Meet Doug
Referred to by the Financial Times as “America’s most prominent #Metoo lawyer,” Douglas H. Wigdor, routinely tries cases to verdict, has won numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and has consistently been recognized as the top employment litigator in the country. To date, his trial verdicts, arbitration awards and settlements have exceeded $1.5 billion. It is difficult to imagine another employment lawyer with a comparable record both in the courtroom and at the negotiating table than Wigdor’s founder, Douglas H. Wigdor.
When it comes to sexual harassment, discrimination and #MeToo, Doug has represented victims in the most closely watched and discussed cases in recent history. As has been reported throughout the worldwide media, Doug is recognized for heralding a reckoning in the music industry by representing singer Cassie Ventura on her lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs as well as a Jane Roe client in her sexual assault and battery complaint against country superstar Garth Brooks. His representation of women in sexual assault allegations has been covered on an international scale, including his representation of the maid against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, many of the alleged victims against Harvey Weinstein, and the woman from New Delhi, India (and many others) against Uber. Doug has also represented alleged discrimination and/or sexual harassment victims in highly publicized cases against Fox News and Bill O’Reilly, The Recording Academy, WeWork, NY1, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Point72 and its founder Steven Cohen, Goldman Sachs (and virtually every other large financial institution), numerous law firms and other businesses throughout the Country. Some of Doug’s other notable representations include NBA All-Star Charles Oakley in a defamation lawsuit against James Dolan and Madison Square Garden, multiple clients in the seminal “shop and frisk” cases, and a John Doe alleging antisemitic harassment against Intel.
Doug has been profiled by The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, the London Independent and Vanity Fair, who described Wigdor as “an adversary of famous men accused of sex crimes” and lauded his “crisp, equanimous manner.” He regularly appears on television including frequent appearances on MSNBC, The Today Show, CNN American Morning, the BBC, and Good Morning America. Doug is also frequently quoted as a legal expert in newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, New York Law Journal, New York Post, Daily News and many others. Doug regularly lectures around the world about his high-profile cases including speeches at the UK Parliament, Oxford University, Cambridge University, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University and other private and public institutions.
Founding Partner of Wigdor LLP
Since 2003, Doug has served as the Founding Partner of Wigdor LLP, 
a prominent employment law firm based in New York City. His practice focuses on litigation and counseling of individuals in connection with a wide array of employment and sexual assault issues. He has represented numerous clients who have been victimized by discrimination or harassment based on pregnancy, race, gender, age, sexual orientation or disability.
The New York Law Journal has featured Doug and Wigdor LLP’s clients in the top New York State verdicts six times, including the number one and two employment verdicts and the number one disability discrimination verdict. Both Doug and the Firm have also been honored by Chambers and Partners, one of the most prestigious lawyer ranking guides in the world. Wigdor LLP has been routinely recognized for extraordinary achievement in the categories of employee discrimination, wrongful termination, civil rights, whistleblower and wage and hour.
In addition to representing clients, Doug is an arbitrator, serving on the American Arbitration Association Employment Panel.
Community Involvement
Doug was awarded the Alumnus of the Year in 2007 and 2014 from St Cross College, Oxford. Due to his continued support of Oxford, St Cross College, a library has been named after him – the Douglas and Catherine Wigdor Library Garden Room. Doug is a member of the New York Eliot Society Membership Committee, and a volunteer for the Leading Together Campaign for Washington University. He has endowed a scholarship for an Arts & Sciences student at Washington University and has endowed a cycling studio in the student Recreational Center. Doug is also a member of the Board of Advisors at Cornell University’s Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution as well as the Cornell Center for Innovative Hospitality Labor and Employment.
Doug is an active and philanthropic member of the Forest Hills community, where he resides with his wife Catherine and his two sons. He served on the legal committee of the Forest Hills Gardens Association, and is a proud sponsor of the New York Pops summer series at Forest Hills Stadium. Doug had the privilege of managing several basketball teams in the Forest Hills Little League, in addition to coaching a basketball team at the Forest Hills YMCA and Forest Hills Community House. He is also an active member of the Westside Tennis Club at Forest Hills and a member of the International Tennis Club of the U.S.A.
