Firm Profile

Sklover & Donath, LLC
Ten Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York 10020
Telephone: 212-757-5000
Fax: 212-757-5002
E-mail: Info@ExecutiveLaw.com
 

Our firm consists of attorneys whose expertise and efforts are concentrated in the areas of employment, executive compensation and severance negotiations. Our clients are generally mid-level to senior executives and professionals in the corporate sector. We occasionally represent executives in nonprofit and educational organizations as well.

The firm adheres to a policy of representing individual employees only. We neither represent nor counsel employers. This helps us avoid conflicts of interest, whether actual or apparent, and also helps us to maintain our overall focus of purpose.

We emphasize the desirability of achieving the goals and objectives of our clients through skillful negotiation. At the same time, we have extensive experience in litigation before all state and federal courts and administrative agencies. In particular, we prosecute Federal False Claim ("Qui Tam") actions.

Partners / Members

ALAN L. SKLOVER, born 1951; admitted to bar, 1983, New York and U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; 1997, U.S. Supreme Court; 1999, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Education: Amherst College (B.A., cum laude, 1973); Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University (J.D., 1982). Associate Editor: Cardozo Law Review, 1981-1982; Cardozo Arts and Entertainment Law Journal, 1981-1982. Author: "Fired, Downsized or Laid Off, What Your Employer Doesn't Want You To Know About How To Fight Back," Henry Holt & Co. Publishers, 2000; "Sklover's Guide to Office Politics," 2002; "Sklover's Guide to Job Security — The 7 Steps to Staying Employed and Employable," 2003; "Sklover's Guide to Resigning from Your Job — The 21 Necessary Precautions," 2003; "Sklover's Guide: Negotiating For Yourself At Work ­ The 7 Steps to Job Security and Career Success," Audio CD-ROM, 2003; "The 7 Steps to Job Security — What Top Executives Know and Teach Their Children," DVD, 2004; "Professional Negotiating," "Incentive Compensation Plans," National Business Employment Weekly, 1996; "Trading Employees," Financial Trader Magazine, 1997. Lecturer: "Negotiating Your New Job: Five Steps Forward - No Steps Back," Hofstra University, 2005; "How to Stay Employed and Employable: Seven Steps to Job Security," Hofstra University, 2004; "Bonus & Compensation Disputes: Prevention and Resolution," New York Society of Security Analysts, 2000; "Employment Contracts and Disputes for Securities Professionals," New York Society of Security Analysts, 1999; "Employment, Compensation and Severance Negotiations," New York University, School of Continuing Education; New School for Social Research, 1996-1997. Forum Leader: America Online Career Center, 1998. Guest Commentator, CNN, CNBC, CourtTV, National Public Radio. Associate: Gordon Hurwitz Butowsky, Baker, Weitzen & Shalov, 1982-1984; Paskus Gordon & Mandel, 1984-1985. Member: New York State Bar Association; National Employment Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Mr. Sklover’s practice concentration is in the negotiation of senior executive employment, compensation and severance agreements, and in counseling senior executives in career navigation. He is the founding partner of the firm.

SHEREE R. DONATH , born 1976; admitted to bar, New York, 2002. Education: Binghamton University (B.A., cum laude 1998); Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (J.D., 2001). Activities: Cardozo's Women's Law Journal, Notes Editor, (2000-2001), Member (1999-2001); Mediation Advocacy Competition, Regional Winner, National Finalist (2001). Associate, Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C. (2001-2004); Legal Aide, Office of the New York Attorney General - Civil Rights Bureau (1999-2001). Publications: Note, "Expedited HIV Testing: An Unnecessary Test that is allowing the State to Trample on a Woman's Constitutional Rights," 7 Cardozo Women's. L. J. 2 (2001).

Ms. Donath’s practice concentration is in the presentation of discrimination, harassment and hostile workplace claims, negotiation of employment contracts, and in the representation of corporate whistle-blowers, including Federal False Claims actions.

Senior Attorney

BENJAMIN N. LEFTIN, born 1980; admitted to New York State Bar, 2007. Education: University of Pittsburgh (B.A., 2002); Brooklyn Law School (J.D., 2006); National Institute for Trial Advocacy, (2007).

