Top Rated Employment & Labor Attorney in New York, NY

Honors/Awards:

• Honored for exemplary professional services to New York City Community, Citation, New York City Council, 2010
• Honored for legal work on behalf of women's rights at the 30th Anniversary of the New York City Chapter of the National Organization for Women Award Ceremony.   Honored by Legal Services of New York for Pro Bono services to the New York Community, 2009., Legal Services Corporation of New York, 2009

Bar/Professional Activity:

• American Bar Association: Member, Labor and Employment Law Section and Equal Employment  Opportunity Committee.  New York State Bar Association: Member, Labor and Employment Law Section, Equal Employment Opportunity Law Committee, and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.  Chairperson, Committee on Civil Rights (1981-1985). New York City Bar Association: Member, Labor and Employment Law Committee (1977-1980); Member, Committee on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar (1984-1985). Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR).  Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.  Fellow of the Academy of Court Appointed Masters.

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Member, American Arbitration Association's National Employment Task Force on Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedures, 1996 to 2002. Member, New York State Department of Labor Administrative Law Judge Training Committee, 1984 to present.  Member, New York State Human Rights Arbitration Advisory Committee, 1990 to 1997. Chairperson, American Arbitration Association's New York State Human Rights Arbitrator Selection and Training Committee, 1990 to 1997. Member, Planning Committee, 1974 to 1998.  New York University Institute of Labor Relations Annual Conference on Labor. Member, New York State Human Rights Advisory Council, 1984 to 1994. Vice Chairman and Coordinator of the Joint Task Force on the Practices and Procedures of the New York State Division on Human Rights, 1977 to 1984.  Member, Board of Directors. 1973 to 1979.  Washington Square Legal Services, Inc., Member, Task Force on Employment Opportunities for Older Adults, July 1, 1974 to July 31, 1976.  New York City Community College. Appeared as guest speaker and/or panelist before: New York State Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section, Nassau County Bar Association, National Organization for Women, Women Office Workers, National Association of Administrative Law Judges, National Association of Unemployment Insurance Appellate Boards, Practicing Law Institute, and appeared on a number of informational television and radio programs.  Founder and Advisor of the Unemployment Action Center, a consortium of seven New York law schools which provide free representation to unemployment claimants, 1981 to present.

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

• Guest Speaker at New York University School of Law's Leaders in Public Interest Speaker Series, October 27, 2008., Guest Speaker, 2008

Verdicts/Settlements:

• In April 2001, after an eleven year battle before administrative agencies and in New York State Supreme Court, our firm achieved a $19.1 million settlement on behalf of 785 workers who were underpaid while doing construction renovation work for the City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development. ( Daino v. Hevesi , 122977/95, (NYS Supreme Ct., April 20, 2001)).  The firm filed a case on behalf of Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants who had been denied due process in their applications for UI benefits.  (Municipal Labor Committee v. Sitkin, 865 F. Supp. 1015 (S.D.N.Y. 1994); see also 945 F. Supp. 539 (S.D.N.Y. 1996)) Under a Consent Judgment, the New York State Department of Labor agreed to process UI claims in accordance with certain guidelines that ensure that claimants receive fair hearings.  As a result of our firm's efforts, some 120,000 claimants who were denied benefits are having their cases reconsidered, and more than $7.5 million in benefits that were previously denied have been paid to class members.  The firm continues to monitor defendants' compliance with the Consent Judgment and won a decision again in 2005 which asserted that the agency must improve the fairness of its hearings.  In New York State National Organization For Women v. Cuomo, 182 F.R.D. 30 (S.D.N.Y. 1998), the firm challenged, among other things,  rules and regulations of the New York State Division of Human Rights ("Division"), which were used by the agency to prevent people from filing complaints of unlawful discrimination. The federal district court found that the Division's rules were unconstitutional and ordered the Division to stop using them.  The firm represented the New York State, New York City and Westchester County chapters of the National Organization for Women.  The firm brought a gender based discrimination claim against major communications corporation when a manager was terminated but no action was taken against her two male counterparts for committing the same act.  We obtained a $60,000.00 settlement for her claim.  The firm successfully recovered an award of $260,000 for our client in an age discrimination action (Allender v. American Home Products Corp., 233 A.D. 2d 153 (1st Dep't. 1996); 89 N.Y. 2d 1055 (1997)).  In a case alleging discrimination on the basis of perceived disability, where our client was perceived to be HIV-infected, the firmnegotiated a $75,000 settlement under the New York State Human Rights Law.  A pregnancy discrimination action was brought against a major television network on behalf of an Operations Assistant who lost her primary job duties as a Scheduling Coordinator upon returning from maternity leave.  The firm obtained a promotion and a salary increase for the client. Our firm settled a race discrimination and defamation action against well known Manhattan church on behalf of two former employees who were falsely accused of engaging in criminal behavior.  The firm recovered over $250,000 for the two employees. The firm won a judgment awarding a female professor an increase in salary going back three years, which was then doubled, because the College was discriminating against her in favor of a male member of its English Department who was doing the same work and had the same responsibilities. (Fey v. Rockland Community College, 93 Civ. 2157 (CLB) (S.D.N.Y.)) The firm later successfully settled a second Equal Pay Act case against Rockland Community College on behalf of a second faculty member. The firm brought a sexual orientation and disability discrimination action against prominent New York City real estate management company on behalf of former employee who was harassed and terminated because of disability and perceived sexual orientation. Raff & Becker obtained a settlement of $100,000. Our firm brought sexual harassment, hostile work environment and retaliation claims against a financial services corporation on behalf of an Operations Assistant.  We reached a settlement of $55,000 plus benefits. The firm settled a national origin discrimination claim for $85,000 against major New York City hospital on behalf of former employee who was allegedly terminated because of poor performance.
• In April 2001, after an eleven year battle before administrative agencies and in New York State Supreme Court, our firm achieved a $19.1 million settlement on behalf of 785 workers who were underpaid while doing construction renovation work for the City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development. ( Daino v. Hevesi , 122977/95, (NYS Supreme Ct., April 20, 2001)).  The firm filed a case on behalf of Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants who had been denied due process in their applications for UI benefits.  (Municipal Labor Committee v. Sitkin, 865 F. Supp. 1015 (S.D.N.Y. 1994); see also 945 F. Supp. 539 (S.D.N.Y. 1996)) Under a Consent Judgment, the New York State Department of Labor agreed to process UI claims in accordance with certain guidelines that ensure that claimants receive fair hearings.  As a result of our firm's efforts, some 120,000 claimants who were denied benefits are having their cases reconsidered, and more than $7.5 million in benefits that were previously denied have been paid to class members.  The firm continues to monitor defendants' compliance with the Consent Judgment and won a decision again in 2005 which asserted that the agency must improve the fairness of its hearings.  In New York State National Organization For Women v. Cuomo, 182 F.R.D. 30 (S.D.N.Y. 1998), the firm challenged, among other things,  rules and regulations of the New York State Division of Human Rights ("Division"), which were used by the agency to prevent people from filing complaints of unlawful discrimination. The federal district court found that the Division's rules were unconstitutional and ordered the Division to stop using them.  The firm represented the New York State, New York City and Westchester County chapters of the National Organization for Women.  The firm brought a gender based discrimination claim against major communications corporation when a manager was terminated but no action was taken against her two male counterparts for committing the same act.  We obtained a $60,000.00 settlement for her claim.  The firm successfully recovered an award of $260,000 for our client in an age discrimination action (Allender v. American Home Products Corp., 233 A.D. 2d 153 (1st Dep't. 1996); 89 N.Y. 2d 1055 (1997)).  In a case alleging discrimination on the basis of perceived disability, where our client was perceived to be HIV-infected, the firmnegotiated a $75,000 settlement under the New York State Human Rights Law.  A pregnancy discrimination action was brought against a major television network on behalf of an Operations Assistant who lost her primary job duties as a Scheduling Coordinator upon returning from maternity leave.  The firm obtained a promotion and a salary increase for the client. Our firm settled a race discrimination and defamation action against well known Manhattan church on behalf of two former employees who were falsely accused of engaging in criminal behavior.  The firm recovered over $250,000 for the two employees. The firm won a judgment awarding a female professor an increase in salary going back three years, which was then doubled, because the College was discriminating against her in favor of a male member of its English Department who was doing the same work and had the same responsibilities. (Fey v. Rockland Community College, 93 Civ. 2157 (CLB) (S.D.N.Y.)) The firm later successfully settled a second Equal Pay Act case against Rockland Community College on behalf of a second faculty member. The firm brought a sexual orientation and disability discrimination action against prominent New York City real estate management company on behalf of former employee who was harassed and terminated because of disability and perceived sexual orientation. Raff & Becker obtained a settlement of $100,000. Our firm brought sexual harassment, hostile work environment and retaliation claims against a financial services corporation on behalf of an Operations Assistant.  We reached a settlement of $55,000 plus benefits. The firm settled a national origin discrimination claim for $85,000 against major New York City hospital on behalf of former employee who was allegedly terminated because of poor performance.

Other Outstanding Achievements:

• Federal Court Appointed Special Master, September 2, 1975 to present.  Appointed to administer the Court's orders, affirmative action plan and other remedial relief in Equal Opportunity Commission and the City of New York v. Local 638 . . . , Local 28 of the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association, Local 28 Joint Apprenticeship Committee et al., Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' Association of New York City, Inc., 401 F. Supp. 467 (S.D.N.Y., 1975) aff'd as modified 532 F.2d 821 (2d Cir., 1976); 565 F.2d 31 (2d Cir., 1977) (upholding Administrator's Affirmative Action Program); 753 F.2d 1172 (2d Cir., 1985) (affirming two contempt citations, Administrator's remedial relief and Administrator's new affirmative action plan); affirmed, 478 U.S. 421 (1986).Federal Court Appointed Special Master, March 19, 1984 to present.  Appointed to supervise the performance and implementation of Chief Judge Mitchell H. Cohen's order in United States of America v. Sheet Metal Workers' International Association, Local Union No. 10, et al., 6 FEP Cases 1036 (D.N.J., 1973)Federal Court Appointed Special Master, October 19, 1988 to present.  Appointed to administer the Court's orders, affirmative action plan and other remedial relief in E.E.O.C. v. Local 580, International Association of Bridge Structural and Ornamental Ironworkers, Joint Apprentice Journeymen's Education Fund, Allied Building Metal Industries, Inc., 669 F. Supp. 606 (S.D.N.Y. 1987) (Remedial Orders dated April 15 and October 19, 1988) aff'd 925 F.2d 588 (2nd Cir. 1991).Federal Court Appointed Special Master, June 1982 to December 1984.  Appointed by United States District Court Judge Hatfield Chilson (District Court of Colorado) in Yarborough v. Sheldon, Civ. Action No. 74-HC-4337 (D. Colo. 1980, Consent Decree), a sex discrimination action against the United States Civil Service Commission under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Heard and determined back pay claims against the federal government in eleven cities.

Educational Background:

• New York University School of Law, LL.M (Labor Law), 1970