Cyrus E. Dugger (cd@theduggerlawfirm.com)

Cyrus E. Dugger is the Principal of The Dugger Law Firm, PLLC.  He has represented hundreds of employees in employment discrimination and wage and hour matters, including complex class and collective action litigation against major U.S. corporations and governmental entities including the City of New York.

Mr. Dugger has worked on some of the most cutting-edge cases in the employment field, including a gender discrimination class action against Goldman Sachs (Chen-Oster v. Goldman Sachs), which recently settled for $215 million, a disparate impact gender discrimination class action against the Connecticut Department of Correction challenging its use of a physical agility test (Easterling v. Connecticut Department of Correction), which settled for $3 million and substantial pension benefit relief for the class, and a successful appeal to the Second Circuit by a model challenging her classification as an independent contractor by her modeling agency (Agerbrink v. MSA), after which the matter was settled by the parties on mutually agreeable terms, on an individual basis, for $500,000.

Mr. Dugger’s practice involves all areas of discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour law, including failure to provide reasonable disability accommodations, protected leaves of absence from work under the ADA, FMLA, NYPFL, NYSHRL, and NYCHRL, harassment, stereotyping, and other forms of discrimination including sex, race, pregnancy, color, and sex-plus discrimination, as well as independent contractor misclassification, unpaid overtime, and wage notice claims. His practice includes substantial experience with the liberal provisions of the New York City Human Rights Law, including NYCHRL claims for verbal harassment, interference with NYCHRL rights, NYCHRL aiding and abetting violations, and NYCHRL retaliation claims.

He additionally assists NYC models with claims against their modeling agencies and NYC consumers affected by unfair and deceptive practices.

Mr. Dugger has also advocated to improve the employment laws available to New York employees, including working on initial drafts of language that would become part of the 2019 amendments to the New York State Human Rights Law, and repeatedly promoting needed improvements to the whistleblower protections of New York Labor Law 740, many of which were ultimately passed into law in 2021.

In addition, Mr. Dugger has an alternative dispute resolution mediation practice focusing on employment disputes. Mr. Dugger is a member of the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, Nassau County Supreme Court, and the NYC Small Claims Court mediation panels. Mr. Dugger is also a graduate of the inaugural classes of the EDNY’s Pilot Mediator Incubator and JAMS Diversity Fellowship program.

Mr. Dugger is also a board member of The Fund for Modern Courts, an independent, statewide court reform organization committed to improving the judicial system for all New Yorkers.

Prior to establishing The Dugger Law Firm, PLLC, Mr. Dugger was a Law Clerk to the Honorable Victoria A. Roberts in the Eastern District of Michigan, an Associate with Outten & Golden, LLP, a Staff Attorney with South Brooklyn Legal Services, and the first Senior Fellow in Civil Justice for the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy.  

Education

  • J.D., New York University School of Law (Arthur Garfield Hays Fellow)

  • B.A., Brown University

Admissions

  • New York State, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, and United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Speaking Engagements

Publications

 
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Monica Welby (mwelby@theduggerlawfirm.com)

Monica Welby is Counsel of The Dugger Law Firm, PLLC. She represents individuals who face discrimination, retaliation, and other violations of their rights in the workplace.

Prior to joining The Dugger Law Firm, PLLC, Monica was an employment attorney with Goddard Law PLLC and was the Deputy Director of Litigation at the Legal Action Center, a non-profit based in New York City, where she worked for several years representing and advising clients on discrimination and privacy matters relating to criminal records, substance use disorders, and HIV/AIDS. Monica commenced her legal career as an associate with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP where she worked for a number of years representing companies in a variety of complex litigation matters. She also was a law clerk to the Honorable Barry T. Albin of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. In 2019, Monica was recognized by the Hispanic National Bar Association as Pro Bono Attorney of the Year.

Education

  •  J.D., Rutgers School of Law – Newark

  • A.B., Duke University, cum laude

Admissions

  •  State of New York, U.S. District Courts for Southern District of New York and Eastern District of New York

  • State of New Jersey, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

 Speaking Engagements

  • Panelist, Criminal Justice & Police-Community Relations Panel, Second Annual Summit on Latin@s Shaping the Future of New York City, held at Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work, June 1, 2018

  • CLE Panelist, Overcoming Barriers to Employment for Workers with Criminal Records in New York, National Lawyers Guild-NYC, Nov. 14, 2017

  • CLE Co-Presenter, Criminal Records in the Employment Process: What Employers & Applicants Need to Know, myLawCLE, June 20, 2017

  • CLE Co-Presenter, Employment of Individuals with Criminal Records – What Employers and Applicants Need to Know, Lawline, Nov. 3, 2016 

  • Panelist, 1 Year Anniversary of the Fair Chance Act: You Deserve a Fair Chance in Employment, hosted by NYC Commission on Human Rights, Oct. 27, 2016

  • CLE Panelist, Ethical Issues in Employment Law, NYCBA, Oct. 6, 2016 

  • Panelist, Removing Barriers: Knowing, Enforcing, & Protecting Your Civil Rights After Justice System Involvement Panel, Beyond the Bars: Connecting the Struggles Conference, Columbia School of Social Work, Mar. 5, 2016

  • Moderator, Arrest and Conviction Records: What Employers, Lawyers, and Prospective Employees Need to Know, NYCBA Event, June 3, 2015

  • CLE Panelist, Ethical Issues in Employment Law, NYCBA, Oct. 17, 2013