345 Park Avenue
New York,
New York
10154
 212.407.4905
 212.937.3189
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Paula
K.
Colbath
Partner
Paula Colbath has extensive experience in all aspects of complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts, and arbitration, with an emphasis on employment law, securities and banking, trust and estates and commercial tort litigation.
She has represented a broad spectrum of clients including pharmaceutical companies, senior executives, financial institutions, hedge funds, advertising and public relations firms and numerous other companies ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and individuals.
Ms. Colbath has been involved in numerous securities-related matters involving securities fraud, control person liability, stock appraisals, as well as defending companies and officers and directors in shareholder class actions and derivative lawsuits.
She has been active in investigations by the SEC, IRS, Department of Justice, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, New York State Department of Insurance and other regulatory agencies, as well as conducting internal investigations for clients.
Ms. Colbath has an active employment law practice, including representing employers in employment disputes in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the New York State Division of Human Rights. She has litigated cases under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Family and Medical Leave Act; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; the Employee Retirement Income Security Act; the Fair Labor Standards Act; the Equal Pay Act; the New York State and City Human Rights Law and numerous other federal, state and local employment laws.
Her experience also includes developing employment manuals, personnel policies, and procedures; counseling on matters relating to executive compensation, wrongful discharge, whistleblowing, workplace restructurings, reductions-in-force; corporate acquisitions, employee testing, and privacy; classification/independent contractor issues, wage-hour compliance, and employment-related torts (e.g., defamation, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, fraudulent references); conducting sexual harassment investigations and training; and negotiating and drafting employment contracts.
Her litigation experience also includes litigation, on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, of restrictive covenants, trade secret and duty of loyalty matters.
Ms. Colbath has been successful in prosecuting and defending a variety of estate-related matters, including will contests, claims of undue influence, lack of capacity and fraud, ownership issues and intestacy disputes.
Publications/Speeches
- Panelist, Effective Litigation Management, 14th National Forum for Women Corporate Counsel in Washington, D.C.
Media Mentions
Affiliations
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Member, Association of the Bar of the City of New York
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Member, New York State Bar Association
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Member, Equal Employment Opportunity Law Committee; Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Labor Employment Law Section, New York State Bar Association
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Member, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Compliance & Legal Division
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Member, New York Women’s Bar Association
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Member, New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners
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Brooklyn Law School, J.D., 1991, Member, Brooklyn Law Review
Recipient, Minnie Rotenberg Prize for Antitrust
Smith College, B.A., 1983
Dartmouth College, 1982
New Jersey, 1991
New York, 1991
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
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