New York Employment Law Firm

The Watanabe Law Firm, LLC

444 Madison Avenue
17th Floor
New York, New York 10022
USA

(212) 486-7005

(212) 486-6010

www.watanabe-law.com

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Law Firm Overview

The Watanabe Law Firm, LLC in New York, began in 2002 with a commitment to excellence in handling clients’ legal matters involving employment law, employment-related litigation, executive compensation, and white collar criminal defense. Recognizing that each matter is client specific, our practice is designed to develop legal strategies suited to individual client goals. Because the Firm seeks to develop long-term client relationships, we seek to achieve cost-efficiency in handling client matters while maximizing result. We explore with clients the various options available to them and allow them to make informed decisions at every stage of their matter.

In New York City employment litigation matters, it is our belief that a strong litigation practice and a reputation for a willingness to try cases achieve the best result for clients. Indeed, unlike other firms with “litigation practices,” the law firm actually tries cases. Our attorneys have collectively tried more than one hundred cases before various federal and state courts throughout the United States, achieving an enviable record of success.

The Watanabe Law Firm, LLC prides itself on its record of achievement and in the abilities, experiences, and professionalism of our attorneys. Committed to providing superior service to our clients, we invite your inquiry of the law firm’s services. While the firm’s office is in New York City, we offer legal services to clients throughout New York, the United States, and internationally where U.S. citizens are employed abroad or where foreign nationals are employed by U.S. companies.

Practice Areas

Additional Practice Areas: Business & Regulatory Offense/Corporate Investigations; Family and Medical Leave Act; Non-compete Agreements; Severance Agreements.

Practice Areas Description

The Watanabe Law Firm, LLC provides legal services in multiple areas, including

- Labor & Employment Law

The Watanabe Law Firm’s employment law firm in New York City represents individuals and management in employment and employment-related matters. The law firm’s employment practice focuses in the areas of employment counseling, litigation, and executive representation in the New York area. Headed by Laura A. Watanabe, who practiced employment law with nationally recognized law firms, the law firm’s employment practice is recognized as providing effective and cost-efficient representation.

* Discrimination

Discrimination can occur directly, for example, by way of an offensive act, gesture, or comment. Other times it is indirectly applied, and proven only through incongruent treatment supported by statistical evidence. Either way, you should seek legal assistance to discuss the circumstance. If you are an employer, you need to familiarize yourself with anti-discrimination laws in New York State and New York City in order to protect yourself, your employees and your company overall. Our firm’s attorneys will work with you to develop proper anti-discrimination employee policies and best practices for your organization.

* Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is unwanted, unwelcomed, and unrequested attention of a sexual nature. It can also be suggestive behavior, sexual-favor requests and other offensive behavior of a sexual nature made by an employer or co-worker in the workplace. While the law does not prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not considered very serious, harassment is illegal when it becomes so frequent it creates an offensive workplace or when it results in an adverse employment decision, such as termination. If confronted with sexual harassment by a superior or co-worker, or have a sexual harassment complaint made by an employee, The Watanabe Law Firm, LLC can counsel you on a proper course of action.

* Wage and Hour Claims

Wage and hour laws are enforced to make sure that minimum wage, overtime, spread of hours, prevailing wage, and other wage laws are being regarded by employers. These days, private lawsuits brought by employees against their employers now flood the courtroom. Frequently lawsuits brought by individuals are converted to class actions where all employees who might have suffered from a wage and hour violation are joined. In addition, federal and state governments are very aggressive in their investigation and prosecution of wage and hour violations. Our New York wage and hour attorneys can help you or your business in determining whether employees are being properly paid and if a wage and hour violation can be made.

* Whistleblower Law

The New York False Claims Act, referred to as the New York whistleblower law, allows professionals, executives, and employees to file a lawsuit against, or blow the whistle on, companies that defraud the government. These plaintiffs may be eligible for a share of the recovery for bringing the alleged wrongdoing to the attention of the government. To protect potential whistleblowers, the Labor Code prohibits employers from taking retaliatory measures against an employee who discloses or provides information on a company's fraudulent or false practices, who testifies against a company, or who refuses to participate in any act that violates a law, rule, or regulation.

- Business and Employment-Related Litigation

The Watanabe Law Firm, located in New York, prides itself on its attorneys’ litigation experience and practice. We began as and continue to be a Firm of trial attorneys which represent individuals and businesses in a wide variety of employment-related litigation matters. With experience in litigating employment matters in different forums across the United States, our civil litigation practice extends to contested matters involving commercial business disputes, contract claims, business torts, and employment-related claims.

- Business & Regulatory Offense / Corporate Investigations

The Watanabe Law Firm’s litigation practice, located in New York City, extends to representation of individuals and businesses in business and regulatory offense matters and investigations, sometimes referred to as white collar defense work. We provide representation before federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate court levels in matters concerning inquiries, investigations, and civil and criminal prosecutions initiated by the United States Department of Justice, state Attorneys’ General, SEC, IRS, other governmental or regulatory agencies, and District Attorney Offices. The law firm also represents individuals and businesses in investigations and defense of civil and criminal prosecutions concerning claimed violations of federal and state securities laws, 10b-5 actions, bank and wire fraud, criminal tax matters, money laundering, and currency reporting and structuring matters.

- Business Law

The Watanabe Law Firm of New York City also represents executives and other professionals departing to form their own businesses. In this situation, our attorneys prepare and negotiate shareholder, operating, or partnership agreements, prepare and negotiate separation agreements and releases from former employers, and counsel clients in risk management and compliance matters affecting business operations We also work with clients in matters concerning the buying and selling of businesses at both the negotiating stage and through the execution of purchase and sale agreements.

- Criminal Law

To meet the needs of our executive clients and businesses, The Watanabe Law Firm’s criminal litigation practice in New York City extends to representation of executives and professionals and their businesses before federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate court levels. Additionally, the law firm represents individuals and businesses during the investigatory stages preceding federal and state prosecutions and at the grand jury stage.