EEOC v. Morgan Stanley
My Legal Practice
I founded Outten & Golden in 1998 with a vision to build a new kind of law firm – one that only represents employees, one that can litigate or negotiate against any law firm or company, and one with the resources to never back down. Importantly, it would also be a nice place to work.
Today, we’ve grown from just three lawyers to more than 60. We’re the country’s largest workers’ rights law firm and a true force that gives power back to employees. The journey to get here has been immensely rewarding, as have my collaborations with my colleagues and our clients over the years.
Since retiring from firm management, I’ve continued to practice law, representing mainly senior executives and professionals, including public and private company c-suite executives. It’s very gratifying to draw on my experience and creativity to improve the lives of my clients, serving as a problem-solver, counselor, and confidante.
Notable Matters
- Recovered more than $12 million in a gender discrimination and retaliation case in federal court against Morgan Stanley.
- Won a $18.9 million arbitration award in a breach of contract case against Deutsche Bank.
- Won a $71.5 million arbitration against an international bank, recognized as one of the largest employment arbitration awards in history.
- Helped many thousands of employees with employment, compensation, partnership, and separation agreements.
Credentials
- B.S., Drexel University
- J.D., New York University School of Law
- Admitted to practice law in New York and Maryland
- Admitted to the following federal courts, among others: The Supreme Court of the United States; the U.S District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- Recipient, New York State Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section Lifetime Achievement Award
- Founding board member, National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)
- Founder and president, NELA/New York (1986-2002)
- Founding Governor, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers (1996-2003)
- Chair, ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law (2015-2016)
- Co-chair, ABA Labor & Employment Law Section’s Committees on International Labor & Employment Law and Employment Rights and Responsibilities
- Founding director, Stand Up for Workers Political Action Committee, and the Stand Up for Workers Action Fund
- Author of the book The Rights of Employees
- Author of the “Representing the Executive” chapter in Executive Compensation, in addition to dozens of other articles and book chapters
- Co-founder and current president, Workplace Fairness
- Co-founder and current co-chair, Lawyers International Network for Employees and Executives (LINEE)
- Officer of several not-for-profit organizations
My Story
I grew up in a large extended family in Pocomoke City, Maryland, in a county where my ancestors have been farming for more than 350 years. My father and his oldest brother started a furniture and appliance business after WWII, which grew into the largest on the Delmarva peninsula for a while. I was in line to take over the family business, but my life took a different course.
In the late 1960s, I went to Drexel University in Philadelphia and got a business degree. Studying in the city during the civil rights and anti-war movements made me realize that I wanted to find a socially impactful way to spend my life. I observed then how many of the people leading change were preachers or lawyers. I decided to pursue a career in law, heading north to earn my J.D. at NYU.
I proceeded to spend the next 50 years of my life in New York, practicing as a litigator, negotiator, and transactional lawyer, as we grew Outten & Golden into what it is today.
These days, I’m back where I belong, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where I continue to serve select clients remotely, while traveling a lot and spending time with my wife, children, and grandchildren, plus many other family members and friends who live in this special place.
