Long Island Employment Law Blog

On October 19, 2016, Acting Supreme Court Justice Joseph Farneti issued a judgment for F&W’s client granting $100,000 in damages against the defendant. The judgment includes compensatory and punitive damages. On August 21, 2015, F&W filed the lawsuit alleging the defendant had made false posts on Facebook about a corporation and one of its corporate…

As discussed in a recent blog, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arlene Lindsay issued a recommendation that F&W’s client receive an award of more than $366,000 in damages stemming from his former employer’s failure to pay him proper overtime. We promised an update on the case after the District Judge reviewed the recommendation. F&W is pleased to…

On August 16, 2016, U.S. District Judge Joseph Bianco decided a case involving school bullying. Judge Bianco was called upon to decide whether a student was suspended from school because his parents complained about, among other things, the school’s failure to prevent bullying. The student and parents brought claims against the school including First Amendment…

On August 29, 2016, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, New York’s highest federal court, decided a case which adopted the so-called “cat’s paw” theory of liability for Title VII cases. As discussed in this employment law blog, although the cat’s paw theory has been recognized in other employment cases, it has been unsettled as…

On August 23, 2016, United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay recommended that Famighetti & Weinick, PLLC’s client receive an award of more than $366,000 in actual and liquidated damages. The recommendation is based on the client’s lawsuit alleging nearly five years of unpaid overtime from his former employer. In issuing her recommendation Judge Lindsay…

New York County Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe has issued an order and judgment granting an Article 75 petition filed by Famighetti & Weinick, PLLC. The petition was filed after a 3020-a hearing was held on charges brought against a tenured New York City school teacher by the Department of Education. The hearing officer sustained…

On August 3, 2016, Federal Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson appointed Famighetti & Weinick partner, Matt Weinick, to a pro bono assignment in the Eastern District of New York. The appointment was made for the limited purpose of representing the pro se plaintiff at an upcoming settlement conference. Since 2014, Weinick has been a member…

Continuing with our employment law blog series about common misunderstandings of popular employment law terms, this week we discuss “whistleblower retaliation,” specifically as the term applies in New York. Like hostile work environment and wrongful termination, “whisteblower” is a term of art, meaning it has a very specific meaning. Many employees believe that whisteblowing encompasses…

In today’s employment law blog, we’re continuing our discussion of misunderstood employment law terms. Last blog, we discussed “wrongful termination.” Today, we’ll clear up some misunderstandings about the term “hostile work environment.” After wrongful termination, hostile work environment is our leading inquiry from potential clients. Unfortunately, many people work in unpleasant or unfriendly workplaces. The…

As employment lawyers, the most frequent question we receive from potential clients at Famighetti & Weinick, PLLC is about “wrongful termination.” Wrongful termination is somewhat of a misnomer. Today’s employment law blog explains why. In New York, employees are considered “at will,” which means employers can hire or fire employees for any reason or no…