“Advocacy: Employees deserve a strong advocate — an advocate who will fight tenaciously for their interests while also providing objective and honest advice.”

About 

CARA E. GREENE is a partner at Outten & Golden LLP in New York, where she represents employees and partners in litigation and negotiation in all areas of employment law, including equal pay; executive and professional contracts and compensation; lawyers as clients; discrimination class actions; whistleblowing and retaliation; sexual harassment; and discrimination based on disability, pregnancy, and family responsibilities. She is Co-Chair of O&G’s Pay Equity Practice Group and Family Responsibilities and Disability Discrimination Practice Group and is active in the Sexual Harassment and Sex Discrimination Practice GroupFinancial Services Practice Group and the Executives and Professionals Practice Group.

In addition to reviewing and negotiating employment contracts and compensation guarantees, as well as severance agreements and other exit arrangements, Ms. Greene has litigated both individual and class action cases on behalf of a variety of employees including low-wage hourly workers, highly compensated professionals, lawyers, and employees in the financial services industry. She is a preeminent litigation and trial attorney who has obtained numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for her clients over the course of her career.

She is past-Chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section; is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section (Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee); and is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association and its New York affiliate, NELA/NY. Ms. Greene is a frequent speaker at employment law programs and was formerly on the Board of Editors for the Law Firm Partnership and Benefits Reporter.

Ms. Greene’s representation and advocacy have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and judgments on behalf of her clients.* Her representative cases include:

  • Represents, with co-counsel, a certified class of female Vice-Presidents and Associates challenging Goldman Sachs’s pay and promotion policies in a case that recently settled for $215M^.
  • Litigated and settled a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit on behalf of a female Investor Relations professional at CVC, a large Private Equity firm;
  • Prevailed at arbitration on behalf of a woman with claims of pregnancy discrimination and retaliation against her former employer, a large accounting and consulting firm;
  • Litigated and resolved an equal pay lawsuit on behalf of a female professional at JPMorgan Chase;
  • Settled a matter on behalf of a female associate who was sexually assaulted by a partner at her law firm;
  • Mediated and resolved a matter on behalf of a group of Black professionals at a financial services firm with claims of race discrimination;
  • Advised and negotiated an exit agreement on behalf of a C-Suite Executive who was leaving her publicly-traded company;
  • Arbitrated and settled a matter on behalf of an equity partner at an international law firm with claims of discrimination and retaliation;
  • Litigated and resolved a matter on behalf of a woman who had been sexually harassed by her company’s founder and CEO;
  • Prevailed at arbitration on behalf of a partner with claims of promissory estoppel against his former accounting and consulting firm;
  • Represented, with co-counsel, a class of female financial advisors at Bank of America with discriminatory pay claims, which settled for $39M.
  • Represents a senior woman at Google with equal pay, discrimination, and retaliation claims in her lawsuit.

Ms. Greene received her B.A. in political studies from Gordon College, where she was an A.J. Gordon Scholar. She received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.

^Pending court approval.

(*Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.)

Bar Admission and Professional Activity

  • Ms. Greene is admitted to practice law only New York and Washington, DC.
  • Ms. Greene is admitted to the following federal courts: The United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Eastern District of New York; and the Western District of New York; and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
  • Member, National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), NELA New York
  • Member, American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
  • Member, New York City Bar Association
  • Member, New York State Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section, Executive Board, Co-Chair Ethics Sub-Committee)

Video & Podcasts

May 28, 2018

Outten & Golden LLP partner Cara E. Greene discusses workplace pregnancy discrimination issues.

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February 2, 2018

Outten & Golden LLP partner Cara E. Greene discusses labor law and advocacy for legal professionals.

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Speaking Engagements

2021

  • Panelist: “Dealing with Uncomfortable Situations,” Women’s Leadership Unbound Summit, Webinar

2019

  • Moderator: “Strategies and Tips for Helping Lawyers with Substance Abuse Problems,” ABA Employment Rights & Responsibilities Committee, Midwinter Meeting, Las Vegas, NV
  • Panelist: “Hot Topics in Employment Law: The Great Debate,” New York County Lawyers Association, Continuing Legal Education Insititute, New York, NY

 

2018

  • Panelist: “Balancing Workplace Safety with Employee Rights,” ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law, 12th Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference, San Francisco, CA
  • Panelist: “Ethical Considerations Implicated By ESI,” National Employment Lawyers Association, Spring Seminar: ESI & Technology For The Plaintiffs’ Employment Lawyer, Vienna, VA
  • Panelist: “Managing Ethics Issues When Your Client is In the Wrong,” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee Midwinter Meeting, Clearwater Beach, FL
  • Panelist: “#MeToo: Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Legal Workplace,” American University Washington College of Law, Washington D.C.
  • Panelist: “#MeToo and the Legal Profession,” Cardozo Law School, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “#MeToo: How to Navigate Sexual Harassment in the Workplace,” New York State Bar Association, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Equal Pay/Pay Equity Issues in Employment Law,” Practising Law Institute, Employment Law Institute, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Employer Best Practices for Conducting Sexual Harassment Training in the Workplace,” New York City Bar Association, Sexual Harassment Summit: Perspectives and New Best Practices in the Wake of #MeToo, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Non-Compete Enforcement in New York State,” New York State Bar Association, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Assessing #MeToo’s Impact on Employment Law,” NYU Law, New York, NY