Mr. Leftin’s practice focuses on all aspects of litigation. Prior to joining Sklover & Donath, he practiced criminal defense at The Legal Aid Society of New York, Bronx County, where he negotiated hundreds of favorable pleas and tried numerous cases, achieving either suppression and dismissals or full acquittals in the vast majority.

Senior Counsel

JAMES A. DOMINI, Education: Fordham University, B.A., 1993; St. John's University School of Law, J.D., 1997. Bar Admissions: New York, 1998; New Jersey, 1997; U.S. District Court of New Jersey, 1997; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, 1998; Northern District of New York, 2006. Experience: Associated with firm since October 2000; Principal since July 1, 2008. Associate, Stockschlaeder, McDonald & Sules, P.C., 1997-2000. Bar Association Membership: New York County Lawyers Association. Areas of Concentration: Litigation and appeals.

STEPHEN J. STEINLIGHT, born 1975; admitted to bar, 2001, New Jersey and U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey; 2002, New York; 2004, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Education: Cornell University (B.A. Magna Cum Laude and With Distinction in All Subjects, 1998), recipient of the Sherman-Bennett Prize; Rutgers University School of Law (J.D. 2001), Associate Editor, Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion, 1999-2001, prizes for Highest Grade Pre-Trial Advocacy and Top Oralist in Moot Court, Willem C. Vis International Commercial Law Moot Arbitration Competition Team. Law Clerk to Hon. Frank M. Donato, Superior Court of New Jersey, 2001-2002. Intern Law Clerk to Hon. Joseph E. Irenas, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 2000-2001. Author: “Offers of Employment Prohibiting Secondary Employment,” New Jersey Employment Law Letter, Vol. 10, No. 12, December 2003.

Mr. Steinlight’s practice concentration is in counseling, negotiating and litigating labor & employment and executive compensation matters. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Steinlight practiced at the law firms of Liddle & Robinson, LLP, Epstein Becker & Green, LLP, and Sill Cummis & Gross P.C. where he negotiated employment and compensation matters in the broker-dealer, financial services, securities and banking industries and has represented both business entities and individuals in connection with FINRA (formerly NYSE/NASD) arbitrations, including defamation and Form U-5 expungment hearings for registered persons in the securities industry. He has also appeared in state and federal courts as well as before the EEOC, the New York State Division of Human Rights, the NLRB, OSHA and in JAMS, AAA and ICC arbitrations.

Of Counsel

SUSAN R. NUDELMAN, born 1954; admitted to bar, 1980, New York. Education: State University of New York at Stony Brook (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, 1976); Columbia University School of Law (J.D., 1979). Regulatory Attorney (FCC matters), AT&T, Inc., 1979-1981; Corporate Counsel, Micro-Processor Services, Inc., 1982-1983; Appellate Practice and Litigation, 1984-Present. Member: New York State Bar Association.

STEVEN R. TALAN, born 1964; admitted to bar, 1989, Massachusetts; 1991, U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. District Court -- Massachusetts; 1992, New York and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. Education: Johns Hopkins University (B.A.,1986) Boston University School of Law (J.D.,1989). Staff Attorney, Boston City Council (1989-1990); Associate, Cahn Wishod Wishod & Lamb (1990-1992); Law Office of Steven R. Talan (1992-2007).

CORY J. ROSENBAUM, born 1969; admitted to bar, 1995, New York, United States District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.  Education: State University of New York, College at Oneonta, (B.A. 1991); San Francisco’s Golden Gate University School of Law, 1994; Visiting Scholar Fordham University School of Law 1993-1994; Fellow of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America / American Association for Justice, New York State Trial Lawyers’ Association; Bronx County Bar Association.  Associate: Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C, 1995-1996; Law Offices of Cory J. Rosenbaum, P.C., 1996 – 2006; Rosenbaum Faria, LLP 2006 – Present.  Mr. Rosenbaum has successfully represented clients against some of the largest corporations in America including: Sears; McDonalds; American Home Products; General Motors; the City of New York; Guidant Corp./Boston Scientific; Kentucky Fried Chicken; Applebees.  His clients reside in all regions of the United States.

