Paul, Weiss represented a pro bono client in two unemployment insurance hearings, winning both and ultimately securing the maximum allowable benefits for our client. 

The New York State Department of Labor (DOL) had initially denied our client unemployment benefits based on a finding that she voluntarily quit her job without good cause and made a misrepresentation regarding her ability to work. In denying benefits, the DOL found that our client, a security guard, voluntarily separated from employment when she asked for a schedule change to accommodate her school schedule, an accommodation that her employer first granted and then rescinded. The DOL also found that our client was not able to work from January 8 through March 18 following the birth of her third child, despite the fact that she was actively seeking employment during that time. After two evidentiary hearings, an administrative law judge overruled both initial determinations. The judge held that (1) our client was entitled to unemployment benefits because she did not voluntarily quit her job, and (2) her eligibility for benefits included the two-month period from January-March 2017—after she was discharged from the hospital following her daughter’s birth—during which time she was actively seeking employment.  

As a participant in the VOLS Unemployment Insurance Advocacy Project, the firm represents clients whose employers have objected to their receipt of unemployment insurance benefits.

The Paul, Weiss team included litigation associate Daniel Sinnreich and corporate associate Deniz Gurbuz, who conducted both evidentiary hearings. They were supervised by corporate partner Monica Thurmond.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison Article: Pro Bono Client Obtains Unemployment Insurance Benefits