Meet the Team
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Robert Kraus
PARTNER
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Pearl Zuchlewski
PARTNER
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Geoffrey Mort
OF COUNSEL
Robert Kraus - Partner
Robert works with board members and senior executives of public and private companies, substantial stakeholders, successful entrepreneurs and their businesses and family offices in a wide array of industries, including banking, high-tech, real estate, hospitality, consumer goods and industrial. He is a trusted counsellor with more than 35 years experience assisting in the business-minded resolution of complex business and personnel disputes. He regularly handles high stakes, sensitive matters involving corporate impropriety, internal investigations, whistleblowing, litigation oversight, business torts, and other common place business issues and conflicts. He has deep experience negotiating employment and separation agreements, operating agreements, partnership agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, and service contracts.
While conflict avoidance is generally the goal, Robert also serves as needed as a highly capable adversary who has litigated and arbitrated against many of the largest law firms in the world. He has enjoyed great success in a number of high profile, high stakes disputes and has invaluable experience litigating executive employment and business disputes, including whistleblower, discrimination, and retaliation claims; non-compete claims; wrongful termination, libel, slander and breach of fiduciary duty claims; tortious interference and, all manner of related contract, quasi contract and statutory claims.
Robert is active in several major bar associations and a frequent, well-respected lecturer. He recently served as co-chair of the Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee of the ABA’s Labor and Employment Law Section. Mr. Kraus earned his B.A. with Honors from the University of Michigan, and received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Representative Matters
Executive representation (2023)
Public company Chief Executive Officer in a governance related dispute with the Chairman of the Board. 100% of goals achieved, including an agreed succession plan, separation agreement with continued consulting and equity vesting, and substantial separation pay.
Independent board member in an internal “investigation” into corporate impropriety. Attempted whitewash defeated and improprieties addressed.
Chief Risk Officer of a public company in connection with fundamental risk and oversight issues.
Numerous named officers in sensitive personnel matters.
Transactional
Represent family office in negotiating complex operating, development, and service agreements governing the operation of a number of commercial real estate assets, including hotels, office buildings and commercial real estate.
Represented numerous founders in negotiating operating, employment, equity and restrictive covenant agreement.
Successfully represented sole minority stakeholder in the repurchase of his valuable equity stake where the documentation was inadequate and valuation was in material dispute.
Litigation/Arbitration
Successfully represented executives in tens of highly sensitive whistleblower and discrimination disputes, securing multiple 7 and 8 figure confidential settlements through direct negotiation, mediation, private arbitration and bench and jury trials.
Successfully secured a 6 million dollar verdict, plus attorney fees in a 2023 NY labor law case.
Successfully represented a whistleblower in an arbitration against a large insurance company defended by two large law firms, securing a multi-million dollar award.
Events, Seminars & Publications
Benefits and Risks of Social Media in the Workplace
October 11, 2018 – Practicing Law Institute Employment Law Institute, Panelist
Arbitration on the Wage & Hour Front: Tips, Strategies and Best Practices for Arbitrating Wage and Hour Cases Given the Changing Legal Landscape, and Guidance for Employers Considering Mandatory Arbitration Agreements with Class and Collective Action Waivers
May 28, 2015 – American Conference Institute National Forum on Wage & Hour Claims and Class Actions, Panelist
Employee Compensation: On the Way In, On the Way Out, What’s in the Package?
March 9, 2006, Program Chair
Employment Law Issues for Securities Industry Employers and Employees
February 8, 2007, Instructor
Managing the Changing Employment Relationships in the Financial Services Industry
November 6, 2008, Program Chair
Executive Compensation & Other Pay Practices in the New Era on Wall Street & Beyond
November 12, 2009, Program Chair
Executive Pay: Kenneth Feinberg & Leading Practitioners Address Lessons Learned from the Past & Best Practices for the Future
November 9, 2010, Program Chair
The New Whistleblower Employee Protections of the Dodd-Frank Act
May 16, 2011, Faculty Member
Whistleblower Incentives & Protections: An Update
November 3, 2011, Program Chair
Social Media in Employment Litigation
March 25, 2014, Faculty Member
Pearl Zuchlewski - Partner
Pearl Zuchlewski is a partner at Kraus & Zuchlewski. She is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and received her law degree from Fordham University (J.D. 1979). She counsels employees in a wide range of private-sector matters, and has particular expertise in representing executives and professionals.
Pearl Zuchlewski has represented employees in arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the American Arbitration Association, as well in federal and state court litigation. She regularly advises managers and others employed in the financial services industry.
Pearl has conducted investigations of sexual harassment and other complaints for the New York State Senate. She is a member of the New York Bar and is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the New York State Courts. Pearl is a Labor and Employment Law Section delegate to the New York State Bar Association House of Delegates, is a former chair of the New York State Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section and currently serves on its Executive Committee, and is a member of the American Bar Association Employment Rights & Responsibilities Committee and the New York City Bar Association. She also is a Member of the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers Board of Directors, the New York University Center for Labor and Employment Law and Hofstra Law School’s Labor & Employment Law Advisory Board.
A former Board Attorney for National Labor Relations Board, Pearl was an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Kauff, McGuire & Margolis. She also was of Counsel to Kudman Trachten & Aloe.
Awards & Recognition
During the past ten years, Pearl has been recognized consistently by both Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers as one of the top attorneys in the Labor & Employment Law field.
She was a member of FINRA’s National Mediation and Arbitration Committee in 2000 – 2003 and 2005 – 2009, and was Chair of the Committee in 2002 – 2003.
In 2007, Pearl chaired the FINRA Employment Arbitration Task Force.
She is a Fellow of the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers.
Events, Seminars and Publications
Workplace Investigations
January 28, 2022 – New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting
Panelist
Case Management Issues
March 9, 2020 – New York University School of Law Annual Employment Law Workshop for Federal Judges
Presenter
Revisiting Corporate Purpose
October 2, 2020 – New York University Annual Conference on Labor
Presenter
Mediating Employment Discrimination Claims
June 10, 2019 – Practicing Law Institute Employment Discrimination Law & Litigation program
Panelist
Arbitration vs. Court Litigation
January 17, 2019 – New York University School of Law Annual Employment Law Workshop for Federal Judges
Panelist
Key Issues Related to the Art (and Science) of the Settlement
January 26, 2018 – New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting
Panelist
Managing Employee Conduct Risk and Maintaining a Productive Work Environment
May 22, 2018 – Goldman Sachs 21st Annual Hedge Fund Conference
Panelist
Psychological Issues in the Workplace
April 25, 2018 – Practicing Law Institute program
Panelist
Employment Arbitration
March 22, 2018 – New York University School of Law Annual Employment Law Workshop for Federal Judges
Panelist
Compensation for Brokers and Broker-Dealers
October 21, 2017 – Public Investor Arbitration Bar Association Annual Meeting
Panelist
Professional Responsibility Issues
June 9, 2017 – New York University Annual Conference on Labor
Presenter
Current Issues in Sex and Law: Sexual Harassment, Pay Inequity and Transgender Rights
March 9, 2017 – New York University School of Law Annual Employment Law Workshop for Federal Judges
Presenter
Retaliation and Whistleblower Update
October 28, 2016 – Practicing Law Institute Employment Law Institute
Panelist
Harassment Claims
June 20, 2016 – Practicing Law Institute Employment Discrimination Law & Litigation program
Panelist
Professional Responsibility Issues
June 3, 2016 – New York University Annual Conference on Labor
Presenter
Settling Employment Discrimination Claims
June 22, 2015 – Practicing Law Institute Employment Discrimination Law & Litigation program
Panelist
Ethical Issues for In-House Counsel
June 6, 2014 – New York University Annual Conference on Labor
Presenter
Controversies Over Compelled Arbitration of Employment Claims
March 19, 2014 – ABA Employment Rights & Responsibilities Committee Midwinter Meeting
Panelist
Publications
The Uses and Abuses of Electronic Discovery
57 WAYNE L. REV. 1391
Wayne State University Law Review, Winter 2011
Geoffrey Mort - of Counsel
Geoffrey Mort is of Counsel to Kraus & Zuchlewski LLP. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Denver (B.A., magna cum laude) and of Brooklyn Law School (J.D. 1986). Geoff counsels employees in a variety of private sector matters, including disability accommodations, employment disputes involving workplace discrimination and harassment, retaliatory discharge, family and medical leave, restrictive covenants, issues involving marijuana use, and contract disputes.
Geoff has represented employees in arbitrations; before federal, state and local administrative agencies (EEOC, State Division of Human Rights); and in federal and state court litigation. He also has represented employees in both private and court or agency sponsored mediation.
Geoff is a member of the New York and Colorado bars and is admitted to practice in the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York, and the New York State Courts. He is also an active member of the New York State Bar Association, where he is member of the Labor & Employment Law Section Executive Committee, as well as the American Bar Association, in which he is a member of the Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee and co-chairs the committee’s Employment-at-will subcommittee. In addition, Geoff is a member of the New York City Bar Association, and is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Geoff is also an ongoing contributor to the New York Law Journal, where many of his columns have been published during the past fifteen years.
Events, Seminars and Publications
The Changing Face of Religious Discrimination Law
January 19, 2024 – New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting
Panelist
Avoid Ethics Pitfalls in Advising Clients on Cannabis-Related Issues
November 12, 2022 – ABA Labor and Employment Law Conference
Panelist
Significant New Developments in New York Employment law
September 17, 2022 – New York State Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section Fall Meeting
Moderator
Living the High Life: How Legalizing Marijuana Impacts the Modern Workplace
November 7, 2019 – ABA Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference
Panelist
Cannabis in the Workplace
October 15, 2019 – Practicing Law Institute Employment Law Institute
Panelist and Contributing Author
Cannabis in the 2020 Workplace
October 9, 2020 – Practicing Law Institute Employment Law Institute
Panelist and Contributing Author
Political Activity In (and Out) of the Workplace
April 26, 2021 – New York University School of Law Annual Employment Law Workshop for Federal Judges
Panelist
Medical and Recreational Marijuana in the Workplace or as a Business
September 20, 2019 – New York State Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section Fall Meeting
Panelist
2018 Legislative and Regulatory Developments in New York State Employment Law
January 18, 2019 – New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting
Moderator and Panelist
Practical Implications of Decriminalized Marijuana for the Legal Practitioner: Labor & Employment
October 3, 2018 – New York State Bar Association Committee on Cannabis Law Conference
Panelist
Drug Testing and Workplace Policies in the Age of Legalized Marijuana
June 4, 2018 – New York State Bar Association Conference on Employment Law for the General Practitioner and Corporate Counselor Live Webcast
Panelist
Because of Sex? Title VII, Discrimination and the LGBTQ Community on the SCOTUS Docket
November 19, 2019 – Lawline Live Webcast
Panelist
Title VII and Sexual Orientation Discrimination: Trends in Litigation and Legislation
June 22, 2017 – Lawline Live Webcast
Panelist
Theories of Franchisor Liability
June 4, 2015 – New York University Annual Conference on Labor
Presenter
Publications
Freedom to Discriminate: The Ministerial Exception is Not for Everyone – Or Is It?
New York State Bar Association Journal, January/February 2023
The Courts and Contracts: Losing Patience With Unconscionable Agreements
New York State Bar Association Journal, July/August 2022
New York’s Legal Activities Law at 30: A Statute With Growing Impact
New York State Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Journal, Summer 2022
Cannabis in the Workplace: Litigation Related to Medical Marijuana and the Interplay of Federal and State Laws
PLI Current, Winter 2020
Drug Testing, Workplace Policies and State Cannabis Statutes in the Age of Legalized Marijuana: What Arbitrators Need to Know
Dispute Resolution Journal, Winter 2019
Gordon Decision Clarifies Employee Rights Under New York’s Cannabis Law
N.Y. State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Journal, Summer 2020
Workplace Right to Privacy: An Overview of the Developing Law in New York
N.Y. State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Journal, Fall 2019
The Accelerating Evolution of Title VII’s Treatment of Sexual Orientation Discrimination
N.Y. State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Journal, Fall 2017
New York’s Medical Marijuana Law: How it Originated and What is Next
N.Y. State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Journal, Fall 2015
Medical Marijuana in the Workplace: A Current Look at Cannabis Law
New York State Bar Association Journal, July/August 2018
Finding Franchisors Liable in Discrimination Cases: Many Theories, but Few Successes
ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law, Fall 2014
Outside Counsel
New York Law Journal, numerous columns since 2006