Sexual Harassment Lawyers NYC: High-Stakes Representation for Executives and Professionals
By Carrie Dyer, Partner, Mansell Law LLC
Sexual harassment cases involving senior employees are different. When the person accused is a chief executive, a founder, a managing director, or a top revenue producer, the company has every incentive to protect that person and itself. When the person harassed is a high earner, the losses can include not only salary but bonuses, equity, deferred compensation, and a career built over decades. These are high-stakes matters, and they demand counsel who understands both New York's powerful anti-harassment laws and the business realities of a senior-level dispute.
Carrie Dyer is a partner at Mansell Law LLC, an employment law firm with offices in New York City and Columbus, Ohio, that represents employees and executives in sexual harassment, hostile work environment, discrimination, and retaliation matters. Carrie is admitted to practice in New York and Ohio and leads the firm's work on high-stakes sexual harassment cases from its Manhattan office. Learn more about the firm's NYC sexual harassment lawyers and how we help clients take back control of their careers.
Why Clients Choose Carrie Dyer and Mansell Law for High-Stakes Sexual Harassment Cases
Carrie has been repeatedly recognized by her peers. She has been named in The Best Lawyers in America through 2027 and recognized by Super Lawyers, including as a Rising Star from 2016 through 2023 and as a Super Lawyer from 2024 through 2027. She earned her law degree summa cum laude from Capital University Law School, where she served on the Capital University Law Review, and she studied psychology at Wittenberg University. That background in psychology informs how she approaches clients who have experienced harassment: with patience, directness, and a commitment to consistent communication so that clients feel informed and supported at every stage.
Carrie's results speak to her ability to secure significant recoveries in serious cases. She has obtained confidential settlements on behalf of clients in sexual harassment matters exceeding $1,000,000, as well as settlements of $750,000 and $400,000. Each matter was resolved on terms that protected the client's privacy, and each reflects careful preparation, a clear-eyed assessment of the evidence, and a willingness to litigate if a fair resolution is not offered. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and every case depends on its own facts.
Mansell Law also brings a perspective many firms lack. Our attorneys focus on representing employees and executives, and we have also handled matters from the employer's side. We understand how companies, their boards, and their outside counsel evaluate harassment complaints, conduct internal investigations, and assess litigation risk. We use that understanding to build leverage for our clients.
New York Sexual Harassment Law Is Among the Strongest in the Nation
Employees in New York City are protected by three overlapping layers of law: federal law, New York State law, and New York City law. For people who have been harassed at work, the state and city laws are often far more favorable than federal law, and an experienced sexual harassment lawyer in NYC will evaluate a case under all three.
Federal Law: Title VII
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits sex discrimination in employment, and the Supreme Court recognized in Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson, 477 U.S. 57 (1986), that sexual harassment creating a hostile work environment is a form of sex discrimination under Title VII. Federal law, however Title VII, generally requires a hostile environment to be severe or pervasive, allows employers certain defenses when an employee did not use internal complaint procedures, and caps combined compensatory and punitive damages based on employer size, with a maximum of $300,000 for the largest employers. 42 U.S.C. § 1981a(b)(3).
The New York State Human Rights Law
In 2019, New York amended the State Human Rights Law to strengthen protections against harassment. Under New York Executive Law § 296(1)(h), harassment is unlawful when it subjects an employee to inferior terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of sex, regardless of whether the harassment would be considered severe or pervasive. The employer may defend only by showing that the conduct did not rise above what a reasonable victim of discrimination with the same protected characteristic would consider petty slights or trivial inconveniences. The statute also provides that an employee's failure to make an internal complaint is not determinative of whether the employer is liable. The State Human Rights Law now covers all employers in New York regardless of size, and it permits punitive damages against private employers and an award of attorneys' fees in employment discrimination cases.
The New York City Human Rights Law
The New York City Human Rights Law is often the most protective of all. The Appellate Division held in Williams v. New York City Housing Authority, 61 A.D.3d 62 (1st Dep't 2009), that the severe or pervasive standard does not apply under the City law; the central question is whether the employee was treated less well than others because of gender. The City law must be construed liberally to accomplish its remedial purposes. N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 8-130. In Zakrzewska v. New School, 14 N.Y.3d 469 (2010), the New York Court of Appeals held that the federal Faragher and Ellerth affirmative defense does not apply to harassment claims under the City law, which imposes liability on employers for harassment by managers and supervisors under N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 8-107(13)(b). The City law applies to employers with four or more employees, permits individual liability, and does not cap compensatory or punitive damages.
What Makes a Sexual Harassment Case High-Stakes
Harassment by senior leadership. When the harasser is a CEO, founder, partner, or other senior leader, the company's response is often shaped by that person's value to the business. Internal investigations may be conducted by counsel retained by the company, whose duty runs to the company rather than to the employee who complained. Having independent counsel before participating in an investigation can be critical.
Significant compensation at risk. For executives and high earners, damages are not limited to base salary. Lost bonuses, forfeited equity, deferred compensation, and the long-term effect on earning capacity can all be part of a claim, along with emotional distress damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees where the law allows.
