ADAM T. KLEIN is the Managing Partner of Outten & Golden LLP, and founded the firm’s class action practice area. His practice focuses on the prosecution of class actions and impact litigation relating to race, gender, and immigration-based statutory discrimination. In addition, Mr. Klein has extensive experience litigating race and restorative justice cases concerning the criminal justice system and resulting collateral consequences in the workplace and in other contexts. Mr. Klein currently serves as lead or co-lead plaintiffs’ counsel in numerous major class action lawsuits involving discrimination claims in the financial services industry, the high tech industry, and challenges to the use of credit and criminal history records for employment decisions. Mr. Klein is co-lead plaintiffs’ class counsel in a gender discrimination lawsuit challenging employment practices at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Klein is also lead counsel in a recently filed major class action filed against Washington State and all 39 counties within that state on behalf of tens of thousands of people with unconstitutional felony drug convictions and related offenses seeking the restitution of LFOs (fines and fees) and other forms of relief relating to the collateral consequences of those convictions.
Mr. Klein is lead class counsel in a now concluded lawsuit against the Census Bureau, which was filed in affiliation with a consortium of civil-rights organizations challenging the use of arrest and criminal history records as a screen for employment for 850,000 applicants. In 2016, the parties reached a landmark settlement with the federal government that requires the Census Bureau to reform its hiring practices for the 2020 decennial census as well as creating a class-member Records Assistance Project housed at the Cornell University ILR School and in coordination with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The Census Bureau legal team led by Mr. Klein won the Public Justice 2017 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award.
In addition, Mr. Klein serves as co-lead plaintiffs’ class counsel in now settled nationwide discrimination class action lawsuits against Smith Barney (gender – Amochaev v. Smith Barney), Bank of America/Merrill Lynch (gender – Calibuso v. Bank of America), and Morgan Stanley (race – Jaffe v. Morgan Stanley). Each settlement provides class members with substantial monetary relief and creates systematic changes to company practices. Mr. Klein also served as co-lead plaintiffs’ class counsel in a “glass ceiling” gender discrimination class action against MetLife, based on discrimination in promotions and compensation, which resulted in a settlement that created beneficial changes in the company.
Mr. Klein is the immediate past Co-Chair of the Executive Board of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. For numerous years, Mr. Klein has been selected as one of the Lawdragon 500 leading lawyers in America as well as Best Lawyers in America, New York’s Super Lawyers – Manhattan Edition, and as a member of the Hall of Fame in the Legal 500. Mr. Klein is a Fellow of the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers. Mr. Klein received his undergraduate degree from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University in 1987 and his law degree from Hofstra University in 1990.
Features
- LicenseLicensed in New York
State: New York
Acquired: 1991
Currently Registered - Honors2022 - Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers2021 - Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers2021 - Best Lawyers, Best Lawyers2020 - Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2020 - 500 Leading Lawyers, Lawdragon2020 - Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers2019 - 500 Plaintiff Employment Lawyers, Lawdragon2019 - Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2019 - Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers2018 - Selected in Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in America, 2008 - 20182018 - Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, Lawdragon2018 - Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers2017 - Selected in Mass Torts and Class Actions 2007-2017, Legal 5002016 - Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers2015 - New York Metro Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2014 - New York Metro Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2013 - New York Metro Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2012 - New York Metro Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2011 - New York Metro Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2010 - New York Metro Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2009 - New York Metro Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2008 - New York Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2008 - New York Metro Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers2004 - Recognized by Chambers & Partners USA, Chambers & Partners USA2004 - Courageous Plaintiffs' Award, National Employment Lawyers Association / New York