 

 

2017

  • Panelist: “Plenary IV: Ethically Dealing with Difficult Clients,” New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Fall Labor & Employment Law Section Meeting, Bolton Landing, NY
  • Panelist: “The Ethics of the Disruptive Client,” ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, Midwinter Meeting, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
  • Panelist: “FMLA Games,” ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law, Federal Labor Standards Law Committee, Midwinter Meeting, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
  • Panelist: “Emergency Ethics,” New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Labor and Employment Law Section Meeting, New York, NY

 

 

2016

  • Panelist: “Equal Pay/Pay Equity Issues in Employment Law,” Practicing Law Institute, Employment Law Institute, New York, NY
  • Conference Co-Chair: “Labor and Employment Law,” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, 10th Annual Conference, Chicago, IL

 

 

2015

  • Panelist: “Gender Pay Disparities: Enforcement, Litigation, and Remedies,” National Employment Law Association/New York, New York, NY
  • Speaker: “Ethics in Labor and Employment Arbitration,” New York City Labor and Employment Relations Association, New York
  • Panelist: “Recent Developments in Pregnancy Discrimination Law,” National Conference on Equal Employment Opportunity Law, Miami, FL
  • Conference Vice-Chair: “Labor and Employment Law,” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, 9th Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA

 

 

2014

  • Panelist: “Ethical Issues in Representing Multiple Clients: We’re All in this Together—Or Are We?,” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Midwinter Meeting, Los Cabos, Mexico
  • Speaker: “Social Media and Legal Ethics,” , 31st Annual Carl A. Warns, Jr. and Edwin R. Render Labor and Employment Law Institute, Louisville, KY
  • Panelist: “Restrictive Covenants and Faithless Servant Litigation,” Suffolk County Bar Association, Hauppauge, NY

 

 

2013

  • Panelist: “Update Ethic 20/20,” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Ethics & Professional Responsibility Committee Midwinter Meeting, Miami Beach, FL
  • Moderator: “Ethics in Employment Law,” New York City Bar Association, New York, NY
  • Speaker: “The Business and Ethics of Hanging Out Your Shingle,” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Ethical, Practical and Technological Issues in Managing a Labor and Employment Law Practice, 7th Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference – Annual CLE Conference, New Orleans, LA
  • Panelist: “Ethics in Discovery: Where the Rubber Meets the Road,” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, New York, NY
  • Speaker: “Do Lawyers Have an Ethical Duty to Understand Technology,” American Bar Association Section of Labor & Employment, National Symposium on Technology and Labor and Employment Law, Berkeley, CA
  • Panelist: “Ethics: A to Discovery,” National Employment Lawyers Association—New York Chapter, New York, NY

 

 

2012

  • anelist: “Love Triangle in Sin City: A Modern Day Mock Trial,” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Midwinter Meeting of the American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee, Las Vegas, NV
  • Panelist: “Emergency Ethics for the Employment Lawyer,” National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Hunter, NY
  • Panelist: “Ethics and Social Media for Plaintiffs’ Employment Lawyers,” National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, San Diego, CA
  • Panelist: “Ethics for Government Attorneys,” The College of Labor & Employment Lawyers New York, Connecticut, and Northern New Jersey, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Ethical Considerations in Alternative Dispute Resolution,” National Employment Lawyers Association, National Employment Lawyers Association ABCs of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Seattle, WA
  • Lecturer: “Ethical Issues in Terminating a Client-Lawyer Relationship,” Association of Towns Annual Meeting and Training, New York, NY

 

 

2011

  • Panelist: “”Client, You’re Fired!” Ethical Issues in Terminating the Client Lawyer Relationship,” New York State Bar Association, NYSBA Annual Meeting, New York, NY
  • Moderator: “Forget Romance, Get it in Writing: The Ethics of Engagement Letters,” New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Fall Meeting, Sarasota Springs, NY
  • Panelist: “Top 5 Things to Tell Your Client in Preparing for Mediation,” Colorado Bar Association, National CLE Conference, Vail, CO
  • Panelist: “Remaining Civil with the Uncivil,” The College of Labor & Employment Lawyers New York, Connecticut, and Northern New Jersey, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Ethics in Employment Law,” National Employment Lawyers Association—New York Chapter, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Technology Tools and Legal Ethics,” American Bar Association, National Symposium on Technology in Labor & Employment Law, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Two Years Down the Road with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act – a look back on equal pay developments and a look ahead to upcoming implications for class litigation,” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee/Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, Midwinter Meeting, San Juan, PR
  • Panelist: “Practice Profiles—Labor and Employment Law,” Fordham University School of Law, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Responding to a World of Rapidly-Changing Technology,” American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Annual CLE Conference, Seattle, WA

