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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. Reported for sexual harassment after joking with coworker for years, legal grounds?

May 16, 2025

A: Mr. Giordano is right. None of us knows what others find offensive. That co-worker may have reported offensiveness based on several grounds not excluding religion. You say a "new co-worker" which might help you. Petty slights or stray remarks are not actionable but New York State's Human Rights Law has recently been interpreted as similar to, nearly identical to New York City's Human Rights Law which is almost as progressive of a law as they come. In NYC discrimination shall play "no role" in employment decisions and most importantly the purpose of both laws is to construe them liberally for the purpose of eliminating discrimination from workplaces. With such strong language, even if a complainant loses their case, the complaint could make it all the way to an administrative law judge or a jury in one of New York's Supreme Courts or even potentially in federal court if there are claims giving the federal court jurisdiction. You need to stop the jokes ASAP, if interviewed about the complaint discuss with no one, and I have even suggested that high level managers voluntarily take sexual harassment courses on line immediately. Google the New York City Commission on Human Rights and take their course tonight, it's free, you will receive a certificate, and if you are questioned about your jokes or comments you will have proof that you took harassment seriously. I saved a Manhattan executive's job that way years ago when three attorneys interviewed him and amazingly he kept his job in my presence having completed my suggested on-line training before the big meeting with top executives and lawyers. ... Read More

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