Viclaro Research · Atlas recommendation study

The 10 New York City Employment Law (Plaintiff) firms AI assistants recommend most often

We put a versioned panel of buyer-style questions to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. These ten firms appeared most frequently. Below, the aggregate ranking is paired with the actual questions that produced recommendations and short excerpts showing the surrounding response.

800 eligible responses 805 ranked firms 3,672 firm-response mentions Snapshot NYC-EMP-2026-09-v3.1
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The current top ten

Who appeared—and what buyers were asking

This is a ranking of AI recommendation visibility, not professional quality. A response mention means that an assistant named the firm in an eligible answer. One answer may name several organizations. Prompt wording is shown so each appearance can be interpreted in its original buyer context.

#1

Outten & Golden LLP

Named in 354 of 800 eligible responses (44.3%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.

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ChatGPT Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“I need an employment attorney in New York City this week. Severance deadline is Tuesday and I'm not signing without representation. Who actually takes on new clients in 48 hours?”
Read the response context

Here are some employment attorneys in New York City who are known for their responsiveness: 1. Outten & Golden LLP - Known for representing employees in severance negotiations. 2. Phillips & Associates - Offers quick consultations and is experienced in employment law. 3. The Ottinger Firm, P.C. - Specializes in employment law with a focus on severance agreements. 4. Cary Kane LLP - Known for their prompt service and …

Claude Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“I make $19/hour at a New York City retail job. I have a real discrimination case but no money to hire anyone hourly. Who works contingency or pro bono for workers at my pay level?”
Read the response context

**Contingency (they get paid only if you win)** - **Outten & Golden** – Large plaintiff-side employment firm, handles discrimination on contingency for strong cases - **Wigdor LLP** – Aggressive NYC employment discrimination firm, contingency-based - **Phillips & Associates** – High volume NYC discrimination practice, explicitly takes contingency cases - **Derek Smith Law Group** – Known for retail/service worker dis…

Gemini Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“OK I'm ready. Filing a discrimination case in New York City next week. Give me three plaintiff-side employment firms to interview. Mid-career professional, solid documentation, clean fact pattern.”
Read the response context

* **Outten & Golden LLP**: Known for high-profile and complex plaintiff-side employment discrimination and class action cases. * **Phillips & Associates**: Specializes exclusively in plaintiff-side employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases. * **Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C.**: A long-standing firm with a strong reputation for representing employees in discrimination and wrongful termination matters…

#2

Wigdor LLP

Named in 307 of 800 eligible responses (38.4%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.

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Claude Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“I need an employment attorney in New York City this week. Severance deadline is Tuesday and I'm not signing without representation. Who actually takes on new clients in 48 hours?”
Read the response context

**Firms/attorneys known for fast intake on severance matters:** - **Wigdor LLP** – aggressive plaintiff-side firm, handles executive severance, known for quick consultations - **Outten & Golden** – largest employee-side firm in NYC, has intake staff specifically for deadline situations - **Phillips & Associates** – high-volume plaintiff firm, typically responsive within 24 hours - **Derek Smith Law Group** – takes ca…

Perplexity Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“OK I'm ready. Filing a discrimination case in New York City next week. Give me three plaintiff-side employment firms to interview. Mid-career professional, solid documentation, clean fact pattern.”
Read the response context

…are all recognized employee-side practices with strong New York employment litigation credentials.[1][3][6][12][15] - **Wigdor LLP** — A highly regarded **plaintiff-side employment litigation** firm in NYC, known for taking on high-profile discrimination and harassment cases against major employers.[6][11] - **Phillips & Associates** — A Chambers-ranked, employee-side firm that focuses on **workplace discrimination, …

Gemini Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Who are the absolute top sexual harassment plaintiff firms in New York City? Not the SEO bait. The ones that other lawyers refer their hardest cases to.”
Read the response context

* **Wigdor LLP:** Known for high-profile, complex sexual harassment and employment discrimination cases. * **Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP:** Specializes in class action and individual employment discrimination, including sexual harassment. * **Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C.:** A long-standing firm with a strong reputation for representing employees in discrimination and harassment cases. * **Phillips & Associates:** Foc…

#3

Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight

Named in 269 of 800 eligible responses (33.6%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.

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Claude Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Who are the absolute top sexual harassment plaintiff firms in New York City? Not the SEO bait. The ones that other lawyers refer their hardest cases to.”
ChatGPT Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Top New York City plaintiff firms for ADA disability and failure-to-accommodate cases at the white-collar level. Three names with corporate-employer experience.”
Gemini Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Best New York City plaintiff firms for RSU and deferred-comp clawback litigation. Three names, post-IPO and finance experience required.”
#4

Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, PC

Named in 220 of 800 eligible responses (27.5%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.

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Gemini Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Top New York City firms for law-firm partner disputes and de-equitization fights. Three names that take partner-vs-firm cases without conflicts.”
Read the response context

* **Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C.** - Known for representing partners and senior executives in employment and partnership disputes, including de-equitization. * **Wigdor LLP** - Specializes in high-stakes employment litigation, including partnership disputes, often representing individuals against firms. * **Levine & Blit, PLLC** - Focuses on employment and partnership disputes, frequently representing individuals in…

Perplexity Follow Up Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Of the class-action firms you listed in New York City, which has actually gotten employment class certification through opposition in the last 3 years? Settling pre-cert doesn't count — I want firms that have won the cert fight on contested facts.”
Read the response context

From the results you provided, **Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C.** is the only New York City firm I can identify as having *actually won contested employment class certification* in the last 3 years: its post says the **Appellate Division, First Department affirmed class certification** in *Andras Bago et al. v. La Brochette, Inc. et al.*[14] What I **can’t** confirm from these results is whether the firm you asked abo…

Gemini Follow Up Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“For the partner-vs-firm case in New York City — which of the firms you named is actually conflict-clear? My firm uses two of the obvious choices for defense work. Who's truly only plaintiff-side and won't have to bow out?”
Read the response context

* **Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C.:** Known for representing individuals in employment and partnership disputes against firms. * **Wigdor LLP:** Primarily represents employees and partners in high-stakes disputes against employers and firms. * **Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP:** Focuses on plaintiff-side employment litigation, including partner disputes.

#5

Phillips & Associates

Named in 201 of 800 eligible responses (25.1%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.

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Perplexity Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“I make $19/hour at a New York City retail job. I have a real discrimination case but no money to hire anyone hourly. Who works contingency or pro bono for workers at my pay level?”
Read the response context

…n contingency**, meaning **no hourly bill and no upfront fee** if they accept your case.[1][2][3][7][8][10][12][18] - **Phillips & Associates** — Employment/discrimination firm that says it handles cases on contingency and offers a free consultation.[8][10][17][18][19] - **Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP** — New York employment firm that says it generally handles employment cases on a contingency-fee basis with a free cons…

Gemini Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“OK I'm ready. Filing a discrimination case in New York City next week. Give me three plaintiff-side employment firms to interview. Mid-career professional, solid documentation, clean fact pattern.”
Read the response context

* **Phillips & Associates:** Known for extensive experience in discrimination and sexual harassment cases across various industries. * **Sanford Heisler Sharp:** Renowned for high-impact, high-stakes litigation, often representing executives and professionals in discrimination and whistleblower matters. * **Wigdor LLP:** A prominent firm specializing in complex employment litigation, including discrimination, sexual …

Gemini Follow Up Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Of the firms you just mentioned, which is best for my situation? I'm a 38-year-old finance professional in New York City, retaliation case after I reported my manager, about $90K in lost bonus at stake.”
Read the response context

…reviously in this conversation. For a retaliation case in New York City with $90K in lost bonus at stake, consider: * **Phillips & Associates:** Known for representing employees in discrimination and retaliation cases in NYC. * **Wigdor LLP:** Specializes in high-stakes employment litigation, often representing finance professionals. * **Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP:** Focuses on complex employment litigation, includin…

#6

New York City Commission on Human Rights

Named in 43 of 800 eligible responses (5.4%); named by 3 of 4 assistant families.

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Perplexity Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Top New York City plaintiff firms for ADA disability and failure-to-accommodate cases at the white-collar level. Three names with corporate-employer experience.”
ChatGPT Follow Up Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“If I sign with that firm in New York City, what's the realistic timeline? From retainer to settlement or trial — am I looking at 6 months or 3 years on this kind of case?”
Perplexity Situation Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“I'm a surgical resident at a New York City hospital. An attending has been harassing me for two years. If I report this, my career is over — the surgical world is small. But I can't keep going. Who handles cases like this discreetly?”
#7

Virginia & Ambinder, LLP

Named in 40 of 800 eligible responses (5.0%); named by 3 of 4 assistant families.

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ChatGPT Follow Up Listed #2 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Will that firm actually take my case? I don't have a million-dollar damages number. New York City, retail worker, wage-and-hour, probably $25K at most. Will they even call me back?”
Read the response context

… for handling such cases: 1. **Outten & Golden LLP** - Known for representing employees in wage-and-hour disputes. 2. **Virginia & Ambinder, LLP** - Specializes in labor and employment law, including wage claims. 3. **Leeds Brown Law, P.C.** - Experienced in handling wage-and-hour cases for workers. 4. **The Ottinger Firm, P.C.** - Focuses on employment law and has experience with wage disputes. These firms are more …

ChatGPT Situation Listed #2 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“I'm an RN at a New York City hospital. Mandatory overtime, 16 hour shifts back to back. We're told if we refuse it's patient abandonment. Three of us want to push back. Who handles healthcare worker cases like this?”
Read the response context

1. **Levy Ratner, P.C.** - Known for representing healthcare workers and labor unions in employment disputes. 2. **Virginia & Ambinder, LLP** - Specializes in labor law and has experience with healthcare worker cases. 3. **Outten & Golden LLP** - Focuses on employee rights and has handled cases involving overtime and labor violations. 4. **Cary Kane LLP** - Experienced in employment law, including cases involving hea…

Gemini Situation Listed #2 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“I'm a New York City public school teacher. I reported a colleague for inappropriate behavior with students. Since then I've been moved out of my classroom, given the worst schedule, written up twice for things I didn't do. Different rules for public employees — who handles this?”
Read the response context

…enting employees in discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblower cases, including those against public employers. * **Virginia & Ambinder, LLP** - Focuses on employment law, including representing public sector employees in retaliation and whistleblower claims. * **Elias Law Group** - Represents employees in a wide range of employment disputes, including retaliation and wrongful termination, with experience in publ…

#8

Shulman Kessler

Named in 39 of 800 eligible responses (4.9%); named by 1 of 4 assistant families.

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Claude Decision Listed #2 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“We're 40+ workers at a New York City restaurant group with a wage and tip case. Who in NYC actually handles big wage-and-hour collective actions on contingency? Need firms with the resources to run this.”
Read the response context

…argest plaintiff employment firms in the country; handles massive FLSA collectives and NYLL class actions regularly - **Shulman Kessler** – NY-focused, aggressive on tip theft and wage cases, strong track record against restaurant groups - **Fitapelli & Schaffer** – Prolific filers of NYC restaurant wage cases specifically; know the industry cold - **Maimon Kirschenbaum (Joseph & Kirschenbaum LLP)** – Extremely activ…

Claude Situation Listed #2 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“I left a New York City investment bank in March. They're now clawing back $640K in deferred comp and RSUs claiming a 'compete' violation — my new role isn't even in their stated competitive set. Who in NYC handles deferred-comp clawback at this dollar level?”
Read the response context

…ce sector depth:** - **Wigdor LLP** – Aggressive Wall Street employment disputes, strong on contract interpretation - **Shulman Kessler** – Deferred comp and restrictive covenant work for financial professionals - **Vladeck, Raskin & Clark** – Long track record on executive comp and wrongful forfeiture claims - **Phillips & Associates** – Finance industry employment, handles complex comp clawback structures **Larger …

Claude Validation Listed #3 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Is Joseph & Kirschenbaum actually the firm for restaurant and hospitality wage cases in New York City? I see their name on a lot of FLSA collectives. Real workhorses or just volume-based?”
Read the response context

…et less partner attention - They're not the only serious shop in this space **Comparable NYC firms worth knowing:** - **Shulman Kessler** — strong on wage theft, particularly for lower-wage workers - **Virginia & Ambinder** — solid FLSA collective work, good on class certification strategy - **Fitapelli & Schaffer** — aggressive on restaurant cases, high filing volume but competent - **Pechman Law Group** — Louis Pec…

#9

Joseph & Kirschenbaum LLP

Named in 38 of 800 eligible responses (4.8%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.

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ChatGPT Decision Listed #2 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“We're 40+ workers at a New York City restaurant group with a wage and tip case. Who in NYC actually handles big wage-and-hour collective actions on contingency? Need firms with the resources to run this.”
Read the response context

1. **Outten & Golden LLP** - Known for handling large-scale wage-and-hour class and collective actions. 2. **Joseph & Kirschenbaum LLP** - Specializes in representing restaurant workers in wage disputes. 3. **Virginia & Ambinder, LLP** - Experienced in complex wage-and-hour litigation and class actions. 4. **Leeds Brown Law, P.C.** - Focuses on employment law, including significant wage-and-hour cases. 5. **Pechman L…

Claude Decision Listed #4 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Best New York City plaintiff firms for FLSA wage-and-hour collective actions. Five names ranked by collective certifications won.”
Read the response context

…. 3. **Shulman Kessler** – Focused almost exclusively on wage-and-hour; consistent conditional certification wins. 4. **Joseph & Kirschenbaum** – Deep bench in hospitality and retail FLSA collectives; known for large settlements. 5. **Pechman Law Group** – High certification rate; particular strength in tipped worker and tip-pooling cases.

Claude Follow Up Listed #4 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Will that firm actually take my case? I don't have a million-dollar damages number. New York City, retail worker, wage-and-hour, probably $25K at most. Will they even call me back?”
Read the response context

…ique focused almost entirely on wage-and-hour, takes smaller retail/restaurant cases regularly - **Maimon Kirschenbaum (Joseph & Kirschenbaum LLP)** – aggressive plaintiff wage-and-hour shop, known for taking cases other firms pass on - **Louis Pechman** – same firm as above, specifically known for NYLL cases with modest damages - **Fitapelli & Schaffer** – high-volume wage-and-hour, retail and restaurant workers spe…

#10

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Named in 29 of 800 eligible responses (3.6%); named by 4 of 4 assistant families.

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ChatGPT Decision Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“Three firms in New York City for a post-IPO equity clawback case. Pre-IPO joiner at a New York City-HQ tech company, terminated 9 months after IPO, they're clawing back $2.3M in vested RSUs under a 'cause' clause that's clearly pretextual. Who has actually done this fight?”
Read the response context

1. **Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP** - Known for their strong litigation practice and expertise in handling complex employment disputes, including equity clawbacks. 2. **Debevoise & Plimpton LLP** - Recognized for their experience in securities litigation and handling high-profile post-IPO disputes. 3. **Proskauer Rose LLP** - Specializes in employment law and has a track record of defending executives…

Gemini Follow Up Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“If I go with one of those firms in New York City, how do they handle press? Some of these names are on cable news every week — that's fine for some cases but my industry is small and I want this kept quiet. Which is actually discreet?”
Read the response context

* **Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP:** Known for sophisticated, high-stakes litigation, often for corporate clients who prioritize discretion. * **Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz:** Specializes in M&A and corporate defense, frequently operating behind the scenes to avoid public disputes. * **Williams & Connolly LLP:** While based in DC, they have a strong NYC presence and are renowned for fiercely private…

ChatGPT Situation Listed #1 in this answer

Question put to the assistant

“I left a New York City investment bank in March. They're now clawing back $640K in deferred comp and RSUs claiming a 'compete' violation — my new role isn't even in their stated competitive set. Who in NYC handles deferred-comp clawback at this dollar level?”
Read the response context

1. **Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP** - Known for handling complex employment disputes and financial services litigation. 2. **Proskauer Rose LLP** - Specializes in employment law, particularly in financial services and executive compensation matters. 3. **Debevoise & Plimpton LLP** - Offers expertise in employment law with a focus on high-stakes compensation disputes. 4. **Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher…

Top firm response rate

44.3%

Responses naming the #1 firm

Top 3 mention share

25.3%

Share of all firm-response mentions

Top 10 mention share

41.9%

Share of all firm-response mentions

HHI concentration

3.0

Sum of squared mention shares

Firm × assistant heat map

Each cell is normalized within that assistant: responses naming the firm ÷ eligible responses from that assistant family. Darker cells mean greater within-assistant visibility; raw counts and denominators remain visible.

