Sexual Harassment Attorney Upper East Side
Get Justice for Workplace Sexual Harassment
Hear from Our Customers
NYC Sexual Harassment Lawyer Results
When harassment ends, your professional life can begin again. You’ll have the compensation you deserve for lost wages, emotional distress, and career damage. The hostile environment that made every workday unbearable becomes a thing of the past.
Your harasser faces real consequences, not just a slap on the wrist. Other employees are protected from experiencing what you went through. You get the validation that what happened to you was wrong and illegal.
Most importantly, you reclaim your power and dignity. The fear, anxiety, and humiliation that harassment creates gets replaced with justice and closure.
Upper East Side Employment Attorney
We bring twenty years of experience representing major corporations like Pfizer, Texaco, and Citibank to individual harassment cases. This background means understanding exactly how employers think and defend these cases.
John Howley has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and knows the tactics corporate defense teams use. Now that experience works for employees, not against them. We have secured an $80 million discrimination settlement and millions more for harassment victims across New York.
In the Upper East Side’s corporate environment, where power dynamics often enable harassment, having an attorney who understands both sides of the equation makes all the difference. Every case receives the same high-quality representation that Fortune 500 companies get.
Sexual Harassment Case Process NYC
First, we meet for a confidential consultation to understand what happened and evaluate your case. You’ll learn about your rights under federal, New York State, and NYC laws. We’ll discuss the strength of your evidence and potential outcomes.
Next, we help you properly document and preserve evidence while protecting you from retaliation. This includes guidance on saving communications, identifying witnesses, and following proper reporting procedures when necessary.
Then we file the appropriate claims with the EEOC, New York State Division of Human Rights, or NYC Commission on Human Rights. Each agency has different deadlines and procedures, and we handle all the complexity.
Finally, we negotiate aggressively for maximum compensation or take your case to trial if needed. Throughout the process, you pay nothing unless we win. Most cases settle, but we’re prepared to fight in court when employers won’t offer fair compensation.
Ready to get started?
Sexual Misconduct Attorney Services NYC
Your case includes complete evaluation of all harassment claims, from quid pro quo situations to hostile work environment cases. We handle both individual lawsuits and class actions when multiple employees are affected.
In the Upper East Side, where 22% of New Yorkers report workplace sexual harassment according to Cornell University research, we see cases across all industries. From corporate offices to restaurants, healthcare facilities to retail, harassment happens everywhere and we’ve handled it all.
You’ll receive protection against retaliation, which affects 75% of employees who speak out. We also pursue wrongful termination claims when employers fire harassment victims. Our experience includes cases involving supervisors, coworkers, clients, and third-party vendors.
Our services cover all forms of sexual misconduct, including unwanted touching, sexual advances, inappropriate comments, visual harassment, and digital harassment. We also handle cases where harassment intersects with other discrimination based on race, age, or disability.
How much does it cost to hire a sexual harassment attorney?
You pay nothing upfront and nothing unless we win your case. We work on a contingency fee basis for sexual harassment cases, meaning our payment comes from your settlement or verdict.
This arrangement ensures you can afford experienced legal representation regardless of your financial situation. It also means we’re motivated to get you the maximum possible recovery. If we don’t win, you don’t pay attorney fees, though you may still be responsible for certain court costs in some situations.
Most harassment cases settle out of court, often for substantial amounts that more than cover legal fees while providing meaningful compensation for your suffering and losses.
What evidence do I need to prove sexual harassment?
The strongest evidence includes written communications like emails, texts, or social media messages showing inappropriate conduct. Save these immediately to your personal devices, never company equipment, as employers can delete or restrict access.
Document each incident with dates, times, locations, and witnesses present. Keep a detailed chronological record on your personal device. Physical evidence like inappropriate gifts, notes, or photos should be preserved and photographed.
Witness statements from coworkers who saw or heard harassment are valuable, though not always necessary. Even seemingly minor incidents matter, especially when they show a pattern. In New York City, the legal standard is lower than federal law, so subtle or infrequent behaviors can still support a claim if they’re unwelcome and sexual in nature.
Will my employer retaliate against me for filing a harassment complaint?
Retaliation is illegal under federal, state, and city laws, but it unfortunately happens to about 75% of employees who report harassment. However, retaliation actually strengthens your case and provides additional grounds for compensation.
We take immediate steps to protect you from retaliation by documenting your work performance before filing complaints and monitoring for any negative changes afterward. If retaliation occurs, it becomes a separate legal violation with its own damages.
Common retaliation includes termination, demotion, schedule changes, increased scrutiny, isolation from colleagues, or assignment to less desirable tasks. We pursue these violations aggressively because they often result in additional compensation beyond the original harassment claim. The key is having experienced legal representation from the start to properly document and address retaliation when it happens.
How long do I have to file a sexual harassment lawsuit?
Time limits vary depending on which law you’re filing under, making it crucial to act quickly. Federal EEOC complaints must be filed within 300 days of the harassment incident. New York State claims have a three-year deadline, while NYC Human Rights Law claims allow up to three years as well.
However, these deadlines can be tricky because they may start running from different dates depending on when the harassment occurred, when it ended, or when you discovered certain facts. Some claims require filing with government agencies before you can sue in court.
Missing these deadlines can permanently bar your case, regardless of how strong your evidence is. That’s why it’s essential to consult an attorney immediately after harassment occurs, even if you’re not sure you want to file a lawsuit. We can preserve your rights while you decide on the best course of action.
Can I sue for sexual harassment if I wasn't directly harassed?
Yes, you may have a claim if you were exposed to a sexually hostile work environment, even if you weren’t the direct target. This includes witnessing harassment of others, being subjected to sexual conversations or materials, or working in an environment where sexual conduct was pervasive.
New York law recognizes that harassment affects all employees in the workplace, not just direct victims. If the sexual conduct was severe enough or occurred frequently enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment for you, that’s illegal.
Examples include overhearing sexual conversations, seeing inappropriate images or materials, witnessing sexual advances toward coworkers, or being forced to listen to sexual jokes or comments. The key is whether the conduct was unwelcome and affected your ability to work or made your workplace feel hostile. Each situation is fact-specific, so it’s important to discuss your particular circumstances with an experienced attorney.
What damages can I recover in a sexual harassment case?
Sexual harassment victims can recover multiple types of compensation. Economic damages include lost wages, lost benefits, and future earning capacity if your career was damaged. This covers both past losses and future income you would have earned but for the harassment.
Emotional distress damages compensate for the psychological harm harassment causes, including anxiety, depression, humiliation, and other mental health impacts. These awards can be substantial, especially in cases involving severe or prolonged harassment.
Punitive damages may be available to punish particularly egregious conduct and deter future harassment. Attorney’s fees and court costs are often recoverable if you win. In some cases, you may also receive injunctive relief requiring your employer to change policies, provide training, or take other corrective actions.
The amount depends on factors like the severity and duration of harassment, your lost income, the impact on your health and career, and your employer’s response when they learned about the harassment. Cases can range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars depending on these circumstances.
Local Resources
Useful Links
Other Services we provide in Upper East Side