Overview

Attorney Jessica Giambrone Palmese is a strategic thinker who partners with employers and their management teams to defend them against a variety of employment claims. Formerly a trial attorney at the New York City Law Department for nearly 17 years, Jessica leverages her experience to anticipate and outmaneuver her opponents in the courtroom.

Jessica represents clients in employment cases arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Title VII"), the New York State and City Human Rights Laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and federal and state equal pay laws. She has served as lead counsel in more than 20 federal and state trials on employment and other matters that have gone to verdict and has also appeared in numerous administrative proceedings and arbitrations. Aside from one instance in which a plaintiff was awarded only $1.00—and his attorney was denied all fees—Jessica is an undefeated employment trial attorney. Her experience includes representing high-profile figures, including a New York City Police Department Commissioner, and frontline managers alike. Extensive preparation coupled with her comfort in the courtroom afford Jessica the ability to strongly connect with the witnesses and juries before her. Jessica’s extensive experience seeing cases through to verdict allows her to empower her clients with strategy and foresight. These skills also translate to a keen ability to conduct internal investigations of misconduct and discrimination claims with sensitivity and a “big picture” perspective.

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Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Jessica served as Senior Counsel & Trial Supervisor in the Labor & Employment Law Division (“Division”) of the New York City Law Department. In that position, she served as lead trial counsel for the Division’s highest-profile, most complex, and greatest liability matters; was responsible for supervising all of the Law Department’s employment hearings and trials; and was involved regularly in settlement negotiations.

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Focus Areas

Experience

  • In a trial held in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), achieved a defense verdict on behalf of the New York City Police Department and its Commissioner at the time, against claims of race discrimination and retaliation brought under Title VII.
  • Following an EDNY trial that spanned two weeks, attained a complete defense verdict for the New York City Department of Education (DOE) in a First Amendment retaliation case brought by a schoolteacher against his Principal and Superintendent.
  • In the EDNY, secured a defense verdict for the DOE in a case involving federal and state claims by a teacher that her Principal had subjected her to sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, and retaliation.
  • Obtained a defense verdict in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) in a case involving claims by a manager that her employer subjected her to a sexually hostile environment in violation of Title VII.
  • Represented the DOE in an SDNY Title VII race and disparate treatment case. One day into the trial—after jury selection and initial testimony—Jessica successfully negotiated the plaintiff’s and the U.S. government’s acceptance of the pre-trial settlement offer.
  • Following a bench trial in the SDNY, obtained a defense verdict for a New York City hospital, along with its Head of Human Resources, in a case brought by a former employee alleging disability discrimination based upon HIV/AIDS.
  • In the EDNY, secured a defense verdict on all but one count (under the New York City Human Rights Law) in a failure-to-accommodate case. Jessica persuaded the jury to award the plaintiff only $1.00, rendering attorneys’ fees unavailable to the plaintiff’s counsel.
  • Served as a member of the trial team in two Nassau County Supreme Court trials defending a Long Island School District against claims brought under the Child Victim Act. One case resulted in the jury awarding a defense verdict, and the second resulted in a favorable resolution midway through the trial.
  • Supervised numerous discrimination and harassment hearings before the New York State Division of Human Rights.
  • In the SDNY, prevailed in obtaining summary judgment of all claims (including New York State and City claims) in a case brought by a former employee involving allegations of discrimination on account of the individual’s national origin and race and claims that his employer failed to accommodate his disability.
  • In the SDNY, obtained partial summary judgment resulting in the dismissal of the plaintiff’s gender-based equal pay and retaliation claims and then leveraged the decision to negotiate a favorable resolution of the remaining claims.
  • On behalf of a financial services firm, investigated sensitive allegations of sexual impropriety.

Credentials

Education

  • St. John’s University School of Law (J.D., 2005)
    • Executive Board Member, Moot Court Honor Society
    • Senior Staff Member, New York International Law Review
  • State University of New York at Albany (B.A., 2002)

Bar Admissions

  • New York

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

Professional & Community Involvement

  • New York City Bar Association, Litigation Committee
  • St. John's University School of Law, Alumnae Leadership Council

Languages

  • French

Events

Insights

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