Douglas H. Wigdor
It is difficult to imagine another employment lawyer with a comparable record both in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. Mr. Wigdor routinely tries cases to verdict, has won numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and has been named one of the top 20 employment litigators in the U.S. by Benchmark Litigation. A tireless champion for victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, race discrimination and other workplace misconduct, Mr. Wigdor is a Forbes Diversity & Inclusion Contributor and can often be seen standing up for his clients in TV and radio interviews; he has even appeared in a Netflix film and testified before the UK Parliament. His “pursuit of decency, justice and high-dollar settlements in the #MeToo era has landed Mr. Wigdor on the list of Law360’s Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar,” according to a profile recognizing Mr. Wigdor as one of the most influential plaintiffs’ lawyers in the U.S. His trial verdicts, arbitration awards and settlements exceed $1 Billion.
From Dominique Strauss-Kahn to Harvey Weinstein to the NFL, Mr. Wigdor has been at the forefront of some of the most impactful sexual abuse and employment discrimination cases of the last decade. Named a Top 100 Hollywood Power Lawyer by The Hollywood Reporter and a Top Music Lawyer by Billboard, Mr. Wigdor’s prolific legal career has been covered in feature profiles in The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek and the London Independent. He has been referred to in these and other major news publications as one of the country’s most high-profile litigators. A former U.S. Senator for New York said of Mr. Wigdor, “it’s much better to have him on our side than risk sitting across from him.”
Mr. Wigdor “has levied cases against some of the most powerful players in the business and political worlds — and won,” according to City & State’s 2021 Law Power 100 list. Some of his notable clients include eight alleged victims of sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein (including two women who testified at Weinstein’s criminal rape trial in New York), the hotel maid in the Dominique Strauss-Kahn sexual assault case, former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores in a historic race discrimination class action against the NFL, the rape victim in the Delhi Uber case that led to numerous executive resignations, NBA All-Star Charles Oakley in an assault and battery lawsuit involving James Dolan and Madison Square Garden, former Recording Academy President and CEO Deborah Dugan in a sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation case in connection with the Grammy Awards, two women in their claims of sexual abuse by billionaire private equity executive Leon Black, the former chief of staff to ousted WeWork CEO Adam Neumann in a pregnancy discrimination case, multiple clients in the seminal “shop and frisk” cases, five award-winning female journalists at NY1 in an age and gender discrimination lawsuit against Charter Communications, countless women in their gender discrimination and sexual harassment claims against their powerful employers, and over 20 employees at Fox News in their claims of sexual harassment, gender and race discrimination and retaliation against the network.
Mr. Wigdor’s high-profile cases are frequently covered in the international news media. Most recently, his representation of Brian Flores in a landmark race discrimination class action against the NFL has been discussed in countless television programs and articles, and has received public support from President Joe Biden, Kanye West, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Jemele Hill, Don Lemon, Spike Lee, multiple members of Congress and numerous other high-profile individuals. The case has been widely heralded as a historic reckoning that could finally force the NFL to remedy the lack of Black representation in its coaching and executive ranks.
Mr. Wigdor’s successful handling of numerous high-profile cases has resulted in frequent television and radio appearances including Nightline, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Mornings, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, ESPN and Neil Cavuto as well as regular spots on MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, ABC News, CBS News, NPR, the BBC and NBC News. He is regularly quoted as a legal expert in newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, New York Law Journal, New York Magazine, London Times, Daily Telegraph, London Independent, USA Today, New York Post, New York Daily News and many others. In 2020, Mr. Wigdor appeared as the victim’s lawyer in Room 2806: The Accusation, a Netflix original documentary series about the 2011 sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
Mr. Wigdor’s extensive litigation experience is frequently distinguished in the media. Notably, in a profile on his career, The New York Times concluded that Mr. Wigdor is “one of New York City’s most aggressive employment lawyers.” A sitting U.S. District Judge commented in another profile in the London Independent that “Mr. Wigdor is a winner.” And Bloomberg Businessweek, in yet another profile of Mr. Wigdor, described him as among the “top tier of telegenic anti-discrimination lawyers.” A different Bloomberg reporter referred to Mr. Wigdor as “the go-to lawyer in high-profile discrimination cases on Wall Street and in the media” who is well known for “hard-knuckle tactics and aggressive public support of his clients.” In recognition of his work fighting sexual harassment and discrimination at the highest levels of the Media and Entertainment industry, The Hollywood Reporter named Mr. Wigdor to the Top 100 Hollywood Power Lawyers 2020 list, and Billboard recognized him as a Top Music Lawyer in 2020 and 2021.
The vast majority of cases handled by Mr. Wigdor result in confidential, out-of-court settlements before they ever reach a courtroom. Nonetheless, Mr. Wigdor has a reputation for obtaining multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. Some of Mr. Wigdor’s most notable public outcomes include:
- $23.72 million arbitration award on behalf of the former Chief Financial Officer of Six Flags, one of the largest single-plaintiff employment arbitration verdicts;
- $7.5 million verdict in a disability discrimination case against Walmart, one of the largest single-plaintiff verdicts ever under the Americans with Disabilities Act;
- $8 million (approx.) verdict on behalf of the former Editor-in-Chief of The Source Magazine, who was retaliated against after she complained of gender discrimination;
- $3.35 million verdict on behalf of a former employee of Nassau County whose due process rights were violated;
- $1.35 million verdict in a disability case where the client was terminated by his employer after disclosing that he was HIV positive;
- $1.126 million jury verdict in a Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation case on behalf of a former Vice President and Wealth Manager at JPMorgan Chase; and
- Arbitration award of over $700,000 on behalf of former Managing Director at a Manhattan-based consulting group who was terminated without basis for “Cause.”
- Top American Lawyers, Lifetime Membership Award
- New York Law Journal, "Top Verdict"
- Super Lawyers, "Super Lawyer"
- Martindale-Hubbell, "AV Preeminent Rated"
- Law360, Employment Law Editorial Advisory Board member
- Avvo, Rated 10.0 ("Superb")
- Litigation Counsel of America, Fellowship
- BTI Consulting Group, Most Fearsome in Litigation Award
- Lawdragon, Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyer Award
- Law360 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar Award
- Super Lawyers Top 100: New York Metro
- Chambers and Partners, Band 1: Labor and Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs Representation in New York
- Lawdragon, Leading Lawyer in America Award
- Best Lawyers, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- The National Law Journal: Elite Trial Lawyers Award
- New York Law Journal, Distinguished Leader Award
- The Hollywood Reporter, Top 100 Power Lawyers Award
- Billboard, Top Music Lawyers Award
- U.S. News, Best Law Firms - National Ranking - Labor and Employment Litigation
- City & State NY, Law Power 100 list
- Chambers and Partners, Labor and Employment Law Firm of the Year (Shortlisted)
- Benchmark Litigation, Top 20 Employment Litigators
- Best Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America
- The New York Times: “One of New York City’s most aggressive employment lawyers”
- America's Top 100 Attorneys, Lifetime Achievement Award
- Super Lawyers, Employment Litigation/Labor Blue Ribbon Panelist
- Best Lawyers, Employment Law – Individuals
- Best Lawyers, Labor Law – Management
- Trial Lawyers Board of Regents, Litigator Award
- American Society of Legal Advocates, Top 100 Labor and Employment Lawyers Award
- National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers
- American Academy of Trial Attorneys, Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for New York
- U.S. News, Best Law Firms - Regional Tier 1 Ranking - Labor and Employment Litigation
New York, New York 10003
