Profile
Louis Pechman practices before federal and state courts and government agencies in all areas of workplace law, including employment discrimination, union-management relations, employment contracts, non-competition agreements, independent contractor issues, and wage/hour disputes. Mr. Pechman has litigated over one hundred federal and state court cases. As a practitioner for over twenty-five years in the labor and employment field, Mr. Pechman offers both individual employees and employers practical guidance on improving the employment relationship and, where appropriate, terminating that relationship.
Mr. Pechman has worked as a labor and employment attorney at three Manhattan law firms, as in-house labor counsel with the New York Daily News, and as a Field Examiner with the National Labor Relations Board. Admitted to the New York and New Jersey Bars, he is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the Fordham University School of Law.
Mr. Pechman is one of the leading practitioners in the area of restaurant litigation involving claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law. He is the founder of waiterpay.com, a site that focuses on complex wage and hour issues in the New York restaurant industry and authors the Restaurant Worker News Blog.
About Louis Pechman
Law School: Fordham University School of Law
Admitted: 1984, New York
Professional Webpage: bwp-law.com/our-firm/employment-attorneys/#Louis-Pechman
Honors and Awards:
- Martindale-Hubbell - AV-Rated Preeminent
- Best Lawyers in America (Labor and Employment Law), 2006 - 2011
Bar/Professional Activity:
- American Bar Association, Member, Section on Labor and Employment Law
- New York State Bar Association, Member, Section on Labor and Employment Law.
- New York Women’s Bar Association, Co-Chair, Committee on Employment and Equal Opportunity for Women
- New York County Lawyers' Association, Chair, Labor Relations and Employment Law Committee, 1994 - 1998
- United States District Court of Eastern District of New York, 1984
- United States District Court of Southern District of New York, 1984
- New York, 1984
- United States District Court, District of New Jersey, 1985
- New Jersey, 1985
- United States Supreme Court, 1996
- United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 2002
Scholarly Lectures and Writings:
- “Emerging Issues in Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment.” New York State Bar Journal (March/April 1993).
- “Mental Disabilities in The Workplace.” New York Law Journal (March 2, 1994).
- “A Level Playing Field or a Quagmire?” New York Times (July 30, 1995).
- “A Level Playing Field or a Quagmire?” New York Times (July 30, 1995).
- “Coping with Mental Disabilities in the Workplace.” New York State Bar Journal (July/August 1995).
- “Appearance Based Discrimination.” New York Law Journal (September 25, 1996).
- “Observe at Your Own Peril.” The Journal of Commerce (1997).
- “Balancing Customer Preference with Employee Rights.” New York Law Journal (August 22, 1997).
- “Employment Practices Insurance Proliferates.” New York Law Journal (May 26, 1998).
- “Workplace Abuse: Unlawful or Simply Unfair?” New York Law Journal (August 3, 1999).
- “The Language of Harassment.” New York Law Journal (August 10, 2000).
- “The Language of Harassment.” New York Law Journal (August 10, 2000).
- “The Employer Strikes Back.” New York Law Journal (June 25, 2002).
- “Tattoos and Piercings in the Workplace.” New York Law Journal (December 15, 2005).
- “Law Relating to Alcoholics, Convicts, Drug Addicts in the Workplace.” New York Law Journal (May 19, 2009).
- “Minimizing Economic Damages in Employment Discrimination Cases: An Overview of Recent Developments,” Speaker, American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Midwinter Meeting (March 25, 1999).
- “Damages in Employment Discrimination Cases: An Overview of Recent Developments,” Speaker, Practicing Law Institute (November 11, 1999).
- “McDonnell-Douglas to Reeves: Is there a Simpler Method for Assessing Evidence in Discrimination Cases,” Speaker, New York Women’s Bar Association (September 20, 2000).
- ”Blueprint for Building your Practice: A Conference for Solo and Small Firm Practitioners,” Speaker, New York County Lawyers’ Association (April 7, 2000).
- Fox News Show, “The O’Reilly Factor,” Commentator (April 28, 2003).
- "Recent Developments Under the ADA," Instructor, Metropolitan District Office of the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (1998-2003).
- “Managing and Defending Retaliation Cases: Cost-Effective and Successful Strategies,” Speaker, American Conference Institute (January 20-21, 2008).
- “How to Handle an Employment Discrimination Case,” Moderator, New York County Lawyers’ Association (1996-Present).
- “An Introduction to Wage and Hour Cases,” Moderator, Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, 2011 Convention (May 21, 2011).
- “How to Handle a Wage and Hour Case,” Moderator, New York County Lawyers’ Association (2010-Present).
- Lecturer, Fordham University School of Law
- Lecturer, New York University
Verdicts and Settlements:
- Duchene, et al. v. Michael Cetta, Inc. d/b/a Sparks Steak House, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85955 (S.D.N.Y. Sep. 10, 2009) - (Settlement of FLSA and NYLL claims in the amount of $3.15 million.), 2009
- In Re Milos Litigation, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 138473 (S.D.N.Y. Sep. 8, 2011) - (Settlement of FLSA and NYLL claims in the amount of $1.975 million.), 2011
Educational Background:
- Cornell University School - Industrial and Labor Relations, 1979
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