Results

Phillips & Associates represented a physician in Manhattan who was wrongfully terminated after raising concerns about patient safety. The employer had instituted a policy requiring all doctors, regardless of specialty, to perform internal medicine intakes to generate additional revenue. Our client, an OBGYN, objected that this practice could compromise patient care.

Within a week of speaking out, she was fired. Soon after, leadership publicly announced her termination in a way that suggested performance or safety issues, harming her professional reputation. A colleague provided evidence that supported her claims.

Following negotiations, the case was resolved for $375,000, delivering justice and accountability for our client.

Represented a professional in the renewable energy sector in a matter involving allegations of retaliation following a medical leave request, resulting in alleged pay cut, demotion, and removal of equity shares.

Phillips & Associates secured a $215,000 settlement on their behalf.

This case involved wrongful termination and denial of earned compensation. Represented a retired military officer employed by a defense contractor in a case involving allegations of retaliation after reporting suspected government contract fraud.

Phillips & Associates represented a maître d’ at a well-known French restaurant in Midtown Manhattan who was subjected to persistent sexual harassment by a co-owner. The misconduct included unwelcome comments about her appearance and body, as well as repeated inappropriate physical contact.

While she was still employed, we advised our client in documenting her experience and formally resigning due to the hostile work environment. During our investigation, we uncovered public reviews from restaurant patrons describing similar inappropriate behavior by the owner, which further supported our negotiations.

The case resolved with a $250,000 settlement, as well as reimbursement of mediation expenses, providing justice and accountability for our client.

Phillips & Associates represented a hospital employee in Northern New York who was terminated shortly after reporting that certain medical staff members were working without proper credentials. Following her report, the hospital claimed her termination was due to a “restructuring.”

Prior to retaining us, she had been offered less than three months’ severance. After filing suit and beginning discovery, we achieved a resolution equivalent to 20 months of her pay—$200,000.

This result highlights the importance of protecting employees who expose serious compliance and safety issues in the healthcare industry.

Phillips & Associates represented a performer in a traveling Broadway production who experienced sexual harassment from a producer and faced retaliation after making a complaint. Despite reporting the harassment, the employer failed to act, and the relationship with management deteriorated.

When our client later went out on paternity leave, he was terminated on the very first day of his leave. By the time he retained us, the matter was close to the statute of limitations. We promptly filed suit under the New York State Human Rights Law. After multiple rounds of litigation and negotiations, the case ultimately resolved with a $565,000 settlement, delivering meaningful compensation for the harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination he endured.

Represented an administrative professional at a major financial institution in a matter involving allegations of gender discrimination after being repeatedly passed over for promotion.

Phillips & Associates secured a $165 settlement on their behalf.

Phillips & Associates represented a former Chief Commercial Officer of a kitchen appliance company who was terminated after raising concerns about the company’s unlawful practices. These included knowingly distributing defective products and directing him to post fake customer reviews online.

When our client objected to these directives and later disclosed a medical diagnosis, he was marginalized, stripped of responsibilities, and ultimately terminated without cause.

The matter resolved with a $200,000 settlement, providing compensation and accountability in a case involving both whistleblower retaliation and discriminatory treatment.

Represented a senior attorney at a major law firm in a matter involving allegations of quid pro quo sexual harassment and retaliation, which led to reputational harm and career derailment.

Phillips & Associates LLP secured a $2 million settlement on their behalf.

Phillips & Associates represented an operations manager at an educational nonprofit who faced repeated sexual harassment by the organization’s leader, culminating in a sexual assault and later termination. After suffering retaliation and severe emotional distress, our client pursued legal action.

The case ultimately resolved with a $340,000 settlement, providing both compensation and accountability in a matter involving serious workplace misconduct.

Represented a former executive assistant in a case involving sexual harassment and career-impacting retaliation.

Phillips & Associates represented three employees in a sexual harassment and retaliation case involving a senior executive. One of the plaintiffs was assaulted, and when she and two supervisors spoke up, the company retaliated, ultimately forcing them out of their positions.

Despite initial resistance from the employer, the case advanced through multiple mediation sessions and negotiations. Ultimately, the matter resolved with a $750,000 settlement, securing significant compensation for the plaintiffs and reinforcing the importance of protecting employees who report workplace harassment.

Phillips and Associates, PLLC is proud to announce that attorneys Jesse S. Weinstein and Gregory W. Kirschenbaum successfully obtained a $1,800,000 unanimous jury verdict in the Southern District of New York on behalf of Plaintiff, John Pardovani. The verdict consisted of $800,000 in compensatory damages and $1,000,000 in punitive damages.

The case was filed in the Southern District of New York and alleged that Mr. Pardovani was harassed, discriminated against, and subjected to a hostile work environment based on his race, together with retaliation, by Defendants Crown Building Maintenance Co., d/b/a Able Building Maintenance, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Inc., Richard Cruz, and Joseph Miele. Specifically, Mr. Pardovani alleged that supervisors and coworkers incessantly used the N-word at work, assigned him more difficult tasks due to his race, and that he was retaliated against after complaining about such behavior in violation of 42 U.S.C. §1981, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the New York City Human Rights Law.

After an eight-day trial, the jury found that Defendants created a hostile work environment and awarded Plaintiff the verdict to compensate him for emotional distress, together with the punitive damages award.

“The jury sent a loud and clear message with yesterday’s verdict that the N-word does not belong in the workplace. We are pleased that we were able to successfully advocate for our client,” said Mr. Kirschenbaum.

Mr. Weinstein added, “This is a straight forward issue for employers. If you fail to address racism in the workplace, you risk facing a verdict such as this one. Hopefully, other employees will see yesterday’s verdict and know that there are ways to hold their employers accountable.”

