Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C. Legal Blog:Racial Discrimination

Ecuadorian immigrant Marcello Lucero of Patchogue, New York, was fatally stabbed last week, in an incident police have called a hate crime. Lucero was targeted by seven teenagers, students at Patchogue-Medford High School, because he was Hispanic. According to Suffolk County Police, the teens had been hunting for Latinos to beat up, and ended up killing Lucero. This brutal attack has sparked a public outcry, calling for an end to anti-immigrant sentiments in the area.

Hate crimes, especially ones that are racially charged, are deeply rooted in our nation’s history. Despite the election of Barack Obama to the highest position in the country, Americans continue to fight an uphill battle against racism. Read the rest of this entry »

Legal Blog

Last week the law firm of Leeds Morelli and Brown P.C. congratulated President Elect Barack Obama on his victory over John McCain in the 2008 Presidential Election.  Even in the wake of such an important step forward towards equality in America, Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C. cautioned that progressive minded lawyers still must be vigilant in fighting for the rights of people who are unfairly targeted based on their race and other factors like national origin.  In furtherance of this important goal, Leeds Morelli and Brown P.C. would like to extend its gratitude to The Southern Poverty Law Center, a group who has fought hate since its founding in 1971.  http://www.splcenter.org/

The Southern Poverty Law Center is championing the case of Jordan Gruver.  According to CNN, www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/12/klan.sued

Read the rest of this entry »

Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC: Legal Blog

On October 23, 2008, the New York Court of Appeals upheld the eviction of Bianca Jagger, ex-wife of Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, from a rent-stabilized Manhattan apartment located on the Upper East Side.  CNN reported that Jagger has been at a stabilized rental rate of $4,614 a month for approximately 20 years.  New York’s Rent Stabilization Code allows landlords to reclaim an apartment after the lease expires if it is not occupied as a primary residence.  Since Jagger holds a B2 visa, which requires her to have a “principal, actual dwelling place” outside the United States, the New York Court of Appeals found that Jagger failed to explain how she could have a valid tourist visa and a primary residence in New York City. Read the rest of this entry »

Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC: Legal Blog

The Senate race in North Carolina between incumbent Elizabeth Dole (wife of former senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole) and challenger Kay Hagan stands out as one of the most contentious and nasty of this election cycle.  Recently the Dole campaign released a television ad suggesting that Kay Hagan is “godless.”  The ad has sparked outrage from many circles and already has lead to legal action being taken in protest.  Ms. Hagan disputes these claims as she is a devout Presbyterian.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) is a government agency that enforces employment discrimination laws.  Religious discrimination is one type of employment discrimination.  Although Leeds, Morelli & Brown has been successfully handling many religious discrimination cases for some time, the law has been somewhat unclear.  In the last decade, the number of religious discrimination cases filed with the EEOC has substantially grown. (http://eeoc.gov/stats/religion.html).

On July 22, 2008, the EEOC revised its Compliance Manual on religious discrimination in order to provide clarification, especially with regard to an employer’s duty to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs and practices.  Read the rest of this entry »

Powerful Representation that Brings Big Results

Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C.- Representing Plaintiff against the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority

When residents of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Nassau and Suffolk Counties are victims of employment discrimination, Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. is there to fight for the compensation that they deserve.  The latest in a long string of positive results that Leeds Morelli and Brown P.C. lawyers have secured for their clients came on July 28, 2008. A federal jury in Manhattan found in favor of Leeds Morelli and Brown client Gregory Fishman in an amount approaching one million dollars.

Gregory Fishman was the victim of religious discrimination and retaliation at the hands of his employer, the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, and his supervisor Peter Senesi.   Mr. Fishman stood up for himself after he was denied a promotion because of his faith. Read the rest of this entry »

The one that the big companies fear

The attorneys of Leeds, Morelli & Brown P.C. know that when a person is the victim of employment discrimination, it is not uncommon to feel like the entire world is against them.  After all, they are just one person and they are taking on their employer and all the recourses at the employers’ command.  The larger and more powerful the employer is, the more that this effect can serve to intimidate and demoralize an employee.  Read the rest of this entry »