Attorney Profile
Davida S. Perry
Davida Perry
New York
New York (NY)
Practice Areas:
Employment Litigation: Plaintiff (100%)
Employment Litigation: Plaintiff
Law School:
New England Law | Boston
Profile
Davida S. Perry has been a civil litigator since 1986 and holds the distinction of an "AV" rating with Preeminence from Martindale-Hubbell. In 1994, Ms. Perry and her father, Murray Schwartz, created the partnership of Schwartz & Perry LLP. Since the firm's inception, Ms. Perry has devoted her efforts exclusively toward representing victims of unlawful employment discrimination. Ms. Perry worked alongside her father in the landmark first impression case of Thoreson v. Penthouse Magazine and Robert Guccione. In Thoreson, the finding of sexual harassment was sustained on appeal, which set a significant precedent that a claim of sexual harassment can be established based on the victim's testimony alone.In 1991, the City of New York enacted its own Human Rights Law authorizing a private cause of judicial action for victims of employment discrimination. The New York City law was challenged in Bracker v. Cohen, a sexual harassment case in which Schwartz & Perry LLP represented the plaintiff. The law was ultimately found to be constitutional and as a result, a multitude of cases have been instituted under that law. Notably, Ms. Perry served as Second Chair during the trial of McIntyre v. Manhattan Ford, Lincoln Mercury, a sexual harassment, retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress suit. A Manhattan jury awarded the plaintiff $6.6 million, which, even after being reduced, still stands as one of the highest awards for sexual harassment in the entire nation. In June 2006, following a two-week trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of a client of Schwartz & Perry LLP in the amount of $2.5 million, of which $300,000 was an award for punitive damages. The verdict was based upon a retaliation claim arising from the plaintiff's allegation of age discrimination. After adding damages and interest, the amount of the final judgment paid totaled nearly $4 million. Ms. Perry has co-authored numerous articles and publications for programs sponsored by the New York State Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association and the Practising Law Institute.
Selected To
New York Super Lawyers 2011 - Metro Edition
New York Super Lawyers 2010 - Metro
New York Super Lawyers 2009 - Metro
About Davida Perry
Admitted: 1986, New York
Professional Webpage: www.schwartzandperry.com/lawyer-attorney-1269605.html
Honors and Awards:
- "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell with Preeminence (since 2003)
- Recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Constitutional Law (1984)
- National Employment Lawyers Association - "Courageous Plaintiffs Who Fought Back" (1999)
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Member - National Association of Women Lawyers
- Member - New York State Bar Association
Scholarly Lectures and Writings:
- Frequent co-author for numerous publications for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York County Lawyers' Association (NYCLA), New York State Bar Association, National Employment Lawyers' Association (NELA) and NELA/NY, Practising Law Institute and Marino Institute for Continuing Legal Education. 2002 - "Sexual Harassment in the New Millennium: The Impact of Faragher and Ellerth," National Employment Lawyers Association Publication (Co-Author); 1999 - "How to Handle Your First Employment Discrimination Case," Practising Law Institute Publication (Co-Author); May 18-20, 1998 - "Trial Motions: Advantages and Considerations," Third Annual Employment Law Litigation Institute, New York State Bar Association Publication, Section on Labor and Employment Law (Co-Author); April 24, 1998 - "Counsel's Investigation and Retainer Agreements," National Employment Lawyers Association Publication (Co-Author); March 5-6, 1998 - "Claims for Damage to an Employee's Reputation and Future Employment Opportunities," Practising Law Institute Publication (Co-Author); May 16-17, 1997 - "Strategies for Settlement," Second Annual Employment Law Litigation Institute, New York State Bar Association Publication, Section on Labor and Employment Law (Co-Author)
Verdicts and Settlements:
- Thoreson v. Penthouse Magazine and Robert Guccione, 149 Misc. 2d 150 (Sup. Ct. NY Co. 1990), 179 A.D. 2d 29 (1st Dept. 1992), 80 NY 2d 490 (1992); McIntyre v. Manhattan Ford, Lincoln Mercury, 176 Misc. 2d 325 (Sup. Ct. NY Co. 1997) 1998 NY App. Div. LEXIS 13944 (1st Dept. 1998); Bracker v. Cohen, 204 A.D. 2d 115 (1st Dept. 1994); Ryan v. City of New York, 802 N.Y.S. 2d. 854 (N.Y. Sup. 2005); Insinga v. Cooperative Centrale Raiffeisen Boerenleenbank B.A., 2007 WL 744621 (S.D.N.Y, 2007)
Educational Background:
- Juris Doctor, New England School of Law (1985, cum laude); Bachelor of Arts, Skidmore College (1982, highest honors)
Map Location
Blog entries — Davida S. Perry
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