Overview
Kim Michael has spent the vast majority of her legal career focusing on employment law and litigation. She serves as a trusted advocate for a wide array of clients, especially C-Suite members and high-ranking professionals, with respect to all aspects of employment law including matters involving compensation, restrictive covenants (including non-competition and non-solicitation agreements), trade secrets, severance, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, whistleblowing, “for cause” terminations, and defamation. Ms. Michael has extensive experience drafting and negotiating employment agreements and separation/settlement agreements for both employees and employers and regularly advises clients on numerous aspects of employment law.
Ms. Michael has represented many employees who have been wrongfully disciplined, suspended, and/or terminated in connection with regulatory and/or criminal investigations and/or charges and has also conducted internal investigations on behalf of employers. Ms. Michael’s employment work spans all sectors including, among others, financial services/securities (including hedge funds, venture capital, investment banking, private equity, and asset management), tech, media/entertainment/talent, advertising/marketing, publishing, real estate, fashion/beauty, and medicine/health care. She also handles general commercial and contractual disputes and litigations.
Ms. Michael was selected as a Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyer by Lawdragon in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025, is ranked by Chambers in Labor & Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs, and as a Litigation Star by Benchmark.
Ms. Michael handles actions in federal and state courts (including appeals), before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), JAMS, and fair employment practices agencies, and has participated in numerous mediations.
Prior to co-founding WGMG, Ms. Michael was a partner at Harris, St. Laurent & Wechsler for over five years after leaving Wechsler & Cohen, LLP, where she worked for more than fifteen years. From 2002- 2005, Ms. Michael was an Associate at Mayer, Brown & Platt, which became Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP (now Mayer Brown).
Ms. Michael received her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2002 and her B.S. from Cornell University in 1999. She is admitted to the bar of New York and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Contact
E: kmichael@wgmg-law.com
D: 212-847-7914
LinkedIn
Practice Areas
Employment
Education
New York University School of Law, 2002 J.D. Cornell University, 1999 B.S.
Admitted In
NY
Publications
Lawdragon News, 2023
Chambers and Partners, 2024
Recognition
Notable Matters
An award from the AAA of over $23.3 million (including over $1 million in attorneys’ fees and costs) for a former portfolio manager of a large asset management firm based upon a finding that the firm had no “Cause” to terminate such manager.
Securing a pre-award settlement, following the completion of a JAMS arbitration, of nearly $6.5 million for four executives seeking payment of annual and retention bonuses.
A FINRA award for two former employees of BNP Paribas Securities Corp. of nearly $7 million (representing bonus and deferred compensation and costs) plus interest, following 43 days of hearing spanning nearly two years (reported to be the largest FINRA intra-industry award to an employee or employees in 2017).
A JAMS arbitration award of over $2.7 million (including liquidated damages and attorneys’ fees) for breach of contract, quantum meruit, and violation of the New York Labor Law arising out of an employer’s improper withholding of a former employee’s earned bonus based on net profits of a transaction for which he was the lead investment banker.
Winning over $2.2 million in a FINRA arbitration for a former Leveraged Finance executive at a global investment bank whose deferred compensation was wrongfully withheld for allegedly failing to provide required “retirement” notice and allegedly engaging in “competitive activity” by joining a specialized private equity firm.
Successfully defeating an appeal in the New York State Appellate Division, First Department by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss and Winklevoss Capital Management, resulting in affirmance of the dismissal of claims for alleged defamation against our client that we obtained at the trial level.
A seven- figure settlement of claims brought by a former employee of an international investment bank for, among other things, unpaid deferred compensation.
Presentations
Presented at “Nela Nite at Noon: Critical Considerations when Negotiating Executive Compensation upon Termination of Employment” – June 2024
Presented at “NELA Nite at lunchtime: Reviewing Employment Agreements” – December 2023
Moderated the “Media Issues” panel at the NELA-NY Fall 2018 CLE Conference
Associations
Member of National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)
Member of New York affiliate of National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA/NY)
Served Three Year Term as member of the Arbitration Committee of The New York City Bar Association
"I built my practice on the conviction that clients navigating high-stakes employment disputes deserve not just skilled advocacy, but a counselor who will be candid with them at every step.
Having represented both employees and employers throughout my career, I bring a 360-degree understanding of the dynamics at play that helps inform how best to reach a strategic resolution. That philosophy extends to how I work with adversaries: I don't believe in burning bridges, but opposing counsel know that I will go to war when the situation calls for it - and I'm proud that many of those same firms and businesses send clients my way."