In addition, Doug is a former member of the Governing Committee of the Oxonian Society, and was also a member of both the Alexander Hamilton and Theodore Roosevelt Inns of Court. Doug traveled to Kenya with other lawyers from his Firm to educate Kenyan Wildlife Service Officers on evidence preservation and testifying in court.
One of New York’s Most Awarded Employment Lawyers
Douglas is one of New York’s most highly awarded employment attorneys. Some of his recent notable honors and accolades include:
- Named “one of New York City’s most aggressive employment lawyers” by The New York Times
- Winner of the New York Law Journal’s Distinguished Leader Award
- Named to the First Annual Forbes Top 200 Lawyers list
- Selected to City & State NY’s Law Power 100 list
- Named to the Top 100 Hollywood Power Lawyers list by The Hollywood Reporter
- Named to the Top Music Lawyers list by Billboard
- Ranked Band 1 in New York Labor and Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs Representation by Chambers USA
- Shortlisted for Labor and Employment Law Firm of the Year by Chambers USA
- Top 20 Labor and Employment Litigators Benchmark Litigation
- Named one of 10 “Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar” Law360
- Employment Law Editorial Advisory Board Member, Law360
- Elite Trial Lawyers Award, The National Law Journal
- Selected to Top 100 list by New York Metro Super Lawyers
- Blue Ribbon Panelist, Employment Litigation/Labor and Employment, Super Lawyers
- Selected to Super Lawyers list for 12 years by Super Lawyers
- Selected to The Best Lawyers in America list for 15 years by Best Lawyers
- Litigation – Labor and Employment, The Best Lawyers in America
- Employment Law – Individuals, Management, The Best Lawyers in America
- Most Feared Law Firms Award, BTI Consulting Group
- Best Law Firms, S. News & World Report
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the USA, National Trial Lawyers
- Top 100 Labor and Employment Lawyers, American Society of Legal Advocates
- Premier 100 Trial Attorney, American Academy of Trial Attorneys
- Leading Lawyer in America Award, Lawdragon
- Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyer Award, Lawdragon
- Lifetime Membership Award, Top American Lawyers
- Repeatedly Won Top Verdict, New York Law Journal
- Litigator Award, Trial Lawyers Board of Regents
- Lifetime Achievement Award, America’s Top 100 Attorneys
- Fellowship, Litigation Counsel of America
- A/V Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
- 10 “Superb” Rating, Avvo
Unparalleled client service
Testimonials
Labor & Employment Law
Key Practice Areas
Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault
Doug has represented victims in sexual harassment and assault cases against powerful celebrities, sports figures, media personalities, c-suite executives and other notable people. He has helped thousands of victims at all levels achieve justice.
Whistleblower Retaliation & Wrongful Termination
Doug represents “whistleblowers” who had the courage to call out unlawful behavior at work.
Wage & Hour Law
Doug handles all types of wage and hour cases: minimum wage, overtime, off-the-clock wages, gratuities and more.
Discrimination
Doug represents victims of discrimination in the workplace, including on the basis of race, gender, pregnancy, age, disability, religion, national origin and LGBTQ+ status.
Executive Compensation and Contract Law
Doug has extensive experience handling cases involving employment contracts, severance agreements and restrictive covenants.
Other
In addition to employment litigation, Doug also has a strong track record in criminal law, sports and entertainment law, civil rights and catastrophic torts.
Admitted to Practice
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2003
- Her Majesty’s Courts of England & Wales, 2001
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 2000
- Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 2000
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 2000
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, 2003
- District of Columbia, 1995
- Pennsylvania, 1994
- New York, 1994
- New York State Bar Association
- Suffolk County Bar Association
- Federal Bar Council
- Association of the Bar of the City of New York
