Long Island Employment Law Blog

On August 29, 2016, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, New York’s highest federal court, decided a case which adopted the so-called “cat’s paw” theory of liability for Title VII cases. As discussed in this employment law blog, although the cat’s paw theory has been recognized in other employment cases, it has been unsettled as…

On August 23, 2016, United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay recommended that Famighetti & Weinick, PLLC’s client receive an award of more than $366,000 in actual and liquidated damages. The recommendation is based on the client’s lawsuit alleging nearly five years of unpaid overtime from his former employer. In issuing her recommendation Judge Lindsay…

New York County Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe has issued an order and judgment granting an Article 75 petition filed by Famighetti & Weinick, PLLC. The petition was filed after a 3020-a hearing was held on charges brought against a tenured New York City school teacher by the Department of Education. The hearing officer sustained…

On August 3, 2016, Federal Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson appointed Famighetti & Weinick partner, Matt Weinick, to a pro bono assignment in the Eastern District of New York. The appointment was made for the limited purpose of representing the pro se plaintiff at an upcoming settlement conference. Since 2014, Weinick has been a member…

Continuing with our employment law blog series about common misunderstandings of popular employment law terms, this week we discuss “whistleblower retaliation,” specifically as the term applies in New York. Like hostile work environment and wrongful termination, “whisteblower” is a term of art, meaning it has a very specific meaning. Many employees believe that whisteblowing encompasses…

In today’s employment law blog, we’re continuing our discussion of misunderstood employment law terms. Last blog, we discussed “wrongful termination.” Today, we’ll clear up some misunderstandings about the term “hostile work environment.” After wrongful termination, hostile work environment is our leading inquiry from potential clients. Unfortunately, many people work in unpleasant or unfriendly workplaces. The…

As employment lawyers, the most frequent question we receive from potential clients at Famighetti & Weinick, PLLC is about “wrongful termination.” Wrongful termination is somewhat of a misnomer. Today’s employment law blog explains why. In New York, employees are considered “at will,” which means employers can hire or fire employees for any reason or no…

On June 1, 2016, Famighetti & Weinick, PLLC issued a press release announcing partner Matthew Weinick’s selection to the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40. The full press release is available here.

Whether you’re a plaintiff, defendant, or just someone who witnessed events which are the subject of a lawsuit, being called to testify at a deposition can be unsettling. Although it’s natural to be nervous, all you really have to do is tell the truth and you’ll be fine. This article explains what a deposition is,…

On April 26, 2016, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in a case involving a question of whether a public employee can sue his employer where the employer takes an adverse employment action against the employee based on its mistaken belief that the employee had exercised his free-speech rights. In a 6-2 decision,…