Jonathan L. Adler

Founding Partner & Managing Partner

Overview

Jonathan Adler is a Founding Partner at Stein Adler Dabah & Zelkowitz LLP, leads the firm’s Employment Group, and is the firm’s Managing Partner.

A seasoned litigator and trusted business advisor, clients routinely turn to Jonathan for his sharp legal acumen and practical street smarts to navigate a wide range of complex commercial, employment and partnership disputes. His tactical approach often enables his clients to sidestep costly litigation. However, when litigation is unavoidable, Jonathan’s aggressive advocacy frequently yields trial and appellate successes in federal and state courts, arbitral forums, and in administrative proceedings.

Jonathan also advises clients across a broad range of industry verticals in his role as outside general counsel. In this capacity, Jonathan is a go-to resource for his clients on a wide array of mission-critical business and employment issues, including on all aspects of employer-employee relations, from hiring and onboarding, to crisis response, disciplinary and termination procedures.

Jonathan also represents individuals and businesses in disputes related to restrictive covenant and breach of contract matters, as well as individual, multi-plaintiff, and class and collective claims involving discrimination, wrongful termination, wage and hour, and pay practice claims.

Jonathan earned his J.D., cum laude, from New York University School of Law and his B.S. from Cornell University. Prior to founding the firm, Jonathan was a partner at Herrick, Feinstein LLP and began his legal career at Davis Polk.

Representative Matters

Stein Adler Secures Arbitration Win in High-Stakes Employment Dispute
Stein Adler secured nearly $1 million in arbitration for a senior executive wrongfully terminated “for cause” by a global gaming company, including full back pay, health benefits, and attorneys’ fees. Defeated aggressive employer claims in a high-stakes trial before a federal judge.

Stein Adler Resolves Pay Practice Claims for Logistics Company
Successfully represented a logistics company in the resolution of a significant number of single and multi-plaintiff pay practice claims, which were simultaneously brought before the American Arbitration Association.

Stein Adler Defends Property Owners in 421-a Wage Investigations
Successfully represented New York City property owners who received 421-a tax exemptions, in investigations by New York State Attorney General’s Office and New York City’s Comptroller’s Office, over the payment of prevailing wages and supplements to building service employees.

Stein Adler Secures Dismissal of Discrimination Claims for Nursing Center
Successfully represented a nursing center in securing a pre-answer dismissal of Title VII and Equal Pay Act claims brought against the company in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Stein Adler Defends FinTech Company in Sexual Harassment Investigation
Represented a leading financial technology company in an internal investigation, and the resolution of numerous sexual harassment claims.

Stein Adler Defends Rehabilitation Center Against Wage and Hour Claims
Obtained a dismissal on summary judgment of wage and hour claims brought by a registered nurse against a major rehabilitation center in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Stein Adler Represents Key Employee in Trade Secret Case
Successfully represented a key employee in defeating a motion for preliminary injunction brought by his cookware and kitchenware company employer in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, in a case alleging trade secret misappropriation.