Mr. Rosenbaum’s practice focuses on trying cases.  He spends the vast majority of his time in the courtroom on trial or preparing for trial. Successful cases have been presented to juries in New York, Kings, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk and Rockland counties.  Mr. Rosenbaum’s ten to fifteen jury trials each year means that he spends more time in front of juries each year than most lawyers spend in their entire careers.

PHILIP B. SKLOVER, born 1943; admitted to bar 1968, District of Columbia; admitted to U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of Maryland College Park (B.A.); Washington College of Law, American University (J.D., 1968); Notes Editor of the American University Law Review.

Presently, Mr. Sklover is a private attorney and consultant whose practice focuses on workplace discrimination and mediation of employment matters. Mr. Sklover currently serves as a legal advisor to a university-based nationwide workplace disability research and technical assistance center known as Coordination, Outreach and Research Center (“CORC”). CORC is funded by the Department of Education, which coordinates a network of ten regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (“DBTACS”).

In June 2006, Mr. Sklover retired after 38 years of service with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), an agency that enforces all anti-discrimination legislation in the United States, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Mr. Sklover’s accomplishments include his management of the EEOC nationwide litigation program and the EEOC’s appellate court activities in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Mr. Sklover was one of the principle architects of the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures due to his expertise in the field of employment testing and selection procedures.

For the last 25 years of his tenure with the EEOC, Mr. Sklover was Associate General Counsel and occupied the highest competitive, non-political legal position in the EEOC. Because he is visually impaired, Mr. Sklover was likely the highest ranking, non-political appointee with a disability in the Executive Branch.

PHYLLIS J. ITURRIAGA : Firm Director: With an extensive background in communications and business management, Ms. Iturriaga is responsible for overseeing all firm administrative functions and procedures. In addition, she plays an integral part in client support where her project management skills and attention to detail assist us in providing the highest level of service to our clients.

LEE CHASE :  Firm Bookkeeper: With an extensive background in full-charge bookkeeping, Ms. Chase is responsible for the firm’s accounts receivables, accounts payables, payroll, journals, and general ledger.

Outside, Affiliated Services

Our clients often request assistance with aspects of their employment which are outside the realm of our expertise. For those who seek career counseling, financial/tax services or investigative services, we have forged an alliance network with professionals whose expertise is such areas and professionalism is confirmed by our clients. We highly recommend all of the individuals and services listed below.

ELLIS CHASE - Career Management Consulting:
Mr. Chase has had extensive experience in career and executive coaching, training in corporations, consulting companies, private practice, and colleges and universities. He maintains a varied consulting practice and has had a long affiliation with The Five O-Clock Club, a national job search organization. He has been an instructor with the Center for Career, Education, and Life Planning at New York University since 1987, and is currently consulting with the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. Mr. Chase has appeared on CNN, CNBC, and several radio programs, and has been a regular contributor to career websites and newspapers. He is a founding member of the New York Chapter of the Association of Career Professionals. Mr. Chase holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and a Masters Degree in English and Secondary Education, both from New York University. For further information and services please visit: www.EllisChase.com.


BRIAN L. RAINES, CPA - Firm Accountant: Employment compensation audits and tax advice are available to our clients through our office. These services are most often utilized in bonus-related disputes, pension calculation matters, and resolution of benefit-related claims. In addition, Mr. Raines's services include tax projections, and investment and financial management services. Mr. Raines has worked with us for years, and has developed a special expertise in these matters.

LOIS MARTANO - (Ret., NYC Police Dept.), Firm Investigator: When necessary and appropriate, we provide our clients with Employment Investigative Services relevant to their matter of concern. Circumstances considered necessary and appropriate would include, among others, interviewing co-workers to substantiate harassing or illegal treatment, background investigation to uncover previous patterns of abuse by supervisory personnel, investigation to determine if post-employment defamatory statements are being made. Ms. Martano's background in police matters serves our clients well in matters requiring discretion.