 

 

2010

  • Panelist: “FMLA⁄ADA and USERRA Update,” Colorado Bar Association, National CLE Conference, Vail, CO
  • Panelist: “Equal Employment Opportunity and Discrimination Law and Regulatory Change,” The College of Labor & Employment Lawyers New York, Connecticut, and Northern New Jersey, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Ethical Issues Surrounding Third Party Payer Situations,” New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Fall Meeting, Longboat Key, FL
  • Moderator: “Le Divorce: Hot Issues in Negotiating Severance Agreements,” National Employment Lawyers Association, Washington DC
  • Panelist: “No Day at the Beach—Conflicts of Interest,” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee/Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, Midwinter Meeting (Joint Panel), New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Ethics in Employment Law,” National Employment Lawyers Association—New York Chapter, New York, NY

 

 

2009

  • Panelist: “Fighting the Discovery Battle Without Losing the Ethics War” (Joint Panel),” American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee/Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, Midwinter Meeting, Key West, FL
  • Lecturer: “Pregnancy and the Law,” Legal Health (New York Legal Assistance Group)—Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY
  • Panelist: “Practice Profiles—Labor and Employment Law,” Fordham University School of Law, New York, NY

 

 

Blogs & Publications

California Employers Must Post Salary Ranges on Job Listings and Disclose Pay Data

California’s state legislature passed a new law on August 30, 2022 that would significantly advance the fight for pay equity. Under the law, which must be signed or vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom by September 30, California employers would be required to post salary ranges for job postings. Further, employers with over 100 employees in the state would be required to submit a pay data report to California’s Civil Rights Department disclosing pay by race, ethnicity, and gender in specified job categories.

New and Existing Paid Leave Laws Protect New York Employees During the COVID-19 Emergency

Few employees and executives have been spared the impacts of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Whether because of illness to themselves or family members, childcare or school closures, or disruption in the workplace, it has been anything but business as usual for the majority...

Supreme Court Shows The Way To A Jury In Pregnancy Discrimination Cases

Outten & Golden LLP attorneys Cara Greene and Deirdre Aaron, and Shirley Lin discuss pregnancy discrimination.

The Family Medical Leave Act: 2015 Cumulative Supplement

Cara E. Greene, Chapter 10 Editor, Melissa Pierre-Louis Associate Editor, ABA/BNA Books, 2015

Restrictive Covenants and Partnership Agreements: Staying on the Right Side of the Ethics Rules While Protecting Firm Interests

Cara E. Greene, Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report, October 2013

The Family Medical Leave Act: 2013 Cumulative Supplement

Cara E. Greene, Chapter 10 Editor, ABA/BNA Books, 2013

Ethics Concerns When Computing in the Cloud and on the Earth

Cara E. Greene, Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report, November 2011

New Laws Expand Whistleblower Protections

Wayne N. Outten and Cara E. Greene, Employment Law Strategist, November 2011.

The Family Medical Leave Act: 2011 Cumulative Supplement

Cara E. Greene, Chapter 10 Editor, ABA/BNA Books, 2011.

Whose Signature Is on the Check?

Cara E. Greene, Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report, November 2010

The Dodd-Frank Act’s Whistleblower Provisions: The Act’s Best Hope For Exposing Financial Wrongdoing

In this BNA Insights article, Outten & Golden attorneys Tammy Marzigliano and Cara E. Greene take a close look at these provisions and the effects of preceding laws, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to examine what their future impact might be. Bloomberg BNA, Workplace Law Report, 10/22/2010.

The Family Medical Leave Act: 2009 Cumulative Supplement

Cara E. Greene, Chapter 10 Editor, ABA/BNA Books, 2009.

Awards & Recognition

  • 2023: Law360 MVP Awards – Employment
  • 2020-2024: Best Lawyer – Employment Law – Individuals
  • 2021-2024: Best Lawyer – Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • 2013-2023: Super Lawyers – Super Lawyer
  • 2019-2021: Legal 500 United States Recommended Labor and Employment Lawyer
  • 2019-2021: Legal 500 US “Leading Lawyer”
  • 2023: Lawdragon 500 Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyer
  • 2018-2021: Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers
  • 2019: Super Lawyers NY Women Super Lawyers
  • 2012: Super Lawyers Rising Star – New York Metro

 

 

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