Sexual Harassment

Covid-19 IF YOU HAVE BEEN UNLAWFULLY TERMINATED OR DEMOTED DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, YOU MAY HAVE A VALID AND VALUABLE CASE. PLEASE CALL US FOR A FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION. ARE YOU THE VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR RAPE? IF YOU ARE A SURVIVOR OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR RAPE PLEASE CALL US FOR A FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION. WE HAVE RECOVERED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE TAKEN A STAND AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE. WE ARE ON YOUR SIDE.

As a law firm providing experienced Attorney - Lawyer legal services, assisting Orlando and Central Florida residents with Employment Law, Contract Reviews, and Debt Collection Harassment legal issues, we are committed to protecting the legal rights of each and every client, while always striving to provide the highest standard of legal representation. One of the foundations of our country are the protections afforded individuals under the law. Mr. Turner has dedicated his legal career to protecting the rights of workers, ensuring they are treated fairly and lawfully in the workplace. Mr. Turner also stands up for the rights of those who are unlawfully being subjected to harassment from debt collectors and the agencies they work for.

Deena R. Merlen is a Partner at the firm. She serves clients at both our New York and Stamford offices and heads the Connecticut practice. Her practice areas include intellectual property, employment and labor law, media and entertainment, general business law, commercial transactions and dispute resolution. In her employment practice, Ms. Merlen is a trusted “go to” problem solver and counsel to individuals, established name brand companies and startups alike. She has extensive experience representing clients in matters including general counseling, discrimination actions, mediations and dispute resolution, investigations by federal or state agencies, as well as wage and hour claims and other labor law matters. She also advises on and regularly negotiates employment and separation agreements, independent contractor arrangements and other services-related arrangements. Ms. Merlen also counsels clients on employment and business matters in response to a crisis or other unexpected business impact, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting business closures, including continuity plans, employee furloughs, reductions in force and other critical measures. In her intellectual property practice, Ms. Merlen helps her clients with the development, acquisition and protection of their valuable brands and other vital intellectual property assets. She manages and grows trademark portfolios in the U.S. and internationally; negotiates licensing, assignment, distribution and branding agreements; prosecutes trademark and copyright registrations; enforces intellectual property rights; and provides strategic counsel to safeguard brand platforms and expand the value of her clients’ intellectual property assets. Ms. Merlen’s media practice encompasses the development and protection of creative works in the fields of music, film, television, theatre, publishing, literary arts, performing arts, design and technology. She ran her own business in the entertainment industry for over a decade and brings that business experience and acumen to her legal practice. In addition, Ms. Merlen provides general business counsel and represents clients in company and transactional matters such as partnerships, joint ventures, licensing arrangements, the purchase or sale of businesses, and a wide range of other corporate matters, including company formation, capitalization and governance, compliance and contracts. Representative clients include technology companies, schools and other academic institutions, personal care and beauty companies, fashion and design companies, media, arts and entertainment companies, wholesalers, retailers and more. Prior to her work with RPJ, Ms. Merlen served as Law Clerk to The Honorable Roger J. Miner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, after which she joined Debevoise & Plimpton, where she practiced for over five years in the areas of corporate law and intellectual property. Ms. Merlen is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New York.

Deena R. Merlen is a Partner at the firm. She serves clients at both our New York and Stamford offices and heads the Connecticut practice. Her practice areas include intellectual property, employment and labor law, media and entertainment, general business law, commercial transactions and dispute resolution. In her employment practice, Ms. Merlen is a trusted “go to” problem solver and counsel to individuals, established name brand companies and startups alike. She has extensive experience representing clients in matters including general counseling, discrimination actions, mediations and dispute resolution, investigations by federal or state agencies, as well as wage and hour claims and other labor law matters. She also advises on and regularly negotiates employment and separation agreements, independent contractor arrangements and other services-related arrangements. Ms. Merlen also counsels clients on employment and business matters in response to a crisis or other unexpected business impact, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting business closures, including continuity plans, employee furloughs, reductions in force and other critical measures. In her intellectual property practice, Ms. Merlen helps her clients with the development, acquisition and protection of their valuable brands and other vital intellectual property assets. She manages and grows trademark portfolios in the U.S. and internationally; negotiates licensing, assignment, distribution and branding agreements; prosecutes trademark and copyright registrations; enforces intellectual property rights; and provides strategic counsel to safeguard brand platforms and expand the value of her clients’ intellectual property assets. Ms. Merlen’s media practice encompasses the development and protection of creative works in the fields of music, film, television, theatre, publishing, literary arts, performing arts, design and technology. She ran her own business in the entertainment industry for over a decade and brings that business experience and acumen to her legal practice. In addition, Ms. Merlen provides general business counsel and represents clients in company and transactional matters such as partnerships, joint ventures, licensing arrangements, the purchase or sale of businesses, and a wide range of other corporate matters, including company formation, capitalization and governance, compliance and contracts. Representative clients include technology companies, schools and other academic institutions, personal care and beauty companies, fashion and design companies, media, arts and entertainment companies, wholesalers, retailers and more. Prior to her work with RPJ, Ms. Merlen served as Law Clerk to The Honorable Roger J. Miner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, after which she joined Debevoise & Plimpton, where she practiced for over five years in the areas of corporate law and intellectual property. Ms. Merlen is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New York.

