Holding Employers Accountable

TA Legal Group is a New York boutique law firm representing employees and executives in complex, high-stakes employment litigation, including wage-and-hour class and collective actions involving thousands of workers, and harassment claims against senior executives at major companies.

Who does the firm represent?

Employees and executives, in the great majority of our matters. Our clients range from hourly restaurant and warehouse workers who were never paid overtime to senior executives negotiating an exit. The firm also represents employers in a limited number of cases, so we run a conflict check before taking any matter and tell you at the first conversation if we cannot act for you. Read more about the firm and the attorneys who would handle your matter.

What kinds of claims do we bring?

Most people arrive with one of three problems: the paycheck is wrong, they were treated differently because of who they are, or they were punished after speaking up.

If your pay is short, that is a wage and hour claim: unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work, tip theft, or being misclassified as exempt or as an independent contractor. If you were treated worse because of your race, sex, age, disability, religion, pregnancy, or national origin, that is workplace discrimination. If you complained and were fired, demoted, or had your hours cut afterward, that is retaliation, often a stronger claim than the complaint that triggered it. If the job ended, see wrongful termination; if you were handed an agreement with a deadline on it, see severance review and negotiation before you sign anything.

One set of facts frequently supports more than one claim, each with its own deadline and its own damages. Sorting that out is our job, not yours.

How long do you have to act?

Less time than most people assume, and the shortest applicable deadline is the one that decides whether a claim survives. A federal discrimination charge generally must reach the EEOC within 300 days in New York. State and City Human Rights Law claims generally allow three years in court, though the New York City Commission on Human Rights has a one-year window. Unpaid wage claims under the New York Labor Law reach back six years. Public employers can impose notice-of-claim rules measured in months. Our guide to how long you have to file sets them out side by side.

What happens when you call?

You speak with an attorney and you get a candid assessment. Some claims are strong but modest in value, some are large but slow, and some are not viable claims at all. We will say so rather than take a case that will not go anywhere. If there is a claim, the next step is usually a demand and negotiation or an administrative charge, and if it does not resolve, litigation in Suffolk or Nassau County Supreme Court or in the federal Eastern District courthouse in Central Islip.

The consultation is always free and confidential. Many of these cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, with no fee unless we recover for you and case costs and disbursements advanced by the firm and reimbursed from any recovery. Other matters are handled on a retainer, and we tell you which applies before you commit to anything. If you want a rough sense of what unpaid overtime may be worth before calling anyone, the unpaid overtime calculator will get you in the neighborhood, and the FAQ answers the questions we are asked most.