Our cases are regularly covered in the media. When seeking expertise from a New York employment attorney, journalists also call on Kevin Mintzer to comment on matters involving employment law, discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment, and sexual assault, among other topics. Our recent media appearances include the following:
We achieved a significant victory for our client, Julia Ormond, in her case against the world’s most prominent talent agency. As reported in Bloomberg Law, the Appellate Division, First Department, affirmed the viability of Ms. Ormond’s claim, recognizing that a talent agency may have “special relationship” with its clients to support claims of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.
The Bloomberg report is here
The Appellate Division decision is here.
The Albany Times-Union covered the settlement of Brittany Commisso’s action against New York State and the former governor. Kevin Mintzer explained that “because the state offered her a very appealing settlement, Ms. Commisso, like New York City voters, decided to turn the page on [the former governor]. He should learn how to take no for an answer.”
Our client, Julia Ormond, won a critical victory when a New York judge denied the motions to dismiss by Disney, Miramax and CAA to dismiss her case. The Court’s ruling is the subject of an article in the Los Angeles Times. The paper quoted Kevin Mintzer and our co-counsel as calling the decision as a “complete repudiation of CAA, Disney, and Miramax’s attempts to evade accountability for their failure to protect Julia Ormond from Harvey Weinstein.”
We are co-counsel for Brittany Commisso, one of the brave sexual harassment complainants who stood up to then-governor Andrew Cuomo, resulting in his resignation. Ms. Commisso’s claims have been corroborated by three government investigations and she is now suing Mr. Cuomo and the State of New York in the Supreme Court, Albany County, as described in Law360.
Film actor Julia Ormond discusses in Rolling Stone why she has decided to seek accountability against Disney and CAA for the sexual assault perpetrated against her by Harvey Weinstein. Kevin Mintzer and Laura Koistinen, along with their co-counsel, represent Ormond in her litigation against these Hollywood institutions.
The New York Post has reported on our successful representation of Joshua Zuckerman, a former Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Zuckerman brought a claim against the D.A. and several high-ranking members of his staff, alleging that he was unlawfully retaliated against for blowing the whistle about unsafe health and safety practices in the office. “The Brooklyn DA and his senior managers do not understand the law they are sworn to uphold. Whistleblowers should not be retaliated against, and the DA, of all people, should know this,” Zuckerman’s attorney, Laura Koistinen, told the Post.
Sara Ziff, the executive director of the Model Alliance, has filed a lawsuit under the Adult Survivors Act alleging that she was raped by Fabrizio Lombardo, a close associate of Harvey Weinstein. Ms. Ziff has also sued Disney, Miramax and Harvey Weinstein for negligently supervising Lombardo. Ms. Ziff spoke about the lawsuit in an exclusive interview with the New York Times. She is represented by the Law Office of Kevin Mintzer P.C. and Wigdor LLP.
The Hollywood Reporter covers our recent victory on behalf of Kaja Sokola, who has alleged that Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her when she was 16 years old, and that his employers, Disney and Miramax, negligently supervised Weinstein. In a comprehensive decision that is the first of its kind, the trial court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss. Kevin Mintzer and co-counsel made the following statement: “Today, the Court’s decision corrected an erroneous federal court interpretation of New York law on negligent supervision that has contributed to the denial of justice to Weinstein survivors and other sexual assault survivors. We look forward to proceeding to discovery and trial on Ms. Sokola’s claims.”
Crain’s New York business reports on the lawsuit filed by an emergency room physician at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, who has alleged that she was subject to sexual and racial harassment, equal pay violations and unlawful retaliation. The physician is represented by Kevin Mintzer and Laura Koistinen.
Crain’s New York Business (subscription required)
Mediaite and the Daily Beast report on our representation of former Fox News and Fox Business News host and anchor Melissa Francis, who has filed a charge with the Department of Labor alleging retaliation for opposing Fox News’ unequal pay practices. Kevin Mintzer, Francis’ lawyer, told The Daily Beast, “Ms. Francis filed a charge with the New York State Department of Labor because Fox News has not changed and continues to discriminate and retaliate against women, including those who seek equal pay for equal work.”