Tracy Neal-Lopez is the founding member of the firm; she has wealth of trial and litigation experience, having taken numerous cases to judgment, including jury trials, bench trials and arbitration. She has represented many clients facing a vast array of life changing situations and she prides herself on being willing to take cases all the way to trial. Tracy represents either plaintiffs or defendants in state and federal court. She fights injustice, focusing her litigation skills primarily in employment and labor disputes. Her areas of practice include, wrongful termination, wage and hour, misclassification, whistleblower retaliation, interference with prospective economic advantage, non-compete provisions, defamation, breach of employment contract, discrimination and harassment. She also handles business and corporate litigation matters. Such as matters involving partnership disputes, corporate dissolution, breach of contract, fraud and misrepresentation, and unfair business practices. One of her primary achievements in her legal work was before the California Court of Appeals where she successfully challenged the assumption of risk doctrine in a case entitled Lackner vs. North (2006) 135 Cal. App. 4th 1188. Tracy received her law degree from Loyola Law School. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Attorney Omar F. Khan received his Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University – Moritz College of Law and is admitted to practice in Illinois and in front of the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Mr. Khan's practice of law is focused on immigration law and criminal matters which create immigration issues. Before founding Khan Nayyar & Associates, Mr. Khan was an Assistant State's Attorney working for the Winnebago County State's Attorney Office. Prior to that, Mr. Khan was a law clerk for Judge J. Edward Prochaska in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois. With experience in both criminal and civil litigation, Mr. Khan has handled intricate and delicate matters. As a law clerk, Mr. Khan drafted numerous published opinions. He has the ability to speak the language of the judiciary, understanding the legal process from start to end. As a prosecutor, he represented the People of the State of Illinois in numerous hearings and trials. Mr. Khan's experience as a litigator uniquely qualifies him to anticipate potentially troublesome situations that can arise in immigration and criminal proceedings. He is dedicated, motivated, and experienced to handle the case properly. Mr. Khan graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Dayton, with a Bachelors in Economics, while working two jobs to pay his way through college. The foundation of his determination stems from his parents, both immigrants, who worked tirelessly to support him and his two sisters. Mr. Khan, as an immigrant himself, can empathize with the struggle, confusion, heartache, and time associated with the immigration process. In his spare time, Mr. Khan enjoys "low and slow" charcoal grilling, spending time with his family and friends, and playing with his dog, Lulu.

Joel Glaser is the principal of Joel Glaser APC in the Los Angeles, Newport Beach and San Diego offices. His practice includes Employment and Business Litigation. Mr. Glaser has extensive experience in Employment Practices Liability, including defending whistleblower, wrongful termination, harassment, race, age, disability, and gender discrimination and retaliation cases. He has also defended wage and hour class actions and single plaintiff cases. Additionally, he has counseled employees and employers on employment-related matters such as applications and hiring, sexual harassment policies and training, employment handbooks, internal investigations, compliance issues, employee discipline issues, severance agreements and termination issues. He has represented clients in both state and federal court, and before the California Labor Board, Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Unemployment Appeals Board. In the area of Business Litigation, Mr. Glaser has handled issues related to business litigation, real estate, collections and compliance issues. He has brought and defended numerous general business litigation actions, including actions for breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, specific performance, quiet title, landlord-tenant discrimination, insurance bad faith, professional liability, products liability, and collections claims. Mr. Glaser has tried to verdict several employment and personal injury claims, tried to a defense verdict a homeowners’ association dispute, obtained summary judgment for a government contractor on an age and disability discrimination action, and has obtained positive feedback from clients on the excellent results he has obtained in defending allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, breach of contract and product defects. Prior to forming Joel Glaser APC, Mr. Glaser successfully tried and arbitrated several cases to verdicts favorable to his clients at AmLaw 100 firms. Mr. Glaser represents companies in several industries throughout the United States, including government contractors, hotels, restaurants, appliance stores, hardware stores, electronics stores, industrial manufacturers, banks, private lenders, product manufacturers, distributors and retailers, real estate management companies, and other companies in various industries.

