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I limit my practice to employment law. Since 2011 I have been Westchester County based helping both employees and small businesses. Tarrytown is a great place to serve both Manhattan and Upstate New York. We look for creative ways to resolve employment disputes outside the courthouse although sometimes filing is the only choice. Time will tell which venue is best. Keeping up with the whirlwind of changes at both the federal and state levels in New York demands ongoing education beyond AI. Twenty plus years of exclusive labor and employment law matter resolutions is priceless.

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New York

New York State Office of Court Administration

ID Number: 4974333

Founding Member

Urba Law PLLC fka Urba Law Firm

2014 - Current

Law practice exclusively devoted to employment law and employment litigation and only across New York State.

Valparaiso University School of Law

J.D. (1988)

1986 - 1988

Honors: Superior Scholarship Certificate Legal Process

Indiana University - Indiana University-Bloomington

B.S. (1980) | Business Administration, Marketing, Finance

1976 - 1980

Professional business fraternity.

Activities: Delta Sigma Pi

National Employment Lawyers Association - New York

Member

2014 - Current

New York City Bar Association

Small Law Firm Member

2012 - Current

State Bar of New York  # 4974333

Member

2011 - Current

Activities: Employment Law Section.

New York State Bar Association

Member

2011 - Current

National Employment Lawyers Association

Member

1997 - 2022

Q. Can I have a case for termination close to FMLA eligibility, with no warnings and due to illness?

April 18, 2025

A: It depends on more detailed facts. You state "in your state" which implies that you may have performed work in a state outside New York. We are licensed in New York and each state has unique labor laws which are at least to federal standards and most go beyond federal law coverage. There are way too many variables unanswered to provide you a response you can rely on. Doctors don't want to eliminate employees from performing any job's essential duties. They must draft opinions very carefully to protect their patient's health and well being while also cognizant of a possible job loss due to inability to perform essential job duties with or without a reasonable accommodation. You should contact an employment lawyer in the state where you performed your job duties. You probably want to provide that lawyer with some or all of your medical records and requests for accommodation. Ideally, you would also have a copy of your employee handbook and your position description or job duties which were required. The lawyer will need to know more about your employer, what you did for that employer, and what the nature of your duties was in relation to your medical condition. Skilled employment lawyers listen carefully. We assess your situation in relation to your age, education, job experience, future prospects, your employer's size and ability to accommodate, and the documents referenced above. The process is not as cut and dried as one might wish it to be. It's all about the specific facts which relate to you and your job. New York's laws are more protective and whether you qualified for FMLA or not is not the key factor. The key factor is whether you were able to perform the essential job duties with or without a reasonable accommodation which would not create an undue hardship for your employer. It's complicated. Call some employment lawyers in the state where you worked and explore your options. In New York you likely have up to 3 years to pursue discrimination claims under state law. You only have 300 days to pursue claims with the EEOC and possibly federal court and less time with the New York City Commission on Human Rights if you worked in the city and wish to pursue city law claims with an administrative agency. ... Read More

Q. I’m inquiring about what type of attorney can assist with my case? Could this be a civil matter?

February 13, 2025

A: Injuries which occur within the course and scope of your employment are not lawsuits. They are statutory claims for workers compensation benefits. Of course, you likely already have a workers compensation lawyer so you need to keep counsel informed of anything and everything you are even thinking about doing and get their opinion.

Third party lawsuits against subcontractors or vendors or anyone other than your employer might best be handled by a personal injury or products liability expert. If you have not done so then you should immediately begin reaching out to those professionals. Of course, keep your workers compensation lawyers in the loop before doing so.

SOL means what it sounds like. Statute of limitations. Those are periods of time in which you must either file notices of intention to sue or actual lawsuits. If you miss a statutory time limit for notice or filing that could be catastrophic. Again, rely on your workers compensation experts, your personal injury experts, and/or your products liability experts and whatever you do, do not miss a statutory limitations period. Doing so is often fatal. Good luck! ... Read More

Q. What is needed for emotional distress case

November 15, 2024

A: I worked for over 6 yrs without ever being promoted or receiving clear feedback on how to advance. PRIVATE EMPLOYERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON HOW TO ADVANCE BUT THEY CANNOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY PERSON BECAUSE OF ONE OR MORE PROTECTED CLASSES TO WHICH AN EMPLOYEE BELONGS.

