Douglas Wigdor

Douglas Holden Wigdor (born September 26, 1968) is a founding partner of the law firm Wigdor LLP, and works as a litigator in New York City,[3] specializing in anti-discrimination law.[4][5][6] Wigdor is known for representing six victims of alleged sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein.[7]

Douglas H. Wigdor
Born
Douglas Holden Wigdor[1]

(1968-09-26) September 26, 1968[2]
Alma materWashington University, St. Louis (BA)
Catholic University of America (JD)
St Cross College, Oxford
OccupationLawyer
EmployerWigdor LLP

Education

Wigdor received his B.A. degree from Washington University, St. Louis where he now endows a scholarship to the Arts & Science School[8] and where a cycling studio has been named after him.[9] He received his J.D. degree from Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law[10] and is a member of the International Tennis Club of the United States.[11] He received a master's degree at St Cross College, Oxford University and was named the 2007 and 2014 Alumnus of the Year.[12] The college has named the West Quad library and garden room after him and his wife Catherine, an alumna of Lincoln College, Oxford.[13][14] At Oxford, he was on the university’s 1995 national championship basketball team.[5] Wigdor has lectured on university campuses as a guest lecturer and speaker.[15][16]

Career

Wigdor clerked for the Federal Court and worked as an attorney in the Suffolk County district attorney’s office. He then worked for corporations defending themselves against discrimination suits while an attorney at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. In order to begin prosecuting those discrimination suits themselves,[5] he founded Wigdor LLP in 2003 with the future District Attorney for Brooklyn, New York Kenneth P. Thompson.[17] That year he received a $7.5 million jury award against Wal-Mart, which was one of the largest yet under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 .[18] In his career, Wigdor coined the phrase “recessionary discrimination” to describe the use of the economy as a pretext for discrimination.[19]

Among his cases, in 2009, he represented five women in a gender discrimination matter against Citibank, a case that appeared on the front cover of Forbes Magazine.[20] In 2012 Wigdor represented Nafissatou Diallo, a housekeeper attacked in the Sofitel Hotel by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund.[21] In terms of discrimination cases against large financial groups, he has represented clients in a gender discrimination case against Dresdner,[22] and pregnancy discrimination cases against Goldman Sachs[23] and Deutsche Bank.[24] He has also represented clients against Fox News,[25] settling for approximately twenty clients out of court for $10 million.[26] Other notable cases he has represented have included a racial discrimination case on behalf of actor Rob Brown against Macy’s,[27] and the representation of Charles Oakley against James Dolan and Madison Square Garden.[28]

As a complainant himself, Wigdor brought a lawsuit against SoulCycle after being banned from the spinning studio subsequent to the representation of one of its former instructors.[29]

Wigdor represents five NY1 anchorwomen in an age and gender discrimination lawsuit against Charter Communications.[30] He also represents the former Chief of Staff to Adam Neumann in a pregnancy discrimination complaint against WeWork.[31]

On January 21, 2020, five days before the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, Wigdor filed a complaint with the EEOC on behalf of Deborah Dugan alleging that she was unlawfully stripped of her role as President and CEO of The Recording Academy in retaliation for her complaints of gender discrimination, voting irregularities, financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest at the Academy.[32] The case prompted widespread controversy surrounding the credibility of the awards[33][34] and reportedly caused Taylor Swift to cancel a surprise performance at the ceremony in solidary with Dugan.[35]  Hours before the ceremony, Wigdor publicly called on the Recording Academy to immediately reinstate Dugan as CEO.[36] Alicia Keys, the ceremony’s host, appeared to reference Dugan’s allegations during her opening monologue.[37] Other celebrity musicians who have publicly backed Dugan amid the controversy include Nicki Minaj,[38] Sheryl Crow,[39] Chuck D,[40] Sean Combs[41] and Tyler, the Creator.[42]

On May 8, 2020, it was revealed that Wigdor represented Tara Reade in her sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden.[7] On May 11, Wigdor sent a letter to Biden urging him to authorize a search of his Senate papers housed at the University of Delaware for a copy of a sexual harassment complaint that Reade said she filed against Biden in 1993.[43] Wigdor also pressed the Secretary of the United States Senate to authorize a similar search for documents related to the complaint. On May 22, it was reported that Wigdor’s firm no longer represented Reade.[44] Wigdor told the press that the decision was “by no means a reflection on whether then-Senator Biden sexually assaulted Ms. Reade” and that his views on the allegations had not changed.[44]

Harvey Weinstein cases

Wigdor has represented at least six victims of alleged sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein.[45] Three of Wigdor’s clients, Wedil David,[46] Kaja Sokola[47] and Dominique Huett,[48] filed civil lawsuits alleging that they were sexually assaulted by Weinstein after he invited them to meet with him to discuss potential acting roles. Another client of Wigdor's, Tarale Wulff, testified during Weinstein’s criminal rape trial in New York that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in 2005.[49]

After it was reported that Weinstein reached a tentative $25 million settlement agreement with his accusers,[50] Wigdor publicly rejected the deal.[51][52] Two other Weinstein accusers, Zelda Perkins and Rowena Chiu, later retained Wigdor to file their own objections to the proposed settlement.[53]

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gollark: x e n o w y r m
gollark: I basically just try and gather rare/tradable stuff in the hope that one day I'll get a cool thing.
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gollark: <:ThisIsFine:414036679813365770> in the middle of people pointing out that hub rules are broken.

