Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyers for New York Employees
You announced the pregnancy, and everything changed. The reviews, the projects, the tone. If you are being penalized for being pregnant, needing an accommodation, or taking leave, an employment lawyer can tell you what the law requires of your employer.
Employment law is all we do — over 40 years of combined experience
We represent employees, not employers, in these matters
Free case review · No attorney’s fee unless we recover for you
Takes about two minutes. An attorney reviews every submission.
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Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please don’t send sensitive details until we’ve agreed to represent you.
Employment law exclusively since 2015
Employee-side representation
Contingency-fee representation available
Midtown Manhattan · Serving all five boroughs
You are not imagining it
Signs your pregnancy is the real reason
The timing is usually the tell. Look at what changed in the weeks after you told them.
You were fired, demoted, or written up shortly after announcing your pregnancy
A simple accommodation — a stool, a schedule change, lighter lifting — was refused
Your role was eliminated or filled while you were on leave
You came back from leave to a demotion, a pay cut, or a different job
Comments about your “commitment,” your priorities, or whether you’ll come back
You were passed over for a promotion or a project after disclosing
You were denied break time or a private space to express milk
You were denied time off for prenatal appointments
Most people who call us open with “I don’t know if this is actually illegal.” That’s our job to answer, not yours. A conversation costs nothing and obligates you to nothing — including any obligation to hire us.
You have rights at work
Federal, state, and city law all protect New York employees
Workplace discrimination is prohibited under several overlapping layers of law — federal, New York State, and New York City — and New York’s protections are often broader than the federal baseline. Which of them applies to your situation, and which gives you the strongest claim, is exactly what a free consultation is for.
You don’t need to know the name of the law that was broken. You just need to tell us what happened. We’ll identify the claims, the protections, and the deadlines that apply to you.
This is general information, not legal advice about your situation. Which laws apply to you depends on your employer, your role, and the facts.
Why Lipsky Lowe
Your employer already has lawyers. You should too.
By the time most people call us, the company has already looped in HR and counsel. There is a record being built, and it is not being built for you. An employment lawyer on your side changes that math.
We prepare these matters as though they will be litigated — which is a large part of why so many of them resolve before they are. Employers negotiate differently when the other side is prepared to file.
You’ll work with an attorney, not a case manager. And if we look at your facts and conclude you don’t have a case, we’ll tell you that instead of taking your time.
A free, confidential call with an attorney. No documents required, no cost, no obligation to hire us afterward.
We assess your claims and your deadlines
Which laws apply, which filing windows are already running, and what a realistic outcome looks like — including if that answer is “no case.”
We pursue it — on your call
An agency charge, negotiation, or a lawsuit. You approve every meaningful decision, including any settlement.
Time-sensitive
Discrimination claims have filing deadlines
There are legal deadlines for bringing a claim, and once one passes it can be lost no matter how strong the facts are. Different laws give you different amounts of time, and the shortest one controls. Evidence erodes on its own timeline too — witnesses leave, systems purge, accounts get deactivated.
The deadline that applies to you depends on where you worked, who employed you, and which claims are involved. Some are much shorter than people expect. The only way to know how much time you have is to ask — and that conversation is free.
Serving employees across New York City and the surrounding area
Our office is in Midtown Manhattan, two blocks from Grand Central. Most matters are handled by phone, email, and video — you don’t need to take a day off work to get started.
Manhattan
Brooklyn
Queens
The Bronx
Staten Island
Long Island
Westchester
New Jersey
Lipsky Lowe LLP
420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1830
New York, NY 10170 212-392-4772
In their words
What clients say about working with us
While many lawyers expressed interest in my case, I didn’t feel that they fully grasped its complexity. Doug, on the other hand, truly understood the gravity of the situation. I am very grateful for his thoughtful approach.
— Nat M.
Douglas really helped me in a confusing case. He was very quick to respond to emails and kept me informed. He always made time to answer my questions and made me feel taken care of.
— Phillip B.
Incredible working with them! So responsive, so on top of things. Great experience, even if it’s a difficult situation you’re working through with them!
— Casey S.
Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. Testimonials reflect the experience of individual clients and are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter. Reviews are not paid for and have not been solicited in exchange for anything of value.
Who you’ll be working with
The attorneys handling your matter
Douglas LipskyChristopher LoweMilana DostanitchSara Isaacson
Common questions
What people ask before they call
Can they fire me while I’m pregnant or on leave?
Not because you are pregnant or on leave. An employer can still terminate for a genuinely lawful reason that has nothing to do with the pregnancy — but the timing invites scrutiny, and an employer that suddenly discovers performance problems weeks after an announcement has a difficult story to tell.
Do I have to prove pregnancy is a disability to get an accommodation?
Generally no. There are protections requiring employers to reasonably accommodate limitations related to pregnancy and childbirth, and an outright refusal to even discuss an accommodation is often a problem in itself. If your request for a simple adjustment was brushed off, that’s worth telling us about.
My job was eliminated while I was out. Is that legal?
It depends entirely on why. Genuine, documented eliminations that would have happened regardless can be lawful. Eliminations that materialize during leave, or roles that reappear under a new title shortly afterward, are exactly the pattern these cases are built on.
What does it cost to hire you?
Most discrimination matters are handled on a contingency-fee basis, meaning no attorney’s fee is owed unless we obtain a recovery for you. Clients may still be responsible for case costs and expenses, which are separate from attorney’s fees. All fee terms are set out in a written retainer agreement before any work begins.
Will my employer find out I contacted a lawyer?
Not from us. Your consultation is confidential, and we do not contact an employer without discussing it with you first. Plenty of people call while still employed, simply to understand their options.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
It depends on the claim. Different laws carry different deadlines, and the shortest applicable one governs — so the safe assumption is that your clock is already running. Because the windows differ and some are short, the most useful thing you can do is ask early. Telling us what happened lets us identify the deadlines that actually apply to you.
Free & confidential
Ready to talk? We’re ready to listen.
You don’t need your story organized. You don’t need documents. You don’t need to have decided anything. You just need to start the conversation.
Lipsky Lowe LLP
420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1830
New York, NY 10170
Request your free case review
An attorney reviews every submission. We typically respond the same business day.
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Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not a substitute for legal advice. Please do not include confidential or sensitive information until an attorney-client relationship has been established in writing.
Attorney Advertising. This page is attorney advertising under the New York Rules of Professional Conduct. The information here is general information, not legal advice. Reading this page, or contacting Lipsky Lowe LLP through it, does not create an attorney-client relationship. That relationship is formed only by a written retainer agreement signed by both you and the firm.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every matter is different, and any outcome depends on its own facts and the applicable law. Nothing on this page is a promise, guarantee, or prediction about the result of your matter.
Fees. Contingency-fee representation means no attorney’s fee is owed unless there is a recovery. Clients may remain responsible for costs and expenses, which are separate from attorney’s fees. Not every matter is handled on contingency. Fee terms are governed by a written retainer agreement.
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