Who We Are / Partners

Hope Pordy

hpordy@spivaklipton.com
Tel: (212) 765-2100 ext. 40
Fax: (212) 765-8954

Ms. Pordy joined the firm in 2002.  She received her law degree from Fordham University School of Law and her undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Ms. Pordy represents individual employees and unions in all areas of labor and employment law, including federal and state wage and hour violations, employment discrimination, disciplinary cases, and collective bargaining.  She also represents a wide range of employees (including executive-level) in various industries to negotiate employment agreements and separation/severance agreements. Prior to joining the firm, she was a partner with the labor-employment law firm of Lewis, Greenwald, Clifton & Nikolaidis PC.  Ms. Pordy was previously employed as Assistant Counsel for the National Treasury Employees Union, and as a staff attorney for the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group. 

Speaking Engagements

  • Panelist, "Returning to Work Safely: Your Rights and Responsibilities," Webinar co-hosted by Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) (September 2020)

  • Panelist, "Persuasive Advocacy/Public Speaking for Lawyers," Webinar hosted National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) (June 2020)

  • Panelist, “The Great Debate (Parts I & II): Employee Lawyer v. Employer Lawyer,” Employment Law Podcast hosted by Cozen O’Connor (April 2020)

  • Panelist, "Legal and Data Issues Arising from a Hyper-Connected Work Place," ABA Labor & Employment Conference (Nov. 2018)

  • Panelist, "Comment or No Comment: What to Do When the Media Calls," ABA Leadership Development Program, Webinar (May 2018)

  • Panelist, "The Future of Wage & Hour Laws under the Trump Administration," ABA Labor & Employment Conference (Nov. 2017)

  • Panelist, "Tipping Points: Should the Law on Tipping Stay or Go?," ABA Labor & Employment Conference (Nov. 2016)

  • Moderator/Panelist, "Exempt or Non-Exempt: DOL Final Rule on FLSA Exemptions," with the Solicitor of the Department of Labor Hon. Patricia Smith, ABA-LEL Webinar (July 2016)

  • Moderator/Panelist, "Are Unpaid Internships Still Viable?" with the Solicitor of the Department of Labor Hon. Patricia Smith, ABA Annual Labor & Employment Law Conference (Nov. 2015)

  • Speaker, "A Conversation with the Solicitor of Labor The Honorable M. Patricia Smith," National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) Conference (April 2015)

  • Moderator, "Wage & Hour Basics under the FLSA," ABA Labor & Employment Conference (Nov. 2014)

  • Moderator, “DOL and Other Perspectives on Independent Contractor Misclassification,” with DOL Deputy Solicitor, sponsored by ABA Labor & Employment Section (May 2013)

  • Moderator, “Hot Topics for the Entertainment Guilds,” New York State Bar Association Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section (Nov. 2013)

  • Moderator, “Whose (FLSA) Liability is it Anyway?” ABA Labor & Employment Conference (Nov. 2011)

  • Moderator, “Crash Course in Wage and Hour Laws,” ABA Labor & Employment Conference (Nov. 2010)

  • Speaker, "The Anti-Retaliation Provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act: the Supreme Court case of Kevin Kasten v. Saint Gobain," American Arbitration Association (Oct. 2010)

  • Panelist, “NLRA Basics,” ABA Labor & Employment Conference (Nov. 2007)

  • Panelist, “Supreme Court and Other Developments Affecting Litigation of Retaliation and Whistleblower Claims,” ABA Teleconference (March 2007)

  • Co-Presenter, “LMRDA: Claims, Defenses and Assorted Issues,” AFL-CIO Lawyers’ Coordinating Committee, Regional Meeting (Sept. 2006)

  • Panelist, “Just Cause in the Health Care Industry,” National Academy of Arbitrators, Annual Meeting (May 2006)

  • Panelist, “What Neutrals Should Know About Dispute Resolution in the Health Care Field,” National Academy of Arbitrators, Region 2 Meeting (Feb. 2006)

