Executive Discrimination, Harassment & Retaliation — Special Circumstances

At the executive and C-suite level, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation often present differently than they do for other employees. The conduct may be subtle, politically charged, and tied to high-stakes compensation and reputational consequences.

Executives, particularly women, people of color, and other protected groups, may face exclusion from key decision-making, a “glass cliff” dynamic, and retaliation that can be career-ending.

The Law Offices of Laurie Morrison represents executives and senior leaders in New York and New Jersey in sensitive, high-impact disputes. We understand that your legal strategy must protect your career trajectory, your brand, and the full value of what you have earned.

The Executive Experience Is Different

Discrimination and harassment do not disappear in boardrooms. They often become harder to see and easier for organizations to rationalize away. Executives may be cut out of meetings, sidelined from strategic initiatives, or subjected to coded criticisms (e.g., “not a culture fit,” “too aggressive,” “lacks executive presence”) that function as pretext for discriminatory decision-making.

At this level, retaliation can be particularly damaging: it may follow you into future roles through reputational harm, industry blackballing, or restrictive covenants. Our role is to identify the pattern, build the evidentiary record, and pursue a resolution aligned with your professional and financial objectives.

Special Circumstances Affecting Executives

Reputation Risk

Executive disputes can become public, and publicity can be a lever employers use to pressure you into silence. We advise on options aimed at protecting your brand while pursuing justice, including confidential resolution strategies, private ADR, and the Special Master track when appropriate.

Equity Compensation Impact

Discrimination and retaliation do not only affect base salary. They can directly impact stock options, RSUs, deferred compensation, carried interests, long-term incentive plans, and other high-value compensation. We fight for the full value of what you earned—and for the compensation you would have received absent unlawful conduct.

Non-Compete & Blackballing

In the executive context, retaliation often takes the form of being frozen out of an industry—through overbroad non-competes, non-solicitation provisions, threatened litigation, or “informal” blackballing. We challenge unreasonable restrictions and negotiate practical protections, including neutrally-worded references and strong non-disparagement terms.

Boardroom Dynamics

Exclusion from meetings, committees, decision-making, and key opportunities is often dismissed as “business judgment,” yet it can be powerful evidence of discriminatory intent and retaliatory motive. We know how to develop the record—documents, calendars, board materials, witness accounts, and comparative treatment—to demonstrate what really happened.

Scapegoating & Performance Reviews

Executives may be positioned as scapegoats during organizational turbulence or placed on performance improvement plans as a pretext for termination. We evaluate whether performance narratives are being used to mask unlawful motives and we work to rebut them with evidence, benchmarking, and contemporaneous communications.

Whistleblower Retaliation

Executives who report or refuse to participate in misconduct—such as FMLA interference or abuse, wage and hour violations, securities issues, accounting irregularities, or other legal violations—often face heightened retaliation. We protect whistleblowers under applicable New York, New Jersey, and federal laws, and we pursue strategies that reduce exposure while preserving claims.

The “Glass Cliff”

Women and minority executives are frequently recruited or promoted during crises, set up with inadequate support, and then blamed for outcomes shaped by institutional decisions. We understand this pattern and how it intersects with discrimination and retaliation claims—and we pursue remedies that reflect the true context.

Legal Protections Under NY/NJ Law

Executives in New York and New Jersey often have more powerful protections under state and city law than under federal law. Depending on the facts, your claims may be protected by:

• The New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL)
• The New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL)
• The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD)

These laws can provide broader coverage and stronger remedies than federal statutes, and may include access to a jury trial and significant damages depending on the claim and forum. We evaluate venue, applicable statutes, and contract terms (including arbitration provisions) to determine the most effective path forward.

Why Laurie Morrison?

Attorney Laurie E. Morrison brings first-hand experience with workplace harassment and discrimination as a Black female attorney. She successfully advocated to expand coverage of the NYSHRL and co-drafted sections of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended (ADAAA). She litigates in the same boardrooms where discrimination happens—and approaches executive cases with the sophistication, discretion, and resolve they require.

Our Approach

We treat every executive case as a strategic engagement. Whether the best outcome is achieved through pre-litigation negotiation, a confidential mediation, private ADR, or litigation, our focus is the same: protect your career, your reputation, and your financial future.

That may include:

• Early risk assessment and strategy designed around your professional timeline
• Building a credible evidentiary record (documents, witnesses, comparators, compensation data)
• Negotiating executive exits and severance enhancements, including equity and deferred compensation
• Addressing restrictive covenants, references, non-disparagement, and confidentiality
• Pursuing litigation when necessary to hold decision-makers accountable

Confidential Consultation

You do not have to choose between your career and your rights. If you are experiencing executive-level discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in New York or New Jersey, we invite you to contact us for a confidential consultation.