past few months, known as “Coronavirus.” , Writer, Coronavirus Letters: The employee who returns to work, The Hartford Courant, 2020
  • It is always challenging for the terminated employee to figure out an employer’s true motivation. Now that Covid-19 is in the picture, the employer is presented with the opportunity of burying that truth one layer deeper.  , Employee Beware! Using Virus as a Cover for Unlawful Firings, New York Times, 2020
  • A lawyer explores all the facts surrounding a COVID-19-related job termination to figure out where the truth lies—or at least where the evidence points.  , Writer, In the Case of the Lost Job, the Lawyer Must Play Detective: A lawyer explores all the facts surrounding a COVID-19-related job termination to figure out where the truth lies,, Connecticut Law Tribune, 2020
  • As a civil rights lawyer and former prosecutor devoted to empowerment, I rejoiced when the #MeToo movement went viral in October 2017. Yet, even though the movement’s second-year anniversary is now in full swing, I believe #MeToo has yet to evolve into what it should be: #AllofUs., Writer, #MeToo Should Really Be #AllofUs, Connecticut Law Tribune, 2019
  • Fellow Yale Student, Kavanaugh Contemporary: The Nominee Should Not Be Presumed Innocent, Connecticut Law Tribune, (Oct. 3, 2018), Yale Student, Kavanaugh Contemporary: The Nominee Should Not Be Presumed Innocent, Connecticut Law Tribune (Oct. 3, 2018), CT Law Tribune, 2019
  • Article discusses the win-win opportunity for employers who embrace the #MeToo movement., #MeToo Should Really Be #AllofUs, Connecticut Law Tribune (March 15, 2019), CT Law Tribune, 2019

  • Harnessing The #MeToo Momentum- Practical Considerations When Representing Clients In Harassment Cases, NELA Conference, Scottsdale, AZ (October 2018)

  • Pay Equity Issues Under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII, New York Affiliate of National Employment Lawyers’ Association, New York, NY (May 23, 2018)

  • Human Trafficking: Issues Relevant to Business, Employment & Humanitarian Lawyers Wilmington, NC (May 18, 2018)

  • What to do when the Media Calls, American Bar Association Labor and Employment Section, National Webinar (May 9, 2018)

  • Rule 30(b)(6) Depositions: The Unsung Hero of the Plaintiff’s Employment Case, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Labor and Employment Section, Raleigh, NC (February 2018)

  • The Employee Who Stays: A Tangled Web, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX (June 2017)

  • Rule 30(b)(6) Depositions: How and When to Use Them, NELA New York Spring Conference, New York, NY (May 2017)

  • Examining Sanctionable Conduct: Rule 11 from a Plaintiff Employment Lawyer’s Perspective, American Bar Association Employee Rights & Responsibilities Committee 2017 Midwinter Conference, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (March 2017)

  • Getting to the Root of the Problem: A Trend Toward a More Practical Approach to Addressing Discrimination and Retaliation in the Workplace, in Complying with Employment Regulations: Leading Lawyers on Analyzing Legislation and Adapting to the Changing State of Employment Law (Thomson Reuters/Aspatore 2016-17 )

  • The New Standards on Sharing Wage and Other Confidential Information in the Workplace: The Growing Trend Toward Eliminating Contributors to the Gender Pay Gap, American Bar Association Labor & Employment Annual Conference, Chicago, IL (November 2016)

  • What I Wish I Knew When I was Starting out as a Plaintiff’s Employment Lawyer: Top Ten Tips, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Los Angeles, CA (June 2016)

  • Unraveling the Complexities of Workplace Investigations, American Bar Association Employee Rights & Responsibilities Committee 2016 Midwinter Conference, New Orleans, LA (March 2016)

  • Handling Suspected Workplace Theft, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Southern Connecticut Chapter, Workplace Law Symposium, Stamford, CT (September 2015)

  • Sexual Harassment & Assault Under Title IX, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA (June 2015)

  • Handling Suspected Employee Theft, Connecticut Law Tribune (Apr. 27, 2015)

  • Unclean Hands: Issues Surrounding Employee Theft, American Bar Association Employee Rights & Responsibilities Committee 2015 Midwinter Conference, Naples, FL (March 2015)

  • Tips from the Pros: Effective Negotiating Strategies for Success, Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA) 2015 Annual Conference, Washington, DC (February 2015)

  • Workplace Bullying: A Problem for Everyone, Connecticut Law Tribune (Dec. 22, 2014)

