Daniela Mendes is a seasoned New York City employment attorney with Phillips & Associates. Dedicated to protecting the rights of employees and securing the best available outcome in each client’s case, Ms. Mendes can represent you in New York state courts, the Southern District of New York, and the Eastern District of New York. We offer free consultations and contingency fee structures.
Experienced Employment Discrimination Lawyer in New York City
Ms. Mendes graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She minored in psychology and media studies. She participated in the Young Portuguese Descendants Seminar in Lisbon. She was also an America Reads Tutor, an IceCat Cheerleader, and a Relay for Life Volunteer.
Ms. Mendes earned her J.D. in 2017 from Suffolk University Law School. During law school, she participated in the Suffolk Prosecutors Clinic, the Women’s Law Association, and the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. During her final year of law school, she worked as a student-attorney in the Suffolk University Prosecutors Clinic and at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in Boston in which she handled her own case load.
Ms. Mendes served as an Assistant District Attorney at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, managing a diverse caseload ranging from misdemeanors to violent felonies. She conducted several pretrial hearings, a bench trial and secured numerous grand jury indictments on cases involving attempted murder, felony firearms possession, robbery, burglary, arson and assault on the elderly.
Before she joined Phillips & Associates, Ms. Mendes worked as a supervising attorney in the Disability Discrimination Department of a New York City law firm. She engaged in an active law and motion practice, finalized complaints and discovery documents, made court appearances, negotiated settlements, prepared clients for depositions, and supervised associates. She has also worked as a litigation associate assisting partners with all aspects of litigation practice including drafting complaints, motions to dismiss, and summary judgment motions in various state and federal jurisdictions.
Ms. Mendes is fluent in Portuguese and basic conversational Spanish.
New York City Workplace Discrimination Lawyers
Your employer should not treat you adversely based on a trait protected under federal, state, or local laws. However, thinking it over, you may not be certain whether what you went through with your employer was bad enough to be called discrimination. Call us for a consultation. Ms. Mendes and the rest of our legal team can figure out whether you have viable grounds to file a lawsuit.
It can be stressful to face precarious employment. Understanding the stress, we try to reduce those burdens and fight for the best outcome in clients’ cases.
Federal laws under which Ms. Mendes may file a complaint on your behalf include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). In order to file a federal lawsuit, Ms. Mendes would first file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces a number of the anti-discrimination laws, by the applicable time period. It is crucial to call our lawyers as soon as you believe you may have a claim.
In addition to filing a lawsuit under federal law, Ms. Mendes and the rest of our legal team may be able to file lawsuits for damages under the New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law. These laws apply to smaller employers, and in some cases offer greater remedies than federal laws enforced by the EEOC, as damages under the state and local laws are not capped.
Consult a New York City Employment Law Firm
Trustworthy New York City employment discrimination lawyer Daniela Mendes of Phillips & Associates may be able to represent you if you were harmed by workplace discrimination, harassment or retaliation. In most cases, employers have legal representation and significant resources and you should be on equal footing. We represent workers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County, and Nassau County, among other places. Complete our online form or contact us at (212) 248-7431 if you believe you may have a claim.