  • Panelist, “FMLA Basics,” ABA Annual Conference (August 2004)

Professional Activities

  • Vice-Chair, Pro Bono and Community Outreach Committee, American Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section (Sept. 2020 – present)

  • Co-Chair, Leadership Development Program, American Bar Association

  • National Employment Lawyers’ Association, New York (NELA/NY), Wage & Hour Committee

  • Union/Employee Co-Chair, Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee American Bar Association (2009-2015)

Representative Cases - Minimum Wage & Overtime Violations

Private Sector

  • Yury Gokhberg, et al. v. PNC Bank, ($16M settlement representing mortgage brokers seeking overtime compensation and commissions under the FLSA & New York Labor Law)

  • Gonzalez v. Loving Hut & Vlife, Inc. (representing delivery workers seeking minimum wage, overtime and spread of hours pay under the FLSA & New York Labor Law)

  • Baten, et al. v. BDJ Vegan 3 d/b/a Blossom du Jour, et al. (representing delivery workers seeking minimum wage, overtime, spread of hours pay and pursuing claims of retaliation, under FLSA & NYLL)

  • Delgado, et al. v. Land Thai (settled FLSA case on behalf of 15 delivery workers & kitchen employees at Land Thai East, Land Thai West, Recipe & Pure restaurants for $812,500)

  • Guzman, et al. Lenny’s 74th Street, (settled FLSA case on behalf of 5 delivery workers for $200,000)

Public Sector

  • Worley, et al v. The City of New York/NYPD (representing 3900 School Safety Agents who have been denied overtime compensation)

  • Hernandez, et al. v. The City of New York (representing 295 Fraud Investigators employed by the Human Resources Administration who have been denied overtime compensation)

  • Robinson, et al. v. New York City Housing Authority (settled FLSA case on behalf of 215 NYCHA workers who have been denied overtime compensation)

  • Acevedo, et al. v. The City of New York (representing 81 Investigative Consultants employed by the Administration for Children’s Services who have been denied the proper overtime compensation)

  • Foster, et al. v. The City of New York (representing 1315 employees of the Administration for Children’s Services who have been denied overtime compensation)

  • De la Cruz, et al. v. The City of New York (representing 912 employees of the Human Resources Administration who have been denied overtime compensation)

  • Martin, et al. v. The City of New York (settled FLSA case in the amount of $2.4 million involving 542 Department of Homeless Service employees for overtime violations)

  • Boucaud, et al. v . The City of New York (settled FLSA case in the amount of $703,000 involving 98 employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice for overtime violations)

Representative Cases - Discrimination

  • Sachs v. City of of New York and New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (violations of the Equal Day Act, gender-based compensation discrimination under Title VII, and intersectional discrimination claim of age plus sex under ADEA, as well as state law claims)

  • Anthony F. Nimmons v. United States Tennis Association and Francis “Skip” Gilbert (race-based discrimination and retaliation under Title VII and New York state law)

  • Dixon v. Teachers Federal Credit Union (race-based discrimination)

  • EEOC/Atancuri and Estrada v. Foodtown (sexual harassment/discrimination and retaliation under Title VII, NYS Human Rights and NYC Human Rights Law)

Publications

  • Author, Going Behind the Headlines: Spotlight on Sexual Harassment Law, Vermont Bar Journal (Spring 2018)

  • Contributing Editor, The Employee and Union Member Guide to Labor Law (West 2004-2014)

  • Co-Author, with Everett Lewis, Esq., “Sexual Harassment: The Labor Law Dimension,” in Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (Samuel Estreicher, ed., Kluwer Law International 1999)

Admissions

  • States of New York, New Jersey and Vermont

  • U.S. District Court, New York, Southern District

  • U.S. District Court, New York, Eastern District

  • U.S. District Court, New Jersey

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit