As the world grapples with the unpredictable effects of the novel coronavirus outbreak, the importance of those in positions of power who fight tirelessly for the most vulnerable members of our society has become painfully obvious. In the spirit of helping others, Wigdor LLP is proud to share that The Hollywood Reporter has recognized the Firm’s work on behalf of victims of sexual harassment and discrimination in the Media and Entertainment industry by naming Douglas H. Wigdor to its annual list of the Top 100 Hollywood Power Lawyers.
The honor comes after a year of contentious #MeToo-era litigation and a firestorm of allegations that have exposed unlawful activity at some of the highest levels of Hollywood:
- In the past year, Wigdor LLP has represented six victims of alleged sexual abuse by ex-Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein. One of those victims is Tarale Wulff, a model who courageously testified against Weinstein at his criminal trial in New York and helped secure his criminal conviction and sentence of 23 years in prison.
- Mr. Wigdor has also been a vocal critic of the proposed $25 million civil settlement, which would effectively allow Weinstein and his alleged enablers to avoid liability in the civil courts while paying nothing towards the victims’ fund. On March 9, 2020, Wigdor LLP published an open letter on behalf of seven survivors of Weinstein’s abuse outlining numerous problems with the proposed settlement and urging the New York Attorney General, Letitia James, to renegotiate a better settlement agreement on their behalf.
- Mr. Wigdor also represents Deborah Dugan, the former President and CEO of The Recording Academy who alleges she was subjected to a campaign of vicious retaliation by The Recording Academy after she brought forward allegations of sexism, corruption, and financial self-dealing that have plagued the Grammy Awards for decades.
- Additionally, Wigdor LLP continues to represent five award-winning anchorwomen at NY1, whose age and gender discrimination lawsuit against Charter Communications brought a critical issue to the forefront of public discourse: that older women in broadcast media and beyond are held to entirely different standards than their male counterparts in terms of dress and appearance, resulting in severe marginalization and unlawful discriminatory decision-making at the highest levels of management. Their coming forward led the New York City Council to introduce a historic legislative package aimed at studying and preventing age discrimination in the workplace.
During these challenging times, Wigdor LLP is proud to be a voice for those whose rights have been threatened by unlawful behavior in the workplace, no matter what industry. We congratulate Mr. Wigdor for this extraordinary achievement and promise to never stop fighting for your fundamental right to work in an environment free from harassment, discrimination and other unlawful workplace misconduct.