William Oates

William Oates is a litigator with the seasoned New York City employment discrimination lawyers of Phillips & Associates. If you were harmed by discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in the workplace or gender-motivated violence in any context, call our firm. We offer free initial consultations and represent clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning that we will not recover our fee unless we recover a settlement or win damages on your behalf.

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In December 1991, Mr. Oates graduated from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He graduated from New York Law School in 1995 where he was a member of the New York Law School Journal of Human Rights. Mr. Oates is admitted to practice in the State of New York as well as the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

After graduating law school, Mr. Oates worked for the firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP where he handled discovery projects and managed junior paralegals on trial preparation projects for large-scale litigation matters. Subsequently, Mr. Oates worked as an associate at two different boutique law firms where he handled all facets of civil, corporate, and commercial litigation matters, including several labor and employment disputes.

Mr. Oates then worked at the New York City Law Department, Office of the Corporation Counsel for 14 years. As a Special Assistant Corporation Counsel, Mr. Oates defended the City of New York in actions arising under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, worked on a team that handled the Central Park Jogger action, and won dispositive motions in matters involving Occupy Wall Street. From 2005-2011, while working in the Administrative Law Division, Mr. Oates worked on matters arising under “quality of life” laws and regulations.

After working at the New York City Law Department, Mr. Oates gained valuable employment law experience handling wage and hour, sexual harassment, and employment discrimination lawsuits, experience he brings to his clients’ cases at Phillips & Associates.

Immediately before joining Phillips & Associates, Mr. Oates was an associate at a boutique employment law firm in New York City where he primarily prosecuted wage and hour cases. In 2021, he recovered more than $1 million in wages on behalf of employees who were not paid in accordance with the law.

Workplace Discrimination, Harassment, Retaliation

Mr. Oates may be able to represent you if you suffered discrimination, harassment or retaliation in your workplace. Generally, discrimination occurs when an employee or prospective employee is treated negatively with regard to a protected characteristic.

Under the New York City Human Rights Law, the following are protected:

• Race [link to race discrimination]
• Color
• Immigration or citizenship status
• National Origin
• Age
• Disability
• Gender and sex
• Pregnancy and lactation accommodations
• Gender Identity
• Sexual orientation
• Marital status and partnership status
• Religion/creed
• Status as a veteran or active military service member
• Arrest or conviction record
• Caregiver status
• Credit history
• Salary history
• Unemployment status
• Pre-employment marijuana testing
• Sexual and reproductive health decisions
• Status as a domestic violence, sex crime, or stalking victim.

Gender Motivated Violence

In addition to workplace harms, we represent clients who have been injured by gender motivated violence [link to gender motivated violence] and institutional abuse in other contexts. The New York City Victims of Gender Motivated Violence Protection Law allows you to sue for harm if you were a victim of a crime of violence perpetrated based on your gender and due, at least partly, to animus based on your gender. If our attorneys, such as Mr. Oates, successfully establish liability, we can recover monetary damages from the perpetrator.

Consult Us About Your Discrimination Lawsuit

At Phillips and Associates, we provide tenacious legal representation to clients who have faced gender motivated violence and other types of harm due to their gender. Our New York City trial attorneys represent people who’ve been harmed in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.

Complete our online form [link to contact page] or call us at (212) 248-7431.