The 12 Best Employment Lawyers in New York

Granovsky & Sundaresh suits professionals reviewing a severance package, a non-compete or a new employment contract. Led by Alexander Granovsky, the firm handles every part of employment law, including discrimination, retaliation, unpaid wages, misclassification and commissions. It also reviews physician employment agreements, which helps doctors joining a hospital group or practice. Because it advises employers too, ask about conflicts if your employer is a large New York company.

Mansell Law suits workers whose claim falls outside the usual categories, such as long-term disability benefits or discrimination over military service. Greg Mansell's team pursues unpaid overtime, misclassification, minimum wage and break violations, including class and collective actions. It also covers discrimination, harassment, retaliation, FMLA leave and ADA accommodation disputes. Consultations are free, and cases are taken on contingency where appropriate, so nothing is paid upfront.

Derek Smith Law Group suits employees with discrimination, harassment or retaliation claims who want a firm built around worker-side cases. Its New York team covers a long list of protected categories, from age and pregnancy to hair and genetic information, and also handles unpaid wages, family leave and severance. A separate group led by partner Danilo Bandovic handles whistleblower law. Consultations are free, and there is no fee unless money is recovered.

Abdul Hassan Law Group suits hourly and cash-paid workers in Queens who believe they are owed overtime. The firm concentrates on wage claims, including cases where an employer labels a worker an independent contractor or manager, pays a flat salary or pays in cash. It also handles New York minimum wage, spread-of-hours and split-shift pay, FMLA leave, city sick leave and wrongful termination. Consultations are free at its Hillside Avenue office in Queens Village.

Pechman Law Group suits restaurant, construction and other hourly workers with wage theft or overtime claims. Lou Pechman's firm handles restaurant pay lawsuits, prevailing wage cases and independent contractor misclassification, along with discrimination, harassment and severance. It represents management as well as employees, and counsels employers on Department of Labor investigations and union relations. A Spanish-language site is available for workers who prefer to read in Spanish.

Rissmiller PLLC suits employees who want a lawyer familiar with how companies defend these cases. Founding attorney Alex Rissmiller represented corporate employers as well as employees before opening a firm devoted to employee rights. The practice covers discrimination, sexual harassment, unpaid wages, whistleblower retaliation and wrongful termination. It serves New York and New Jersey from 5 Penn Plaza near Penn Station, and the first consultation is free.

Phillips & Associates suits employees who want a large team of litigators on a discrimination or harassment case. Managing partners William K. Phillips and Bryan Arce lead a group of partners and associates working on discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination for employees. The firm also represents clients at the EEOC, in private arbitration and in severance talks. The first consultation is free, and no fee is charged unless compensation is recovered.

Sekendiz Law Group suits workers with a discrimination, harassment or unpaid overtime claim who prefer a smaller firm. Attorney Ismail Sinan Sekendiz handles cases on race, religion, disability, national origin and sexual orientation, and takes claims tied to prior arrests or convictions. The firm also pursues FMLA and overtime claims, plus accessibility cases against businesses open to the public. Consultations are free, and no fee is charged unless money is recovered.

J Goldman Law suits household workers and employees negotiating their way out of a job. Led by Jeffrey E. Goldman, the firm has represented employees since 1992 and lists nanny lawsuits and tip withholding among its cases. It also handles severance negotiation, non-compete agreements, wage and overtime claims, discrimination, harassment and whistleblower retaliation. The first consultation is free at its office on Madison Avenue in Murray Hill.

Joseph & Norinsberg suits workers who need help in Spanish as well as English, and its caseload runs from freelancer rights to executive compensation. Founding partners Bennitta L. Joseph and Jon L. Norinsberg lead a team that handles discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, whistleblower and wrongful termination cases. A wage and hour division pursues unpaid overtime and unpaid internship claims. Consultations are free, at offices in Midtown and at One World Trade Center.

Lipsky Lowe suits workers with unpaid wage claims, from overtime and minimum wage to missed breaks and unpaid commissions or bonuses. Partners Douglas Lipsky and Christopher Lowe also handle discrimination, retaliation, whistleblowing, OSHA retaliation and severance agreements. The firm represents employers too, with defense litigation, handbooks and training, so it knows both sides of a dispute. Initial evaluations are free, and the firm lists a phone line answered around the clock.

Stillman Legal suits immigrant workers with unpaid wage, overtime or tip claims, especially those who prefer to talk in Spanish or Portuguese. Lina Stillman's firm combines employment cases with a full immigration practice, useful for workers whose job and immigration questions overlap. Wage work covers minimum wage, spread-of-hours pay and tip credits, and the firm brings class and collective actions. Consultations last 30 minutes and are held by appointment.