“There is a widespread culture of denying female advancement at Meltzer Lippe,” Brancato stated, adding that of the firm’s 39 partners, only six are women, with just one having held an equity partner role in its 50-year history.
Meltzer Lippe Sex Harassment suit : Legal Claims and Representation
Brancato’s suit alleges violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, along with New York State and City human rights laws. Represented by attorneys Zoe Salzman and Hannah Brudney of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP, Brancato seeks relief for the alleged discrimination and hostile work conditions. Salzman remarked that “no company should tolerate the egregious sexual harassment alleged here, especially not a law firm that is supposed to uphold the law.”
The lawsuit, filed under case number 1:24-cv-08240 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, comes amid increasing scrutiny of workplace culture and gender equity in the legal industry. Meltzer Lippe, which operates offices in New York City, Long Island, and Florida, has more than 80 attorneys across 16 practice areas, including elder law, real estate, and employment law.
Response and Case Developments
At the time of the filing, Meltzer Lippe and Heymann had not responded to requests for comment. Brancato’s suit underscores ongoing challenges in gender representation within the legal sector, which has historically struggled to balance leadership representation across genders. Counsel for Meltzer Lippe and Heymann was not immediately available for comment.