Brooke Dana Youngwirth, Esq. represents both employees and private and public sector employers before state and federal agencies, including the New York State Division of Human Rights, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and defends private and public employers against employment harassment and discrimination, labor violations, and various other federal and state claims. Brooke also counsels individuals, school districts, police departments, and other private employers on a range of topics such as wrongful termination, student disciplinary matters, employment discrimination, and the implementation of employment policies and handbooks. Mrs. Youngwirth has held client training sessions and continuing legal education seminars on various issues including: employment discrimination and harassment prevention, institutional sexual abuse, discrimination and harassment investigations, electronic discovery and dispositive motions. Brooke‘s practice also focuses on handling a variety of other types of commercial and civil disputes including franchise, personal injury, and business litigation. Brooke‘s litigation skills allow for majority of cases to settle prior to going to court, eliminating risk and expenses. Brooke’s practical approach to matters ensures clients feel secure and confident while handling their business and personal matters.

Born and raised in Mid-Michigan, Casey attended Michigan State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Advertising. Casey worked for years in advertising, marketing, and business consultation before deciding to attend law school. In 2013, Casey graduated Cum Laude from Thomas M. Cooley Law School (now Western Michigan University Cooley Law School), with a concentration in Intellectual Property. While attending law school, Casey worked on various consumer protection projects with the Attorney General of Michigan, as well as interning for an East Lansing based law firm. In 2014, Casey was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan, and is licensed to practice in the state of Michigan, is admitted to practice in the Michigan Federal Court of the Western District, and has been admitted to practice in the Colorado Federal Court, as well as the United States Tax Court. Since becoming licensed, Casey has been working as a solo practitioner in Michigan. Casey has worked in a wide variety of areas including Real Estate, Landlord/Tenant, Copyright, Contracts, Tax Issues, Business Organization, Wills and Trusts, Bar Exam Appeals, Collections, Construction Law, and Compliance. Recently, Casey has received a Certificate of Completion in the areas of probate and estate planning issued by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan.

Throughout my 35 plus years of practice, I have represented individuals in all aspects of employment law in order to protect their jobs and families from the arbitrary actions of management who often view their employees as disposable. I have been proud to represent victims of discrimination of all types and effectively prosecuted their claims in either federal or state court. More recently my firm has advocated for an employee who has been harassed on the basis of their sex, age, or race. We have discovered that simply because an employer may have a procedure for reporting such harassment does not mean that the employee is protected or that the claims are fully investigated. The Law Offices of F. Benjamin Riek III has won significant victories for whistleblowers in both administrative and state court actions. We are proud to represent those few individuals who are willing to put aside the fears of retaliation and bring forth the illegal or dangerous actions of their employers -whether it is a pollution violation or misstating financial records. There are strong laws to protect employees in many areas who become aware of illegal activities at work. We are always willing to represent you before the proper agency or in court. In recent years, I have seen a significant increase in the number of cases of retaliation from employers for either reporting discrimination or harassment or cooperating in the company’s investigation of the claim. The employees targeted for retaliation are not just those who were victimized but also the witnesses who saw and heard what happened and told the truth, however inconvenient it might be to management. Don’t let the human resource department or a supervisor intimidate you! It is surprising that even today many companies try to cheat their employees out of the proper earnings through a variety of illegal activities. Some of the more obvious are forcing their workers to work off the clock, either before or after their shift, failing to pay overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week, or telling you that you are an independent contractor when you have no control over your work hours. All of these actions violate the Fair Labor Standards Act which has been enforced since the 1930s. If you are classified as an independent contractor, not only does the company avoid withholding taxes, they also don’t pay their portion of social security and unemployment taxes that could affect you as you near retirement. I have a broad and diverse background representing employees and am always willing to meet with you to discuss your situation.