Represented a finance professional who resigned after her employer denied a remote work request. Investigation revealed allegations of inappropriate, sexual messages from a senior executive over several years.

Phillips & Associates LLP successfully secured a $975,000 settlement on their behalf.

Phillips & Associates represented an Associate Director of Software Engineering at a major hospital who raised concerns about potential HIPAA compliance violations and weaknesses in the facility’s patient health information systems. He reasonably believed the hospital’s infrastructure lacked safeguards that could expose sensitive medical records to data breaches.

After voicing these concerns, he was subjected to retaliation, including negative performance evaluations, loss of compensation, and ultimately, termination.

The case was resolved with a $310,000 settlement, ensuring accountability and reinforcing the importance of protecting employees who report risks to patient privacy and data security.

Represented a corporate employee in a matter involving allegations of ongoing sexual harassment, including unwelcome physical contact, inappropriate demands, and unauthorized photographs.

Phillips & Associates secured a successful internal transfer and supervisor termination following investigation.

Secured a landmark $2.2 million verdict in Rosas v. Balter Sales, et al., affirming justice for race discrimination and retaliation in 2015. Led by Greg Kirschenbaum.

Greg Kirschenbaum was part of the trial team that secured a landmark $2.2 million verdict in the 2015 case Rosas v. Balter Sales, et al., affirming justice for race discrimination and retaliation.

Represented two employees of a nonprofit organization in a case involving allegations of a racially hostile work environment.

Both clients resigned after alleged failures to address complaints. Phillips & Associates secured a $300,000 settlement on their behalf.

Phillips & Associates represented a manager at the New York office of an international company who was drugged and sexually assaulted during a work-related event. After she reported the assault and identified the suspected perpetrator, the company refused to classify the event as work-related and took no protective measures, forcing her into continued contact with her attacker.

Despite her persistent complaints, the company’s investigation was deemed inconclusive, and the perpetrator remained employed. Our client endured ongoing distress, panic attacks, and a period of medical leave as a result. Rather than protecting her, the employer retaliated by falsely accusing her of misconduct and placing her on administrative leave.

Through legal representation, the matter resolved with a $275,000 settlement, an additional year of COBRA health insurance coverage, and two weeks of paid administrative leave to allow for her transition.

This case involved retaliation and emotional distress after reporting concerns. Represented a senior professional at a New York City financial company in a matter involving allegations of gender discrimination and misconduct.

Phillips & Associates represented a Director of Operational Efficiency at a company that served as the research and marketing arm of a well-known motivational speaker and author. Our client was initially hired to drive organizational improvements and enhance client engagement.

After voicing concerns that the company’s practices disproportionately favored men and discriminated against women, she faced retaliation. While the company launched an investigation, we negotiated protections for our client and secured paid administrative leave.

The matter ultimately resolved with a $160,000 settlement, providing both compensation and accountability for the retaliation she endured.

Phillips & Associates represented a former employee of a New York real estate company who was sexually abused by the company’s owner during her employment in 2013. In 2024 she was subjected to another unwanted incident, when the same individual kissed her without consent.

The case presented challenges, including a release of claims she had signed in 2013 when her employment ended. Despite these complications, we advanced arguments to contest the validity of the release and pressed forward with her claims under the Gender-Motivated Violence Act.

Following contentious negotiations, the matter was resolved with a $525,000 settlement, providing meaningful compensation for the harm our client endured.

Phillips & Associates represented an apartment inspector whose role was to identify health hazards, including lead, in rental properties. She discovered that her supervisor was forging safety documents and allowing units with known lead hazards to be rented out. When she repeatedly objected to these unlawful practices, her responsibilities were sharply reduced, and she was ultimately terminated.

The matter was resolved for $100,000, compensating our client for the retaliation she endured and reinforcing the importance of protecting whistleblowers who report health and safety risks.

Phillips & Associates represented a human resources professional in New York City who experienced discrimination and retaliation during her high-risk pregnancy. After disclosing her pregnancy and requesting reasonable accommodations, she was subjected to criticism, denial of medical leave, and increased workload as her due date approached. Although eligible for New York Paid Family Leave (NYPFL), her employer misrepresented her rights, denied her leave request, and later imposed unnecessary conditions for approval. Upon returning from leave, she requested remote work due to the lack of lactation accommodations, but was instead terminated under the pretext of a role elimination. The matter was resolved with a $150,000 settlement, providing compensation and accountability in a case of workplace pregnancy discrimination.

Represented two employees of a large healthcare company operating across the Northeast in a matter involving allegations of severe and persistent sexual harassment.

Investigation uncovered broader alleged misconduct involving multiple employees.

Phillips & Associates represented a Senior Director of Global HR for a television and marketing company who endured pervasive racist comments from coworkers. After making an initial complaint, she was gradually phased out of her role. When she later filed another formal complaint of discrimination, she was terminated immediately thereafter.

The employer resisted settlement until a court-ordered conference, where the matter was resolved for $225,000, securing compensation for the discrimination and retaliation our client faced.

Phillips & Associates represented a Director of Regulatory Exam Management at a financial institution who raised concerns about the bank’s non-compliance with federal regulations and misrepresentations made to the Federal Reserve. After coming forward, he faced retaliation, including poor performance reviews, a reduced bonus, and discriminatory remarks tied to his national origin, gender, and caregiver status.

He filed a complaint with HR, which led to an external investigation. Despite the inquiry, the bank continued engaging in misconduct, ultimately forcing our client to resign.

With our representation, the matter was resolved for $225,000, providing compensation for the retaliation and discrimination he endured and reinforcing the importance of accountability in the financial industry.