These case studies are provided for illustrative purposes only. Past success does not guarantee a similar outcome in the future.

Religious, Racial and National Origin Discrimination

Mr. Siegler represented a dedicated, hardworking Muslim man who emigrated to the United States from Egypt in order to work, live, and raise a family. He was employed by a large retail chain and, for the first several years of his employment, received excellent performance reviews, annual salary increases and promotions. Immediately prior to 9/11, the Company promoted the client to Assistant Manager where he earned a decent annual salary and benefits.

After 9/11 occurred, Mr. Siegler's client suffered intense religious, racial and national origin discrimination from his Store Manager. The manager referred to the client as "terrorist," "Bin Laden," "camel jockey," and played numerous cruel practical jokes on him, including constructing a fake bomb out of a telephone and wire and claiming my client had planted it in the store. In addition to these outrageous acts, the manager downgraded the client's performance reviews and prevented him from achieving promotions and salary increases which he clearly deserved.

Mr. Siegler's client complained about the discrimination he suffered to the Company's Human Resources Department. After a brief "investigation," the Company concluded, not surprisingly, that no discrimination occurred.

Mr. Siegler took this case to litigation and aggressively prosecuted the matter, conducting a thorough investigation of the Company's records and deposing all the key members of management. Mr. Siegler successfully defeated a defense motion in which the Company sought to have the case thrown out by the judge before the start of the trial.

After the defense motion to dismiss the case was defeated, the employer agreed to mediate the case, and a settlement of over $215,000 was reached shortly thereafter.

Age and Disability Discrimination and Violation of the FMLA

Mr. Siegler represented a gentleman in his 60's who worked for a large telecommunications company as a salesperson for many years. The salesperson had excellent sales numbers and was highly regarded by his managers as a top performer.

At one point the Company "reorganized" its sales force and territories such that the client's most productive accounts were taken away and given to new hires, who were generally in their 20's or 30's. Mr. Siegler's client complained to management that he was being targeted. The stress of the situation caused the salesperson to suffer significant health problems, including Barrett's Esophagus, a precancerous, stress-related condition. The salesperson took a medical leave, which angered his regional sales director, who told the salesperson's immediate supervisor that "I hope he drops dead and never comes back."

Indeed, within a week after Mr. Siegler's client returned to work, the Company demoted him to a junior position. The salesperson concluded that he no longer had a home with the Company, and resigned his employment.

Mr. Siegler aggressively pursued the case by conducting a detailed investigation into the Company's written records and deposing key members of Company management. Mr. Siegler also deposed numerous other fact witnesses who supported his client's claims. Mr. Siegler successfully defeated a defense motion in which the Company asked the court to dismiss the case before the trial. Mr. Siegler then readied the case for trial. The Company relented several weeks later and paid the salesperson a settlement in excess of $220,000.

Pregnancy Discrimination

Mr. Siegler represented a young woman who worked in the accounting department of a large homebuilder. She was a star performer and received several salary increases and promotions over a short period of time. When she announced to her female supervisor that she was pregnant, the supervisor made a negative comment and complained that the timing of the expected birth was inconvenient to the Company. Thereafter, the supervisor became increasingly critical of the employee's work performance. The Company terminated the client's employment within two weeks of learning of her pregnancy, leaving the client without medical benefits for the duration of her pregnancy. The stated reason for the termination was "insubordination," in that the client had raised her voice at her boss and hung up the telephone on her.

Mr. Siegler contacted the Company by letter and set out the facts of the case and his client's legal claims. The Company disputed her allegations and insisted that it had acted properly. Mr. Siegler kept negotiations with the Company alive and eventually secured over six months' pay for his client, without ever having to file a lawsuit.

Non-Compete Litigation

Mr. Siegler successfully defended a consultant who was sued by his employer for allegedly violating his non-compete agreement. The consultant had accepted a permanent position with the end-user at its request. Mr. Siegler filed a motion to dismiss the employer's case, because it had not properly registered with the State as an employment agency. The employer quickly backed down and withdrew the matter in exchange for a token payment.