Gary Ireland
Top rated Employment & Labor attorney in New York, New York
Law Offices of Gary Ireland PLLC
Practice areas: Employment & Labor, Employment Litigation, Business & Corporate; view more
Licensed in New York since: 1992
Education: New York Law School
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2025 Call today:
917-743-3046
Virtual Appointments 
Free Consultation Law Offices of Gary Ireland PLLC
285 Avenue CUnit 9E
New York, NY 10009 Visit website
Recently, I am most often hired by executives in employment transition when leaving a company, hopefully before and frequently following a difficult termination. I work with my clients to increase the money, equity, and other benefits received when leaving their former employer, If necessary I assert legal claims, including for discrimination or harassment.
I also work with executives when joining companies to increase pay, benefits, and working conditions so they are properly compensated and to create working conditions conducive for my clients to maximize performance and job satisfaction.
I am also hired by companies and start ups when working to expand their businesses. I help avert liabilities so the leaders can focus on their business goals for the organization.
I work in the areas of:
- Executive compensation - when onboarding and when leaving a position I work to increase financial compensation by increasing bonus, equity and other benefits, and, if needed, in asserting legal claims
- Wrongful termination, including for sexual discrimination/sexual harassment, discrimination based on race, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, pregnancy, religion and in other areas
- Wage and hour violations - when employees are not paid for work performed
- Whistleblower litigation
- I work with Start Ups and Businesses and enjoy the energy and ideas of leadership
I offer legal counsel to leaders going through employment transitions, serving a wide range of clients, including in finance, banking, tech, media, medical, pharmaceuticals, universities, luxury brands and in many other areas.
I agree, like so many who have read, reread and quoted the series of McKinsey reports supporting the case that diversity increases business profits. I advocate to increase opportunities in the workplace and in our communities. See McKinsey Report
Working with my family and so many others, we successfully advocated to extend membership to girls and young women in the new co-ed Scouting America program, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, resulting in over 200,000 girls now able to fully participate and receive the benefits from what is widely considered the most important leadership training for our youth.
I serve on the board of the Congresswoman Bella Abzug Leadership Institute, where I developed and teach a program - "Relentless Advocacy"; I am a moderator for AnCan, a cancer support organization that helped my family; and, I serve as an arts ambassador in NYC for The Arts Oasis.
I have been recognized for my legal work by the National Organization for Women; the NAACP; the Congresswoman Bella Abzug Leadership Institute; and the Luce Foundation.
I was approached by a film group working to produce a film about our experience in scouting, during a challenging time for our family. The experience was reported in the media, including in the London Daily Mail below:
London Daily Mail: Sydney Ireland Fought Nine Years to Join Boy Scouts
I graduated from Columbia University and from NYLS.
If you would like to speak about working together, please contact me.
Practice areas
Employment & Labor: Employee, Employment Litigation: Plaintiff, Business/Corporate, Cannabis Law, Civil Litigation: Plaintiff, Employment & Labor: EmployerFocus areas
Business Organizations, Employment Law - Employee, Labor Law, Sexual Harassment, Wage & Hour Laws, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination
- 40% Employment & Labor: Employee
- 20% Employment Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10% Business/Corporate
- 10% Cannabis Law
- 10% Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10% Employment & Labor: Employer
First Admitted: 1992, New York
Professional Webpage: https://irelandlaw.net/attorney-profile/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Board Member of the National Employment Lawyers Association NY, 2024
- Member of the NYC Bar Association , 2022
- Board Member and Instructor at the Congresswoman Bella Abzug Leadership Institute, teaching "relentless advocacy". (https://www.abzuginstitute.org/), 2022
Videos
- For 10 years, I worked with my daughter to open membership to the LGBTQIA community and girls in the Boy Scouts (program now referred to Scouts BSA). There are currently over 400,000 girls in Scouts BSA, as well as a proposed film. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12907335/sydney-ireland-fought-nine-years-boy-scouts-movie.html, Yahoo Finance: Is there room for a girl in the Boy Scouts, Students And Advocates Of Girls And Women, 2016
Representative Clients
- General Counsel (outside) Maxus Systems International Inc., and Founder Paul Marshall, Inventor and Patent Holder for Virtual Reality, named by Popular Mechanics as “15 Patents that Changed the World” (https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/design/g20051677/patents-changed-the-world/) https://maxussystems.com, 2022
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program Alumni, 2021
Pro bono / Community Service
- NAACP (ELIB) Legal Defense Task Force - Gary would be called into work with local African American residents who had been subjected to police harassment and even beatings. New York Times, "Officer in Beating Case Will Remain on Duty", May 25, 2003, https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/25/nyregion/officer-in-beating-case-will-remain-on-duty.html?smid=em-share, 1998
Educational Background
- Columbia University, Bachelor of Arts, 1983-1986
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Created and facilitate Relentless Advocacy teaching students how to create and engage in advocacy projects. , Advocacy Trainer, Principal of Relentless Advocacy, Congresswoman Bella Abzug Leadership Institute, Students Of The Congresswoman Bella Abzug Leadership Training Institute, 2024
- For the past five years I have led an interactive and lively program including negotiating employment contracts for Sustainability MBA students in the workforce, using employment contracts to illustrate the need for recruits to work with employers during onboarding. , Lead interactive lecture on contract negotiation for the Bard Graduate MBA Programs in Sustainability, Employment Contract Negotiation, Bard MBA Sustainability, MBAs Focused On Sustainability, 2024
Honors
- In recognition for outstanding contributions as an attorney, advocate, and educator. , Global Leadership Award, James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation, 2023
- Received from the National Organization for Women, Champion for Progress Award, for advocacy in promoting women's rights https://nownyc.org/, Champion for Progress, National Organization for Women, 2020
- NAACP “Foot Soldiers' Award” presented at the 100th Anniversary National Conference in appreciation for pursuit of justice and advocacy NAACP.org, NAACP Foot Soldiers' Award, NAACP, 2009
- 2018 Congresswoman Bella Abzug Leadership Institute Award (referred to as "Bella Fella Award") as a leader and lawyer for work in advocating equal rights for girls and women https://www.abzuginstitute.org/, Congresswoman Bella Abzug Leadership Institute Award, Congresswoman Bella Abzug Leadership Institute, 2018
Industry Groups
- Banking
- Employee representation in Finance
- Health Care
- Law
- Media
- Outside General Counsel to Start-ups and Small Businesses
- Pharmaceuticals
- Publishing
- Religious
- Tech
These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.
“Gary is an exceptionally committed attorney and advocate in the areas of employment law and gender equality. At present, there is a movie being made about he and his daugher, Sydney Ireland, who took on and caused the Boy Scouts of America to award her the first Eagle Scout ranking in America.”
“Gary is a truly outstanding labor and employment lawyer. I have recommended many clients to him over the years and all the feedback I have ever gotten from clients has been outstanding. I have also served as co-counsel with Gary on matters that drew on both of our areas of expertise, so I have also observed directly Gary's consummate professionalism and excellent counsel to clients. Both his substantive knowledge and his client service are at the highest levels of the profession. I highly recommend that Gary Ireland be admitted as a Super Lawyer for 2023. Respectfully Submitted, Chris Colvin”
“Gary is truly one of the finest labor employment lawyers out there”
“Gary is a talented and tenacious human rights and employment rights attorney in New York. I have worked with him for 20 plus years and he has well earned his recognition in Super Lawyers.”
“He's great!”
“Gary Ireland is my go-to expert on all employment matters. I have personally worked with and referred clients to Mr. Ireland, with excellent results. I highly recommend Mr. Ireland for the designation of Super Lawyer.”
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2025
