Douglas Wigdor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Douglas Wigdor
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Douglas Wigdor
September 26, 1968 |
| Alma mater | Washington University in St. Louis (BA) Columbus School of Law (JD) St Cross College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Employer | Wigdor LLP |
Douglas Holden Wigdor (born September 26, 1968) is a lawyer in New York City. He is a founding partner of the law firm Wigdor LLP. He helps people who have faced unfair treatment, like discrimination.
Mr. Wigdor is known for representing many people in important cases. These include people who said they were treated unfairly by Harvey Weinstein. He also represented a hotel worker in a case involving Dominique Strauss-Kahn. He has helped many employees at Fox News with cases about unfair treatment. More recently, he represented NFL coaches Brian Flores, Steve Wilks, and Ray Horton. They filed a lawsuit against the National Football League about unfair practices against Black coaches.
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Learning and School
Douglas Wigdor earned his first degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He has since helped the university by setting up a scholarship. A cycling studio there is also named after him.
He then earned his law degree from Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. He is also a member of the International Tennis Club of the United States. Mr. Wigdor later earned a master's degree from St Cross College, Oxford University in England. He was named Alumnus of the Year in 2007 and 2014. The college has named a library and garden room after him and his wife, Catherine. While at Oxford, he played on the university's national championship basketball team in 1995. Mr. Wigdor has also given talks at many universities as a guest speaker.
Starting His Law Career
Douglas Wigdor began his law career working for a judge, Arthur Spatt, for two years. This was at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He also worked as a lawyer for the Suffolk County district attorney's office.
After that, Mr. Wigdor worked at a large law firm called Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. Here, he mostly represented companies that were accused of unfair treatment. However, he realized he wanted to help individuals instead of companies.
In 2003, Mr. Wigdor started his own law firm with Kenneth P. Thompson. Mr. Thompson later became the Brooklyn District Attorney. That same year, Wigdor won a $7.5 million award for a client against Wal-Mart. This was one of the largest awards at the time under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Early in his career, he used the term "recessionary discrimination." This described how some companies might use a bad economy as an excuse for unfair treatment.
Important Cases
Mr. Wigdor has handled many important cases throughout his career.
Cases Against Large Companies
In 2009, he represented five women in a case about unfair treatment based on gender against Citibank. This case was featured on the front cover of Forbes Magazine.
In 2011, Mr. Wigdor represented Nafissatou Diallo. She was a housekeeper involved in a case with Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Mr. Strauss-Kahn was the former head of the International Monetary Fund. In December 2020, both Wigdor and Diallo appeared in a Netflix original series about the case.
He has also represented clients in cases about unfair treatment against large financial groups. These include cases against Dresdner, Goldman Sachs, and Deutsche Bank. Other important cases include representing actor Rob Brown against Macy's. He also represented Charles Oakley in a case against James Dolan and Madison Square Garden.
Cases Involving Harvey Weinstein
Mr. Wigdor has represented several people who said they experienced serious wrongdoing by Harvey Weinstein. Three of his clients, Wedil David, Kaja Sokola, and Dominique Huett, filed lawsuits. They said they were treated unfairly by Weinstein after he invited them to discuss acting roles. Another client, Tarale Wulff, spoke during Weinstein's criminal trial in New York. Weinstein was found guilty of certain charges and received a long prison sentence.
When a proposed $25 million agreement was reported for Weinstein's accusers, Mr. Wigdor publicly said he did not agree with it. He argued that the proposed agreement was not fair to the people Weinstein had harmed. On July 14, 2020, a judge agreed with Wigdor. The judge rejected the proposed agreement, calling some of its terms "obnoxious." Mr. Wigdor continued to represent clients in cases against Weinstein and others, including Sara Ziff and Julia Ormond in 2023.
NFL Unfair Treatment Lawsuit
On February 1, 2022, Mr. Wigdor filed a lawsuit against the NFL. This lawsuit was on behalf of former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, and also Steve Wilks and Ray Horton. The lawsuit claimed that the NFL was not fair in its hiring practices for Black and minority head coach candidates. It suggested that some interviews were just for show, to meet rules like the Rooney Rule.
The lawsuit included text messages that seemed to show the Giants had already decided to hire someone else. This was before Mr. Flores was even interviewed. Mr. Flores also said the Broncos conducted a similar unfair interview in 2019. The lawsuit also claimed that Mr. Flores was pressured to lose games by the Dolphins team owner. The three teams denied these claims. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league's record on diversity was "unacceptable." He promised to look at their policies again.
Fox News Lawsuits
Starting in 2016, Mr. Wigdor represented over 20 employees from Fox News. These cases involved claims of unfair treatment based on gender and race. Many of these cases were settled outside of court for about $10 million.