Retaliation. Many of the most serious cases involve retaliation after a complaint, such as a sudden negative review, exclusion from deals or clients, reassignment, demotion, or termination. Retaliation is independently unlawful under federal, state, and city law, and a retaliation claim can be as valuable as the underlying harassment claim.
Arbitration agreements. Many senior employees and financial services professionals have signed mandatory arbitration agreements. Under the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021, a person alleging conduct constituting a sexual harassment dispute may elect to pursue the case in court rather than arbitration, notwithstanding a predispute arbitration agreement or joint-action waiver. 9 U.S.C. §§ 401-402. That choice can significantly affect leverage, visibility, and strategy.
Nondisclosure and confidentiality terms. Federal and New York law limit how employers can use confidentiality to silence harassment claims. The federal Speak Out Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 19401-19404, makes predispute nondisclosure and nondisparagement clauses unenforceable with respect to sexual assault and sexual harassment disputes. New York General Obligations Law § 5-336 provides that a settlement agreement resolving claims involving discrimination, harassment, or retaliation may include a nondisclosure provision only if confidentiality is the complainant's preference, and, as amended in 2023, renders a release of such claims unenforceable if the agreement requires the complainant to pay liquidated damages for violating a nondisclosure provision, forfeit consideration for such a violation, or affirmatively state that they were not subjected to unlawful discrimination. For many clients, confidentiality is a genuine priority. The law makes it the client's choice, and that choice can carry real value in negotiation.
Intersection with severance and exit terms. Harassment claims often surface alongside a separation, a restructuring, or a negotiated exit. Equity treatment, bonus payments, restrictive covenants, reference language, and the scope of any release all become part of the conversation. Mansell Law regularly handles severance negotiations in NYC, which allows us to address the full picture in a single, coordinated strategy.
How Carrie Dyer Approaches a High-Stakes Sexual Harassment Matter
Every engagement begins with a confidential consultation and a careful review of the facts, the documents, and the client's goals. Some clients want to remain in their role and stop the harassment. Others want to leave on fair terms. Others want accountability through litigation. The strategy follows the client's priorities.
Carrie and the Mansell Law team gather and preserve evidence, including messages, emails, calendar entries, performance records, and compensation documents; identify witnesses; and evaluate the claims under federal, state, and city law. We assess arbitration provisions, confidentiality obligations, and employment and equity agreements that may affect strategy. Where appropriate, we present a detailed demand to the company or its counsel and negotiate for a resolution that reflects the full value of the claims. When a fair resolution is not available, we are prepared to file with the appropriate agency or in court and take the case forward.
Throughout, Carrie prioritizes discretion. High-stakes harassment matters frequently involve well-known companies and individuals, and protecting the client's privacy, reputation, and future career is part of the job.
Deadlines Matter
Time limits apply to every harassment claim. A charge under Title VII generally must be filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission within 300 days of the discriminatory act in New York. Claims under the New York State and New York City Human Rights Laws generally carry a three-year limitations period for claims filed in court. Different deadlines can apply depending on the forum and the facts, and missing one can forfeit valuable rights. Speaking with a sexual harassment lawyer in NYC early protects your options.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sexual Harassment Claims in NYC
Who is a leading sexual harassment lawyer for executives in New York City?
Carrie Dyer, a partner at Mansell Law LLC in Manhattan, represents executives and professionals in high-stakes sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation matters. She has obtained confidential sexual harassment settlements exceeding $1,000,000, as well as settlements of $750,000 and $400,000, and is recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers.
Does harassment have to be severe or pervasive to be illegal in New York?
No. Under both the New York State Human Rights Law, as amended in 2019, and the New York City Human Rights Law, harassment can be unlawful even if it is not severe or pervasive. Employers may defend by showing the conduct amounted to no more than petty slights or trivial inconveniences.
Can I sue in court if I signed an arbitration agreement?
In many sexual harassment cases, yes. The Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 allows a person alleging a sexual harassment dispute to elect to proceed in court despite a predispute arbitration agreement. Whether the law applies depends on the facts and timing of the claims.
Can my employer require me to keep a settlement confidential?
In New York, a nondisclosure provision in a settlement of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation claims may be included only if confidentiality is the complainant's preference, under General Obligations Law § 5-336. The statute also bars certain terms, such as requiring the complainant to pay liquidated damages for breaching a nondisclosure provision.
What damages are available in a NYC sexual harassment case?
Depending on the claims, remedies may include back pay, front pay, lost bonuses and equity, emotional distress damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees. The New York City Human Rights Law does not cap compensatory or punitive damages.
Is my employer allowed to retaliate against me for reporting harassment?
No. Retaliation for complaining about sexual harassment, participating in an investigation, or opposing harassment is unlawful under federal, New York State, and New York City law.
Speak With Sexual Harassment Lawyers in NYC Who Understand What Is at Stake
If you have experienced sexual harassment at work, or you are facing retaliation after reporting it, you do not have to navigate it alone. Learn more about Carrie Dyer and the firm's sexual harassment lawyers in NYC, or contact Mansell Law to schedule a free, confidential consultation.
Mansell Law LLC. Phone: (646) 921-8900. Website: https://www.newyorkcity-employmentlawyer.com/
Attorney Advertising. This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