Despite repeatedly reporting instances of being spoken to disrespectfully by coworkers, management dismissed my concerns, telling me to 'let it go.' Over time, the ongoing mistreatment severely impacted my mental health. DISRESPECT IS NOT ILLEGAL ALTHOUGH NO EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE SUBJECTED TO REPEATED COMMENTS OR ACTS BECAUSE OF ONE OR MORE PROTECTED CLASSES TO WHICH THEY BELONG. IF YOUR EMPLOYER OR CO-WORKERS KNEW THAT YOU SUFFERED WITH A DISABILITY AND THEY MADE FUN OF THAT DISABILITY OR CALLED YOU NAMES BECAUSE THEY MOCKED OR SOMEHOW RIDICULED A SYMPTOM OR A CONDITION WHICH THEY PERCEIVED OR REGARDED AS DISABLING THAT MIGHT BE DISCRIMINATORY OR SOMETIMES EVEN HOSTILE. DISRESPECT WITHOUT MORE IS NOT.

Last year, I had a breakdown and told my therapist. THAT IS OF COURSE A GREAT MOVE AND SMART. This year, I took medical leave due to daily panic attacks at work—something I’d never experienced before this job. My doctor prescribed medication for depression and anxiety after reviewing my therapy notes. When I attempted to return, I suffered another panic attack and resigned. THIS DEPENDS ON THE FACTS LEADING UP TO RESIGNATION. IF YOUR EMPLOYER KNEW THAT YOU WERE DISABLED OR FOR EXAMPLE, HAD OBSERVED YOU IN A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, IT MIGHT BE REQUIRED TO INITIATE AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS TO SEE WHETHER IT COULD ACCOMMODATE YOUR CONDITION. IN MOST CASES THE EMPLOYEE NEEDS TO REQUEST OR INITIATE THE INTERACTIVE PROCESS BUT DEPENDING ON MORE DETAILED FACTS WHICH SHOULD PROBABLY NOT BE POSTED ON A PUBLIC FORUM THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE AN EMPLOYEE WITH SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IS UNABLE TO INITIATE THE INTERACTIVE PROCESS BECAUSE OF THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. AGAIN, THIS DEPENDS ON WHAT THE EMPLOYER OBSERVED AND WHETHER THERE WERE ENOUGH FACTS FOR THE EMPLOYER TO KNOW THAT YOU NEEDED AN ACCOMMODATION. MANY PEOPLE SUFFER WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THE PRECISE DETAILS OF YOUR PANIC ATTACKS AT WORK WOULD NEED TO BE ANALYZED TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU SUFFERED A POTENTIALLY RECOVERABLE CLAIM UNDER WORKERS COMPENSATION (YOU WOULD REACH OUT TO A WORK COMP LAWYER FOR THIS) OR WHETHER NO REASONABLE EMPLOYEE IN YOUR SHOES WOULD HAVE STAYED AND WHETHER YOU ACTED REASONABLY. CONSTRUCTIVE DISCHARGE IS A CHALLENGE. HOPEFULLY YOU ARE ABLE TO RECOVER UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS BECAUSE THAT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY READY, WILLING AND ABLE TO WORK. IF YOU CAN NO LONGER WORK AT ALL YOU SHOULD PROBABLY CONSULT DISABILITY LAWYERS NOW - SOCIAL SECURITY, WORKERS COMPENSATION, SHORT TERM PROVIDED BY YOUR EMPLOYER, ETC... DID YOU CONSULT LAWYERS BEFORE QUITTING AND IF NOT WAS THERE A REASON YOU CHOSE NOT TO DO SO WHICH MANY LAWYERS MIGHT INQUIRE ABOUT.

Since then, I’ve been unable to work as my providers want me to focus on my mental health as i do not feel strong enough to go into another work environment yet. My family and friends believe I should pursue a case for emotional distress. Based on this, do I have grounds to? CALL WORKERS COMPENSATION LAWYERS IMMEDIATELY. MOST, NOT ALL, EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEIR CLIENTS OBTAIN UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS BECAUSE WAGE LOSS IS WHERE MANY DAMAGE CALCULATIONS S BEGIN. CALL DISABILITY BENEFITS LAWYERS IF COMP DOES NOT WORK. GOOD LUCK. ... Read More