In November 2017, Mr. Wigdor spoke before the British Parliament. He shared what he knew about unfair treatment at Fox News. On July 1, 2020, it was reported that Wigdor represented a person in a case that led to the firing of Fox News host Ed Henry. On July 20, Wigdor filed a lawsuit on behalf of Jennifer Eckhart. The lawsuit claimed that Fox News supported Henry even after receiving complaints about his behavior.
Uber Cases
In 2015, Mr. Wigdor represented an Uber passenger who was harmed by her driver in New Delhi. This case led to Uber being temporarily stopped in New Delhi. The company later added a safety button to its app in India.
Two years later, Wigdor sued Uber on behalf of the same person. He claimed that Uber's top leaders had improperly shared her private information. One top executive was fired because of this. Uber's CEO at the time, Travis Kalanick, resigned a week after the lawsuit was filed.
Grammys Controversy
On January 21, 2020, just before the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, Mr. Wigdor filed a complaint. He represented Deborah Dugan, who was the President and CEO of The Recording Academy. She claimed she was unfairly removed from her role. This was after she complained about unfair treatment, voting issues, and money problems at the Academy.
This case caused a lot of discussion about the awards' fairness. It reportedly led Taylor Swift to cancel a surprise performance. Mr. Wigdor publicly asked for Ms. Dugan to be put back in her role. The ceremony's host, Alicia Keys, seemed to mention the issues during her opening speech. Other famous musicians like Nicki Minaj and Tyler, the Creator also supported Ms. Dugan.
NY1 Lawsuit
Mr. Wigdor represented five experienced female news anchors at NY1. They filed a lawsuit about unfair treatment based on age and gender against Charter Communications, the station's owner. The women said their airtime was cut and they had fewer chances for promotions. This was compared to men and younger women. This case gained worldwide attention. It led the New York City Council to propose new laws to fight ageism in workplaces.
In December 2020, The New York Times reported that Mr. Wigdor reached an agreement with Charter. This agreement included the women leaving the station.
Amazon Lawsuit
On March 1, 2021, Mr. Wigdor filed a lawsuit on behalf of Charlotte Newman. She was a manager at Amazon Web Services. The lawsuit claimed that Amazon often paid Black employees less and gave them fewer promotions. It also said that Amazon hired Black employees into lower roles than they were qualified for. Ms. Newman also claimed that Amazon did not take her complaints seriously.
Other Important Work
Mr. Wigdor has also represented clients in other important cases. He represented a former staff member of Adam Neumann in a case against WeWork. This case involved unfair treatment related to pregnancy.
In April 2020, Mr. Wigdor started writing articles for Forbes. He writes about unfair treatment at work and other related topics. In January 2024, Douglas Wigdor filed a lawsuit against James Dolan, Harvey Weinstein, and related companies. In October 2024, Wigdor represented a case against Garth Brooks. He has also worked on a complaint against Intel.
Awards and Recognition
Law360 named Douglas Wigdor to its "Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar" list in 2019. They called him one of the most important lawyers in the country dealing with serious wrongdoing cases.
In 2020, Mr. Wigdor received the New York Law Journal's Distinguished Leader award. He also made The Hollywood Reporter's Top 100 Power Lawyers list, and returned to it in 2024. Billboard magazine also named him to their Top Music Lawyers list in 2020, 2021, and 2023.
Chambers and Partners gave Mr. Wigdor a top ranking. Super Lawyers has named him a Top 100 attorney in the New York area many times since 2007. City & State included Wigdor on its annual Law Power 100 list in 2021. They noted that he has taken on powerful people and won. In 2025, the publication wrote that Wigdor has helped change how workplaces are held accountable. His cases have led to people resigning, new rules, and large financial agreements.
Mr. Wigdor's law firm has also received national recognition. U.S. News & World Report has ranked it among the best law firms. BTI Consulting Group called it one of the most impressive litigation firms. His firm has also won The National Law Journal's Law Firm of the Year award in several categories. These include age discrimination, civil rights, and employment rights. In 2021, Wigdor LLP received a top ranking from Chambers and Partners. It was also chosen for the shortlist for Labor and Employment Law Firm of the Year. Wigdor was named to the Forbes Top 200 Lawyers list and LawDragon's "500 Leading Lawyers in America" list in 2024.
In 2025, Billboard magazine ranked Wigdor on its list of "top music lawyers." This was for his important role in a major legal story in the music industry. He was also named one of The Hollywood Reporter's Top 100 Attorneys in Hollywood on its Power Lawyers 2025 list.