References
  1. https://www.padisciplinaryboard.org/for-the-public/find-attorney/attorney-detail/72555
  2. Hubbell, Martindale (April 2004). Martindale Hubbell Law Directory: New York: New York City, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island. Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN 9781561606269.
  3. Farrell, Sean (15 January 2015). "Delhi woman who said she was raped by Uber driver to sue company in US" – via www.theguardian.com.
  4. Gilette, Felix (22 September 2017). "The Trump-Loving Lawyer Who Won't Stop Suing Fox News". Bloomberg Businessweek – via www.bloomberg.com.
  5. Feuer, Alan (22 September 2017). "Leading the Legal War Against Fox". New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  6. "Meet the Trump-supporting attorney who could take down Fox News". The Independent. 28 September 2017.
  7. Jones, Sarah (2020-05-07). "Tara Reade's New Lawyer Represented 6 Weinstein Victims". New York Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  8. https://alumni.artsci.wustl.edu/files/alumni/imce/as_roster_14-15.pdf
  9. "Washington Univ. in St. Louis Recreation". Washington Univ. in St. Louis Recreation.
  10. http://www.law.edu/res/docs/alumni/cualawyer/cualawyer-w04.pdf
  11. "USIC - International Tennis Club of the United States". www.usictennis.org.
  12. "Alumnus of the Year 2014". St Cross College. 16 July 2014.
  13. http://www.stx.ox.ac.uk/50/campaign
  14. https://issuu.com/lincolncollege4/docs/lincoln_record__2014___f___web
  15. https://sha.cornell.edu/app/attach/get.html?target=events_calendar&id=6062
  16. Davies, Caroline (9 March 2012). "Cambridge students protest against Dominique Strauss-Kahn visit" – via www.theguardian.com.
  17. Skelding, Conor. "De Blasio celebrates Ken Thompson's 'historic moment'". Politico PRO.
  18. http://www.wigdorlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Walmart_Newsday.pdf
  19. "Citigroup Slammed With Lawsuit By Former Female Employees". NPR.org.
  20. Anita Raghavan. "Terminated: Why the Women of Wall Street Are Disappearing". Forbes.
  21. Moynihan, Colin (28 March 2012). "Strauss-Kahn Seeks to Dismiss Housekeeper's Suit" – via NYTimes.com.
  22. Anderson, Jenny (10 January 2006). "Six Women at Dresdner File Bias Suit" – via NYTimes.com.
  23. "UPDATE 1-Ex-VP sues Goldman over "mommy track"". 24 March 2010 – via www.reuters.com.
  24. "Bank VP Sues for Being 'Mommy-Tracked'". ABC News. 17 September 2012.
  25. Ryan, Lisa. "Fox News Sued by Two Black Women for Racial Discrimination". The Cut.
  26. "Fox Settles Lawsuits from Nearly 20 Employees for $10 Million: Report". PEOPLE.com.
  27. Beekman, Daniel. "Rob Brown, star of HBO's 'Treme,' settling racial discrimination suit against Macy's and city: court papers - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com.
  28. "A year after incident, Oakley still wants Dolan, MSG held 'accountable'". ESPN.com. 8 February 2018.
  29. Gregorian, Dareh. "Judge gives green light to attorney's lawsuit against SoulCycle - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com.
  30. Grynbaum, Michael. "Five NY1 Anchorwomen Sue Cable Channel for Age and Gender Discrimination". The New York Times.
  31. Yaffe-Bellany, David (2019-10-31). "WeWork's Ousted C.E.O. Adam Neumann Is Accused of Pregnancy Discrimination". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  32. FitzPatrick, Hayley; Messer, Lesley (23 January 2020). "Former Recording Academy head speaks out after filing lawsuit with Grammy allegations". Good Morning America. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  33. Lewis, Randy (2020-01-24). "At pre-Grammy parties for rising stars and power players, 'Dugan-gate' is talk of the town". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  34. Caramanica, Jon (2020-01-25). "Can the Grammys Be Trusted?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  35. Abad-Santos, Alex (2020-01-26). "The 2020 Grammys' sexual harassment and corruption controversy, explained". Vox. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  36. Lewis, Randy (2020-01-26). "Recording Academy proposes new diversity initiatives after outcry over Dugan allegations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  37. Coleman, Nancy (2020-01-26). "Alicia Keys Seems to Reference Grammys Turmoil in Speech". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  38. Legaspi, Althea; Legaspi, Althea (2020-02-06). "Nicki Minaj on Deborah Dugan: 'We Need Strong Women That are Willing to Say What They Have to Say'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  39. Walsh, Savannah (2020-01-24). "The Biggest Grammys Drama Is Unfolding Offstage. Here's What You Need to Know". ELLE. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  40. Eggerston, Chris (2020-01-17). "Chuck D Blasts Recording Academy Over Deborah Dugan Suspension: 'I Am Appalled'". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  41. Gail, Mitchell (2020-01-26). "Sean 'Diddy' Combs Puts Recording Academy on Notice: 'You've Got 365 Days to Get This Sh-t Together'". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  42. Adler, Dan. "Where Do the Grammys Go From Here? Tyler, the Creator and Diddy Have Ideas". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  43. Sheehy, Kate (2020-05-11). "Tara Reade's lawyers demand Joe Biden turn over docs". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  44. Lerer, Lisa; Rutenberg, Jim; Saul, Stephanie (2020-05-21). "Tara Reade Is Dropped as Client by a Leading #MeToo Lawyer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  45. Cullins, Ashley (2020-01-21). "Deborah Dugan Files Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Complaint Against Recording Academy Over Ouster". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  46. Ivory, Danielle; Ransom, Jan (2019-05-24). "'Heartbroken': Weinstein Accusers Say $44 Million Settlement Lets Him Off the Hook". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  47. Perman, Stacy (2019-12-19). "Former teen model sues Harvey Weinstein, alleging sexual assault". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  48. Osborne, Lucy (2020-01-19). "Harvey Weinstein: fourth accuser opts out of settlement to pursue own claim". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  49. Wagmeister, Elizabeth; Maddaus, Gene (2020-01-29). "Ex-Waitress Testifies Harvey Weinstein Held Her Down and Raped Her". Variety. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  50. Twohey, Megan; Kantor, Jodi (2019-12-11). "Weinstein and His Accusers Reach Tentative $25 Million Deal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  51. Joseph, Elizabeth. "Attorneys for alleged Weinstein victim reject tentative settlement". CNN. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  52. Dasrath, Diana. "Harvey Weinstein reaches tentative $25 million settlement; some accusers object". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  53. Osborne, Lucy (2020-01-19). "Harvey Weinstein: fourth accuser opts out of settlement to pursue own claim". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
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