FirmClaudeChatGPTGeminiPerplexity
#1Outten & Golden LLP 56.0% 112/200 59.5% 119/200 50.5% 101/200 11.0% 22/200
#2Wigdor LLP 51.5% 103/200 22.0% 44/200 58.5% 117/200 21.5% 43/200
#3Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight 28.0% 56/200 35.5% 71/200 53.5% 107/200 17.5% 35/200
#4Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, PC 30.0% 60/200 36.5% 73/200 37.0% 74/200 6.5% 13/200
#5Phillips & Associates | Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, & Employment Lawyers 35.0% 70/200 6.5% 13/200 37.5% 75/200 21.5% 43/200
#6New York City Commission on Human Rights 0.0% 0/200 9.5% 19/200 4.0% 8/200 8.0% 16/200
#7Virginia & Ambinder, LLP 6.0% 12/200 6.0% 12/200 8.0% 16/200 0.0% 0/200
#8Shulman Kessler 19.5% 39/200 0.0% 0/200 0.0% 0/200 0.0% 0/200
#9Joseph & Kirschenbaum LLP 9.5% 19/200 6.0% 12/200 2.0% 4/200 1.5% 3/200
#10Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP 2.0% 4/200 6.5% 13/200 3.5% 7/200 2.5% 5/200
#11Fitapelli & Schaffer 6.0% 12/200 0.0% 0/200 2.0% 4/200 6.0% 12/200
#12Phillips & Cohen LLP 2.5% 5/200 2.5% 5/200 4.0% 8/200 4.5% 9/200
#13Levy Ratner 6.5% 13/200 2.5% 5/200 3.0% 6/200 0.0% 0/200
#14Schwartz Perry & Heller LLP 2.5% 5/200 1.5% 3/200 1.5% 3/200 5.5% 11/200
#15Liddle & Robinson 2.0% 4/200 5.0% 10/200 2.0% 4/200 2.0% 4/200

Firm × buyer-situation heat map

Counts show eligible current-snapshot responses naming each firm within the ranking-layer conversation-state bucket. They are descriptive counts, not buyer-population estimates.

FirmSituationDecisionValidationFollow Up
#1Outten & Golden LLP 83 148 84 39
#2Wigdor LLP 63 143 72 29
#3Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight 50 150 41 28
#4Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, PC 64 90 49 17
#5Phillips & Associates | Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, & Employment Lawyers 46 85 47 23
#6New York City Commission on Human Rights 11 4 24 4
#7Virginia & Ambinder, LLP 15 14 5 6
#8Shulman Kessler 8 17 10 4
#9Joseph & Kirschenbaum LLP 6 16 14 2
#10Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP 13 7 1 8
#11Fitapelli & Schaffer 4 18 3 3
#12Phillips & Cohen LLP 11 15 — 1
#13Levy Ratner 13 9 2 —
#14Schwartz Perry & Heller LLP 4 8 8 2
#15Liddle & Robinson 3 1 16 2

Comparable month-by-month history

Only independent contract-v2 runs using prompt set v3.1 are eligible. Rebuilt snapshots from the same run are deduplicated, and at most one independent run is shown per month.

MonthResponses#1 Outten & Golden LL...#2 Wigdor LLP#3 Sanford Heisler Sh...#4 Vladeck, Raskin &...#5 Phillips & Associa...
Jun 2026551#127.8%#223.6%#313.6%#410.9%#58.2%
Aug 2026800#145.3%#239.9%#333.1%#527.0%#427.6%
Sep 2026800#144.3%#238.4%#333.6%#427.5%#525.1%

Data-quality audit

  • ✓Atomic Scan Run
  • ✓Builder Contract V2
  • ✓All Four Assistant Families
  • ✓Canonical Firm Response Deduplication
  • ✓Exact Taxonomy Filter
  • ✓Directory And Geographic Filter
  • ✓Resolved Top Firms

Limitations

  • Atlas measures a designed prompt panel, not population-weighted buyer demand, professional quality, outcomes, or market share.
  • Response mention rates are non-exclusive: one response may name several firms.
  • No refusal-rate or qualitative response classification is published without response-level human coding. Current headline findings use audited aggregate events only.
  • Monthly history includes one independent contract-v2 run per month under the same prompt-set version.