Hear from Our Customers
Sexual harassment doesn’t just violate your rights—it steals your peace of mind, damages your career, and affects every part of your life. When you win your case, you get more than money. You get your power back.
Our clients walk away with compensation for lost wages, emotional distress, and career damage. They also get court orders protecting them from future harassment and retaliation. Many receive promotions or job restoration they were wrongfully denied.
Most importantly, they get closure. The sleepless nights end. The anxiety fades. They can focus on their careers again, knowing someone finally stood up for them and won.
The Howley Law Firm brings corporate-level legal firepower to individual employees in Two Bridges, NY and throughout Manhattan. Attorney John Howley spent 20 years representing major corporations like Pfizer, Citibank, and Sony before founding our firm to level the playing field.
We know exactly how employers and their legal teams operate because we used to be on their side. Now we use that insider knowledge to protect working people in Two Bridges—a diverse, hardworking community where immigrant families and longtime residents deserve dignity at work.
Our track record speaks for itself: an $80 million discrimination settlement, a $1 million sexual harassment victory for a live-in nanny, and hundreds of successful cases that never made headlines but changed our clients’ lives forever.
First, we listen. Really listen. You’ll speak directly with Attorney John Howley, not a paralegal or intake specialist. He’ll understand exactly what happened and explain your options clearly, without legal jargon or false promises.
Next, we investigate and build your case methodically. We gather evidence, interview witnesses, and document everything according to strict legal standards. We know the rules of evidence and procedural requirements that can make or break a sexual harassment claim in New York courts.
Then we fight aggressively. Whether negotiating with insurance companies or presenting your case in court, we use the same sophisticated tactics that big corporations use against employees. Most sexual harassment cases settle confidentially before trial, but we prepare every case as if it’s going to court.
Throughout the entire process, we protect more than your legal rights—we protect your reputation and career. You’ll know what to expect at every step, and we’ll handle the legal stress so you can focus on healing and moving forward.
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Working people in Two Bridges, NY face unique challenges when dealing with workplace sexual harassment. Many are immigrants who worry about speaking up. Others work for small businesses without proper HR departments. Some face language barriers that make reporting harassment even more difficult.
We handle all types of sexual harassment cases under New York law: quid pro quo harassment where job benefits depend on sexual compliance, hostile work environment created by offensive comments or unwanted touching, and illegal retaliation for reporting harassment. We also represent clients facing discrimination based on gender, pregnancy, or sexual orientation.
Our comprehensive representation includes filing complaints with the EEOC, New York State Division of Human Rights, and NYC Commission on Human Rights. We negotiate favorable settlements and try cases in federal and state court when necessary. Most importantly, we work on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Two Bridges, NY residents benefit from New York City’s stronger anti-harassment laws, which have lower thresholds for proving hostile work environment claims than federal law. We know exactly how to use these local legal protections to maximize your financial recovery and get you the justice you deserve.
Nothing upfront. We represent sexual harassment victims on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we win your case through settlement or trial verdict.
This arrangement eliminates the financial barrier that prevents many working people from getting justice. You won’t pay hourly fees, expensive retainers, or litigation costs while your case is pending. If we win through settlement or trial, our fee comes from the recovery—never from your own pocket.
If you lose your case, you owe us nothing at all. This contingency fee structure aligns our interests completely with yours: we only succeed when you succeed. It also means we only take cases we believe have strong legal merit, giving you confidence in your claim’s validity from day one.
You need evidence showing unwelcome sexual conduct that affected your work environment or job conditions. This can include inappropriate text messages, emails, photos, witness statements, or documentation of how the harassment impacted your job performance or career advancement.
Start documenting everything immediately after incidents occur. Save inappropriate messages on your personal devices—never store evidence on company-owned equipment. Write down specific dates, times, locations, and witnesses for each incident. Keep detailed records of any complaints you made to supervisors or HR, including their responses or lack thereof.
Physical evidence matters significantly too. If someone left inappropriate gifts or materials, photograph them immediately. If harassment affected your work evaluations, caused you to miss work, or led to denial of promotions, keep those records safe. Even seemingly small incidents can establish a dangerous pattern when properly documented and presented by an experienced attorney.
Time limits vary depending on which law you’re filing under, but generally range from one to three years in New York. Under New York City Human Rights Law, you have one year to file a complaint. Federal Title VII claims require filing with the EEOC within 300 days in New York State.
These deadlines are strict and completely unforgiving. Missing a deadline can permanently bar your claim, regardless of how strong your evidence is or how severe the harassment was. That’s why it’s absolutely crucial to consult an experienced attorney immediately after harassment occurs or after you’re fired for reporting it.
Don’t wait to see if the situation improves or if your employer will handle it internally. Employers often deliberately delay addressing complaints, hoping the legal deadline will pass. The sooner you contact a qualified sexual harassment attorney, the more legal options you’ll have and the stronger your case will become.
No, firing you for reporting sexual harassment is illegal retaliation under federal, state, and local New York laws. However, that doesn’t stop some unscrupulous employers from trying. They may claim you were fired for poor performance or other pretextual reasons to cover their tracks.
If you’re fired, demoted, transferred, or otherwise punished for reporting harassment, you may have a separate retaliation claim worth significant additional damages. Retaliation claims are often easier to prove than the underlying harassment because the suspicious timing speaks for itself in court.
Document everything thoroughly before making any complaint. If possible, get your harassment complaint in writing and keep copies in a safe place. If you’re subsequently fired or disciplined, the close timing between your complaint and the adverse employment action creates powerful evidence of retaliation that courts readily recognize and punish.
You can recover multiple types of substantial damages: lost wages and benefits, future earning capacity, emotional distress, medical expenses for therapy or treatment, and punitive damages designed to punish the wrongdoer. You may also get your attorney fees and litigation costs fully reimbursed.
Non-economic damages for emotional distress can be quite substantial in New York. Sexual harassment often causes severe anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and other psychological injuries that require ongoing professional treatment. New York courts recognize these serious harms and regularly award significant compensation for them.
You may also receive important injunctive relief: court orders requiring your employer to stop the harassment immediately, restore you to your rightful position, give you the promotion you were wrongfully denied, or implement better anti-harassment policies company-wide. This forward-looking relief helps ensure the harassment won’t continue against you or other employees.
Most sexual harassment cases settle confidentially before trial, but we prepare every single case as if it will go to court. This thorough preparation gives us significant leverage in settlement negotiations and ensures we’re completely ready if trial becomes necessary.
Settlement offers several advantages: faster resolution, guaranteed recovery, and complete privacy. Trials are public proceedings, time-consuming, and unpredictable, though they sometimes result in larger financial awards. We’ll discuss the specific pros and cons of settlement versus trial based on your unique situation and goals.
Our firm’s reputation for meticulous trial preparation often leads to much better settlement offers from defendants. Insurance companies and employers know we won’t accept lowball offers just to avoid court. They take our cases seriously because they know we’re fully prepared to fight all the way to jury verdict if that’s what justice requires.
Other Services we provide in Two Bridges