long island employment lawyer Tag Archives — Long Island Employment Law Blog

May 1, 2018

Employment Lawyer Weinick Admitted to Supreme Court

At the April 30, 2018 session of the Court, Long Island employment lawyer Matthew Weinick was admitted to the United States Supreme Court. His admission gives Weinick the privilege of representing clients in appeals before the nation’s highest court.

At the April 30, 2018 Supreme Court session, Weinick joined a group of lawyers from Hofstra Law School for a group swearing in ceremony at the court. Making the day all the more special, the group included Hofstra’s dean and former Chief Administrative Judge of New York, A. Gail Prudenti. Promptly at 10:00a.m., the Court was called to order and the Chief Justice and Associate Judges of the Supreme Court took the bench. Hofstra Professor J. Scott Colesanti read the motion to admit Weinick and the rest of the Hofstra group. Chief Justice John Roberts granted the motion. Before the conclusion of the session, the Clerk of the Court Scott S. Harris read the lawyers their oath and the newest members of the Supreme Court bar were sworn in.

Following the ceremony, the group was escorted to the lawyers’ lounge. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stopped in to share some stories with the lawyers and their guests, then the Court’s photographer took a group picture.

April 10, 2018

Employment Lawyer Peter J. Famighetti Rated 10.0

by Famighetti & Weinick

Long Island employment lawyer Peter J. Famighetti received a 10.0 rating from attorney review website AVVO. Famighetti joins his partner and fellow Long Island employment lawyer, Matthew Weinick, at the top of the attorney ratings on AVVO.

AVVO is website which maintains attorney profiles and issues ratings to the lawyers on its site. According to AVVO, the ratings “evaluate a lawyer’s background.” Their ratings use “a model that considers information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information [it] collect[s] from public sources.” That information is “considered and weighted by [their] mathematical module to calculate a numerical rating, ranging from 1 to 10.”

Famighetti’s profile notes his many accomplishments, including selection to the “Super Lawyer’s” list from 2014 to 2017, verdicts, publications, and speaking engagements. Additionally, AVVO collects peer reviews and client testimonials. For example, former client “Michael” wrote about Famighetti that “there is no one who will represent you in a more professional and personable manner that this man.” Former client “Danielle” said that Famighetti “did an amazing job.” Jaime Roth, an attorney who opposed Famighetti in an employment case was apparently so impressed with him that she wrote, “Peter and I were opposing counsel in a challenging employment discrimination matter. He is a zealous advocate for his clients.”

December 27, 2017

Workplace Safety Issues

by Famighetti & Weinick

Workplace safety is of paramount importance. Employees who are injured in the workplace risk disabling injuries which could prevent them from earning a living in the future. Lawsuits arising from workplace injuries could devastate businesses. Today’s Long Island employment law blog discusses workplace safety laws.

OSHA and Federal Workplace Safety Agencies

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protects workers and ensures they are working under safe working conditions. In response to workplace safety complaints, OSHA is tasked with inspecting work sites. Employers, contractors, or work site owners who fail to comply with OSHA’s safety regulations, may receive hefty fines, loss of licensing, and even a lawsuit.

September 27, 2017

Long Island Employment Lawyer Matthew Weinick

by Famighetti & Weinick

Matthew Weinick is a Long Island employment lawyer and a founding partner of the Long Island employment law firm of Famighetti & Weinick, PLLC. Today’s employment law blog highlights Matt’s work and experience in the field of employment law.

Matt graduated cum laude from Hofstra Law School. While at Hofstra, Matt served as notes and comments editor of the Hofstra Labor and Employment Law Journal, which also published his article about workers’ rights. Matt interned for United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley while in law school.

After graduating from law school, Matt worked for the Nassau County Attorney’s Office where he was assigned to the General Litigation Bureau, handling employment law matters as well as “Constitutional torts” in which Matt defended Nassau County employees such as police officers and corrections officers, in lawsuits alleging violations of citizens’ Constitutional rights. Among the high profile cases Matt worked on was a lawsuit alleging the police department’s use of mounted police was unconstitutional and another case alleging Nassau County’s decision to post pictures of individuals arrested for DWI was unconstitutional.

July 29, 2017

Qui Tam Whistleblower Case

by Famighetti & Weinick

The False Claims Act allows an individual to file a lawsuit on behalf of the government, against another individual or company who has defrauded the government. This type of lawsuit is called a qui tam action. If the person bringing the lawsuit wins, he or she may be entitled to receive up to 30% of the recovery. Additionally, the False Claims Act protects whistleblowers from retaliation of their employers. For example, an employer cannot fire an employee because of a lawful act the employee engaged in to prevent the government from being defrauded.

On July 27, 2017, New York’s Federal appellate court decided a case which discusses a qui tam action and the retaliation provision of the False Claims Act.

The first issue in Fabula v. American Medical Response, Inc., was whether the plaintiff’s complaint satisfied the particularity standard.

May 23, 2017

Weinick to be Special Instructor

by Famighetti & Weinick

Long Island employment lawyer Matthew Weinick, will be returning to Hofstra Law School in Fall 2017 as a Special Instructor. For the third year in a row, Weinick will be instructing a section of the second year course “Foundational Lawyering Skills.”

Hofstra Law School is located in Hempstead, New York. Several years ago, the law school began requiring its second year law students to complete the Foundational Lawyering Skills class. According to the Hofstra Law School catalog, the course was designed to “provide students with a basic introduction to core lawyering skills essential to effective practice in a variety of areas (trial practice, litigation, transactional lawyering, alternative dispute resolution, etc.).”

The course has traditionally been divided into two classes per week, one lecture day and one skills day. Weinick has taught the skills days, reviewing with students lawyering techniques such as client interviews, and depositions, as well as trial skills such as opening statements, closing arguments, and direct and cross examinations. Additionally, classes have involved other lawyering skills such as fact gathering and fact presentation.