Employment Lawyer in Brooklyn

Employment lawyers represent workers in disputes with employers: wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment, retaliation for reporting problems, unpaid wages and overtime, denied leave, and the documents that bracket a job — offer letters, non-competes, and severance agreements. One honest ground rule shapes all of it: most US employment is at-will, meaning you can be fired for a bad reason or no reason — just not an illegal one. Illegal reasons include your race, sex, age, religion, disability, pregnancy, complaints about harassment or safety, wage claims, and protected leave. The lawyer's first job is sorting unfair from unlawful, and the second is timing: discrimination claims usually require filing with the EEOC or a state agency within strict windows — as short as 180 days from the discriminatory act — before you can ever sue.

This page is general information, not legal advice.

Employment questions in Brooklyn often start with a firing, a cut in pay, or a severance letter. Which agency you use changes the deadline. This page is general information about Kings County, not a prediction about any one job.

Verified employment lawyers serving Brooklyn

Attorneys licensed in New York can represent clients anywhere in the state — those based in or serving Brooklyn are listed first.

SEAN FARROWServes BrooklynLabor and Employment · 6 yrs experience · ManhattanFree consultLanguages: English

When to hire an employment lawyer

Talk to an employment lawyer in Brooklyn when you are fired, when you think you were treated differently because of a protected trait under the New York City Human Rights Law or the New York State Human Rights Law, when wages or overtime were not paid, before you sign a severance agreement or a non-compete, and when you were punished for speaking up. Bring the letter, the dates, and any complaint you already made. A consult can sort which of those paths fits the papers you have. It cannot promise a result.

Common matters they handle

Wrongful termination and retaliation
Workplace discrimination and harassment
Unpaid wages, overtime, and misclassification
Severance agreement review and negotiation
Non-compete and non-solicit disputes
Family and medical leave violations

Courts that hear these cases

Federal employment cases from Brooklyn are filed in the Eastern District of New York courthouse at 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, NY 11201. City and state complaints use the same offices from every borough. The NYC Commission on Human Rights is at 22 Reade Street, New York, NY 10007. The New York State Division of Human Rights NYC office is at 22 Reade Street, New York, NY 10007, and its headquarters are at One Fordham Plaza, Bronx, NY 10458. The EEOC New York District Office is at 33 Whitehall Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Wage claims go to the New York State Department of Labor, Division of Labor Standards, Building 12, Room 185B, W. Averell Harriman State Office Campus, Albany, NY 12226, or online at dol.ny.gov. Confirm which office has your claim before you file.

Languages, neighborhoods, and industries

People looking for an employment lawyer in Brooklyn most often ask for English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian Creole, Yiddish, and Arabic. Neighborhoods that come up in Kings County matters include Downtown Brooklyn, Flatbush, Bushwick, Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Brighton Beach, and Crown Heights. Local jobs cluster in health care, hospitality, construction, and small businesses. If a lawyer is listed on this page, the language tags on that profile are the ones to match, and you should ask which language the consult itself will be in.

Lawyers listed on this page show these language tags: English.

Typical NYC market estimates

These figures are typical NYC market estimates. They are not a quote from a law firm, they are not a Lawckin quote, and they are not the consultation price on a Lawckin profile. Confirm the fee with the attorney. You see that lawyer’s consult price before you book. Court and government filing fees are separate.

Paid initial consult: Often about $0–$500 in the New York City market. Confirm the fee with the attorney.
Plaintiff case: Often about a 30–40% contingency, or a hybrid of a lower rate plus a percentage. Confirm the fee with the attorney.
Severance review: Often about a flat fee to read the agreement before you sign. Confirm the fee with the attorney.

Employment Lawyer in Brooklyn: FAQ

What does an employment lawyer cost in Brooklyn?

In the New York City market, a consult is often about $0–$500. Plaintiff-side work is often a contingency of about 30–40%, or a hybrid, and a severance review is often a flat fee. These are market estimates, not a Lawckin quote. Confirm the fee with the attorney. The number on a Lawckin profile is that lawyer’s consult fee.

Do employment lawyers work on contingency?

Many plaintiff-side employment lawyers take a case for a percentage of a recovery, often about 30–40%, or a hybrid of a lower rate plus a percentage. Not every matter is a contingency. Reading a severance agreement is often a flat fee. Confirm the fee with the attorney before you hire.

Should I sign a severance agreement first?

Read it with a lawyer before you sign. The payment is usually in exchange for a waiver of claims, and sometimes for a non-compete. The deadline in the letter often leaves time for a flat-fee review. Confirm the fee with the attorney.

What is the deadline for an NYC discrimination complaint?

It depends on the agency. The NYC Commission on Human Rights says a complaint is due within one year of the last act, or three years for gender-based harassment. The New York State Division of Human Rights says acts on or after February 15, 2024 are due within three years. An EEOC charge in New York is often due in 300 days because New York has its own agency. These clocks are not the same. Confirm the date with a lawyer.

How does Lawckin booking work?

Open the lawyer’s profile on Lawckin. The consult fee that lawyer set is on the profile before you book a time. If that fee is $0, the profile says Free consult. Lawckin does not replace the lawyer’s own advice.