Mr. Risman graduated from Binghamton University in 2003 with a B.S. in Psychobiology. He received his J.D. from New York Law School in 2007. He is a member of the New York State Bar, New Jersey State Bar, as well as the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, and Northern District of New York.
Mr. Risman began his career defending large corporations and insurance companies. This wide-ranging experience has provided Mr. Risman with an extensive understanding of management operations, which has proven invaluable in prosecuting claims against employers.
Mr. Risman has had exposure to many aspects of New York employment law – with a concentration in employment discrimination, as well as sexual harassment and retaliation claims. In addition to handling matters concerning employment discrimination, he has successfully negotiated countless severance agreement matters, with only his clients’ interests in mind. Mr. Risman is also well-versed in restrictive covenant and employment contract litigation.
As a result of his accomplishments and high professionalism, Mr. Risman has obtained many awards and accolades. For multiple years in a row, he was listed in the Top 40 Under 40 attorneys in civil litigation in New York by The National Trial Lawyers. He was also selected for inclusion in the Top 40 Under 40 Attorneys in labor and employment law by the American Society of Legal Advocates.
Active in his legal community, Mr. Risman is a proud member of the National Employment Lawyers Association. He also conducts online continuing legal education (CLE) courses for his fellow attorneys as a teacher at Lawline and the New York State Bar Association.
Most recently, Mr. Risman obtained a $1,100,980.89 Award at AAA in an arbitration sans attorneys fees in a race/gender discrimination action against a real estate company in NYC. The matter was tried in front of an arbitrator over a twelve day period with 15 witnesses appearing.
In a landmark case, Mr. Risman successfully secured a jury verdict of $676,000 in the US District Court, Eastern District of New York, before Judge William Kuntz II. The trial revealed numerous instances of racial discrimination and retaliation at the Mayflower International Hotel Group Inc., operating as Howard Johnson Long Island City. Mr. Jones, an African-American employee, experienced severe racial harassment and discriminatory treatment, leading to his wrongful termination after he raised complaints about a hostile work environment. The lawsuit highlighted violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and New York State and New York City Human Rights Laws. The verdict is a significant victory in combating workplace discrimination and upholding civil rights.