- Work Experience2019 - Present Managing Partner, Outten & Golden LLP2000 - 2018 Partner, Outten & Golden LLP1991 - 1999 Partner, Levy Davis Maher and Klein LLP
- Associations2017 - Present
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law - Co-Chair, Executive Committee2007 - Present
Cornell University ILR Alumni Association - Board of Directors2006 - Present
American Bar Foundation - Fellow2006 - Present
Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution - Member2006 - Present
Advisory Board of the Labor and Employment Law Program - Member2006 - Present
ABA: Committees on Equal Employment Opportunity - Member1993 - Present
National Employment Lawyers Association - MemberExecutive Committee of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law - Co-ChairAmerican Bar Association - MemberABA: Committee on Technology and Federal Law Clerks Training Program - Plaintiffs' Co-ChairABA: Employee Rights and Responsibilities of the Section of Labor and Employment Law - MemberABA: Class Action and Derivative Suits Committee of the Section of Litigation. - MemberEqual Employment Opportunity Committee - Former Plaintiffs’ Co-ChairCollege of Labor and Employment Lawyers - FellowAdvisory Board of the National Wage and Hour Clearinghouse - Member2008 - 2017
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law - Trustee2020 - 2024
American Trial Lawyers Association - Member, Executive Committee of Employee Rights Section2000 - 2006
National Employment Lawyers Association / New York - Executive Board and Executive Committee Member1993 - 2000
NELA- Class Action Committee - Co-chair - Education1990 - Hofstra University School of Law - JD1987 - Cornell University - BS - ILR
- Speaking Engagements2020 - Managing Partner Conference Series: Managing Partner Response to COVID-19 - Managing Partner Conference Series: Managing Partner Response to COVID-192017 - Impact Analysis: When To Use It & The Statistics To Support It - NELA 2017 Annual Convention2016 - Deep Diving Equal Pay - American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment, National Conference on Equal Employment Opportunity Law (Austin, TX)2015 - The Boundaries of the Employment Relationship: Who is an Employee? Who is the Employer? - NYU Workshop on Employment Law2015 - Title VII Class Certification—Issues Certification and Targeting Specific Employment Practices Post Dukes and Comcast - National Conference on Equal Employment Opportunity Law, ABA Section of Labor & Employment (Miami Beach, FL)2014 - Challenges to Subjective Selection Systems; 'Pattern or Practice' Promotion and Pay Claims in Higher-Level Jobs - Title VII of the Civil Rights Act After 50 Years, NYU 67th Annual Conference on Labor, New York University (New York, NY)2014 - Your Day in Court?: The Undermining of Access to Justice - American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) Convention (Washington, DC)2013 - Managing Wage & Hour Risks - Practicing Law Institute (New York, NY)2013 - Advanced Class Action Topics - National Conference on Equal Employment Opportunity Law, ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law2010 - Managing Wage & Hour Risks - Practicing Law Institute (New York, NY)2009 - Criminal History, Bad Credit Scores, and Hiring Discrimination: Title VII and the Use of Criminal Records and Credit History as Hiring Criteria - The American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law and the ABA Center for Continuing Legal Education2009 - Class and Collective Actions Update - National CLE Conference - Labor & Employment (Vail, CO)2009 - Making the Call Whether to Settle: Assessing Damages, Settlement Structure, Administration and More - American Conference Institute’s 7th National Advanced Forum on Wage Hour Claims and Class Actions (New York, NY)2007 - Mock E-Discovery Hearing - New York University School of Law / American Bar Association2007 - 1st Annual HR in Hospitality Conference: The Law of the Workplace: Hot Employment Issues for the Hospitality Industry - Human Resources Executive Conferences2007 - 4th National Forum on Wage & Hour Claims & Class Actions (Co-Chair) - American Conference Institute2006 - Wage & Hour Litigation - New York University School of Law / Federal Judicial Center, Workshop for Federal Judges2006 - E-Discovery - Georgetown University Law Center, Employment Law & Litigation Institute 20062006 - Fair Labor Standards Act Update - ABA Annual Convention2005 - Summary Judgment in Employment Discrimination Cases - Summary Judgment in Employment Discrimination Cases2005 - Ethical Hot Spots for Lawyers in the Electronic Age - ABA Annual Convention
- LanguagesEnglish - Native / Fluent
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