  • Top Employment Policies (with emphasis on workplace investigations, use of social media, LBGT discrimination, bullying in the workplace and post-employment retaliation), American Bar Association Labor & Employment Annual Conference, Los Angeles, CA (November 2014)

  • Successful Negotiations: The Unsung Value of the Human Connection, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Boston, MA (June 2014)

  • Internal Investigations in a Digital "Workplace," American Bar Association National Symposium on Technology and Labor & Employment Law, New York, NY (May 2014)

  • Damages Strategies: Recent Developments, Legal Theories, and the Role of Expert Witnesses, American Bar Association Webinar (December 2013)

  • Bullies in the Workplace, American Bar Association Labor & Employment Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA (November 2013)

  • Tips for Conducting a Successful Direct Examination of the Plaintiff, Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, Orange, CT (October 2013)

  • What Really Happened – Investigating Workplace Discrimination, American Arbitration Association Webinar (October 2013)

  • Using the Employer’s Flawed Investigation to Support the Plaintiff’s Case, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO (June 2013)

  • Damage Strategies Beyond Back and Front Pay: Wage Recoveries and the Role of Expert Witnesses, American Bar Association Labor & Employment EEO Conference, Savannah, GA (April 2013)

  • Retaliation After Employment Ends: The Former Employer’s “Parting Shot”, Connecticut Law Tribune (Jan. 28, 2013)

  • Strategic Considerations for Workplace Investigations, Connecticut Law Tribune (Oct. 22, 2012)

  • Executive Behavior Run Amok: Strategic Considerations for Workplace Investigations, American Bar Association Labor & Employment Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA (October 2012)

  • Retaliation in the Post-Employment Context – The Former Employer’s Parting Shot, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, San Diego, CA (June 2012)

  • Retaliation in the Post Employment Context: Not a Time to Let Your Guard Down, American Bar Association Labor & Employment Annual Conference, Seattle, WA (November 2011)

  • Transforming Weaknesses into Strength at Trial, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC (June 2010)

  • Pregnancy and Family Responsibility Discrimination – Romantic Paternalism is Alive and Well, Connecticut Women’s Education & Legal Fund, New Haven, CT (June 2010)

  • Investigating and Bringing a Claim – The Employee’s Lawyer’s Perspective, Worker’s Compensation Trust, Wallingford, CT (April 2010)

  • Pregnancy Discrimination: Why It May Be the Most Difficult Form of Discrimination to Eradicate from the Workplace, Blog, Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association (Oct. 26, 2010)

  • Shopping at Wal-Mart: The Savings Are Not Worth the Price, Blog, Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association (Nov. 19, 2009)

  • Survey of Employee Friendly State Laws, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Palm Springs, CA (June 2009)

  • Defending Depositions, National Employment Lawyers Association Conference, Denver, CO (March 2009)

  • Trial Themes, National Employment Lawyers Association Regional Conference, Boston, MA (May 2008)

  • Punitive Damages in the Wake of Philip Morris USA v. Williams, Connecticut Bar Association, Hartford, CT (June 2007)
Bar/Professional Activity:
Videos:
Honors/Awards:
  • Recognized in the practice area of Employment Law - Individuals, and Litigation - Labor and Employment, Best Lawyers, 2024
  • Recognized in the practice area of Employment Law - Individuals, and Litigation - Labor and Employment, Best Lawyers, 2023
  • Named “Lawyer of the Year” in New Haven for 2023 in the category of Employment Law - Individuals, Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers, 2023
  • Top 25: 2022 Women Connecticut Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers, 2022
  • Top 50: 2022 Connecticut Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers, 2022
  • Recognized in the practice areas of Employment Law – Individuals, and Litigation – Labor and Employment, Best Lawyers, 2022
  • Recognized in the practice area of Employment Law – Individuals, Best Lawyers, 2021
  • Named “Lawyer of the Year” in New Haven, CT for 2020 by Best Lawyers in the category of Employment Law - Individuals., "Lawyer of the Year", Best Lawyers, 2020
  • Recognized as one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers., Lawdragon, 2020
  • Recognized as one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers., Lawdragon, 2019

  • Named a Best Lawyer by Best Lawyers in America since 2016

  • Named by the Connecticut Law Tribune as one of its Women in the Law – High Achievers for 2010
Industry Groups:
  • Employment

Office location for Nina T. Pirrotti

405 Orange Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Selections

12 Years Super Lawyers
  • Super Lawyers: 2013 - 2024

Top Lists

Top 25: Women Connecticut Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2015, 2017, 2020 - 2024
Top 50: Connecticut Super Lawyers: 2014, 2022 - 2024
Top 50: Women New England Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2015

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