Civil Rights

Mandel Bhandari’s trial-focused strategy consistently succeeds in employment and civil rights cases, where government and private sector defendants often insist that juries decide plaintiffs’ claims. We are frequently hired to handle civil rights and employment cases weeks or even days before trial.

We routinely represent employees and employers in wrongful discharge suits, including suits based on disability, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and/or religion. We also handle cases in which the employee believes that he or she has been harassed on account of his or her gender, race, and/or national origin.

Mandel Bhandari has a robust practice representing whistleblowers and other employees who are retaliated against for objecting to their employers’ illegal or improper conduct. We have represented numerous whistleblowers in the finance and health care industries, and obtained the first judicial decision on the whistleblower provision in the Dodd-Frank Act.

Our clients also include individuals and businesses whose civil rights have been violated by the government. Whether it is the right to free speech, the right to be free from excessive force, the right to due process, or any other civil right, Mandel Bhandari stands ready to explain to a jury how and why the government crossed the line.

Click below for some of our representative matters.

CONTRACT DISPUTES

Video Game Accessory Manufacturer
Represented a major designer and manufacturer of video game accessories against its former CEO in connection with multi-million dollar breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Three days before the arbitration was to begin, the case settled for pennies on the dollar and our client received a written apology.

Investment Banker
Prosecuted investment banker’s breach of contract and labor law claims against former client. Successfully obtained six-figure settlement.

Pharmaceutical Company
Represented major pharmaceutical company in connection with unfair competition, theft of trade secrets, and breach of non-competition agreement with key employee who attempted to take a sensitive position with a competitor.

Consumer Products Company
Represented consumer products company in connection with wrongful termination and breach of contract claims brought by senior executive.

Financial Advisor
Represented a financial advisor in a dispute with his employer relating to a $700,000 signing bonus. After several weeks of correspondence with the employer’s in-house counsel, and prior to the filing of an arbitration claim or lawsuit, the employer paid the entire $700,000 bonus plus interest.

WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS

Investment Bank Compliance Officer
Prosecuted senior compliance officer’s claim that he was terminated in retaliation for investigating rainmaker’s unlawful trading activity. The matter was amicably resolved.

Senior Officer of Technology Company
Represented officer who was terminated after disclosing senior executive’s illegal conduct to board of directors.

CIVIL RIGHTS AND DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS

Trader
Prosecuted trader’s hostile work environment claims against major financial institution. Successfully obtained six-figure settlement.

Indigent Prisoner
Prosecuted African American’s excessive force claims against six white corrections officers. Tried case to verdict before all white jury in Westchester County after the judge advised our client that it would be difficult or impossible for him to win at trial, and that the defendants’ settlement offer was significantly higher than the case was worth. Obtained six-figure verdict that was nine times higher than the defendants had offered prior to the trial.

Executive/Co-Owners
Represented a senior executive and co-owner of a small New York business in connection with shareholder oppression, breach of fiduciary duty, and discrimination claims. The matter was resolved on favorable terms.

Chief Executive Officer
Represented CEO in connection with breach of contract and age discrimination claims. Six-figure settlement was obtained.

Indigent Prisoner
Retained days before trial to defend indigent prisoner in action alleging that the prisoner conspired with a corrections officer to savagely beat another prisoner. The jury returned a verdict in favor of our client, but found that the corrections officer was liable for $1 million in damages.

Private Equity Firm
Represented a multi-billion dollar private equity firm in a lawsuit filed by a former executive who was fired after appearing on a reality television program.

Hedge Fund
Filed a lawsuit against a former executive for breach of fiduciary duty based on the usurpation of corporate opportunities. The former executive filed counterclaims, which were all dismissed.

Fashion Executive
Prosecuted labor law and wrongful termination claims on behalf of fashion executive. Successfully resolved the claims.

EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION

Numerous Employees
Advised numerous employees starting or ending employment in fields including finance, health care, technology, fashion, advertising, and media.