HKM Employment Attorneys LLP

• Represent employees (not employers) in New York City, New Paltz, and surrounding areas.
• Handle a wide range of employment law matters, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour issues, and other workplace disputes.
• Work with employees at all levels and across all industries.
• Have obtained over $500 million for clients firmwide and are described as one of the largest plaintiff's employment law firms.

Office locations

New York City office

• Firm name: HKM Employment Attorneys LLP
• Address: 39 Broadway, Suite 2430, New York, NY 10006
• Phone: 212-451-9533
• The site invites potential clients to call 24/7.

New Paltz office

• Firm name: HKM Employment Attorneys LLP
• Address: 153 Main Street, Suite 201, New Paltz, NY 12561
• Phone: 845-400-9028
• The site invites potential clients to call 24/7.

Service area

• New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area.
• New Paltz and nearby communities in New York.

How to get in touch

• Call the New York City office at 212-451-9533 to discuss an employment law issue.
• Call the New Paltz office at 845-400-9028.
• The website also provides an online "Tell Us About Your Case" form for potential clients to request a consultation.

*Note: The firm's website states that it is for educational purposes only and does not itself create an attorney–client relationship or constitute specific legal advice.*

The firm's practice areas, as described on its site, include:

• Breach of contract
• Class actions (including employment-related class and collective actions)
• Data breach matters affecting employees
• Disability and reasonable accommodations
• Discrimination (for example, based on race, gender, age, religion, disability, family status, military status, and other protected characteristics)
• Employee counseling about workplace rights and options
• Employment contracts (including disputes over contract terms)
• Ethics investigations
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and related leave issues
• Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) issues as they relate to employment
• Healthcare workers employment issues
• Hostile work environment claims
• Non-compete agreements and related restrictions
• Retaliation for protected activities (such as reporting violations or asserting legal rights)
• Separation agreements and severance
• Sexual assaults in the workplace
• Sexual harassment
• Wage and overtime disputes (unpaid wages, overtime, and related wage-and-hour issues)
• Whistleblower claims
• Wrongful termination

Who the firm represents

• Employees in all industries and at all levels.
• Workers facing problems with large corporations or smaller employers alike.

If a potential client's issue involves their job, pay, workplace treatment, or the terms of their employment in New York, the firm invites them to contact the New York office to discuss whether it falls within these practice areas.

• Amount: $1,000
• Use: Education-related expenses in 2027.

Purpose

• To support future legal professionals who study near HKM's New York office and who are committed to using their legal education to serve their communities.

Eligibility

According to the firm's site, applicants must:

• Be enrolled in a pre-law, paralegal, or J.D. program.
• Be in good academic standing (GPA 3.0 or higher).
• Attend a campus located within 60 miles of New York.
• Be at least 18 years old at the time of application.
• Not be an employee or an immediate family member of an employee of HKM Employment Attorneys LLP.

The firm states that it welcomes applicants of all races, colors, genders, religions, sexual orientations, national origins, disabilities, and veteran statuses.

Key dates (2026 cycle)

• Applications open: Now (as stated on the site).
• Application deadline: October 15, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. local time.
• Winner notification: On or around December 10, 2026.

How to apply

Applicants must, as described on the site:

1. Complete the online application form for the New York scholarship.
2. Submit the following required documents:

• An unofficial transcript (PDF).
• A one-page résumé.
• A 250-word essay on: *"How I will use my legal education to serve my community."*

3. Submit all materials by the stated deadline. The firm notes that applicants receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of submission.

Selection process

The firm explains that:

• Essays are evaluated for clarity, originality, and community impact.
• GPA and résumé are reviewed for commitment and fit.
• The top-scoring applicant is selected as the scholarship recipient.
• The firm's decisions are final.

Award delivery

• Scholarship funds are paid directly to the student for education-related expenses in 2027.

Privacy

• Information submitted for the scholarship is used only for scholarship purposes.
• The firm indicates that all files are deleted 12 months after the selection is complete.

FAQ highlights (from the site)

• Can graduate students apply?
• Yes, if they meet all stated eligibility requirements.
• May I apply to more than one city's scholarship?
• No. Applicants should choose the HKM office closest to their campus.
• Is financial need required?
• No, but applicants may discuss financial need in their essay if they wish.

Contact for questions

• Email: the site provides a scholarship contact email with the requested subject line "Scholarship – New York" for inquiries about this scholarship.

Applicants should always refer to HKM Employment Attorneys LLP's own scholarship page for the most current details and any updates.

The firm identifies the following attorneys as part of the New York employment law team:

• Briana Beltran
• Artemio Guerra
• Marcela Jimenez Rodriguez
• Rob McCreanor
• Meagan Rafferty
• Patricia L. Stasco

These attorneys handle employment law matters for New York employees.

Managing partner of the New York offices

• Artemio Guerra is described as the Managing Partner of the New York offices of HKM Employment Attorneys LLP.
• His work focuses on employment law, including representing workers in complex wage-and-hour, class, and collective actions.

Artemio Guerra – background (summary)

Based on his profile on the firm's site:

• Before joining HKM, he spent over ten years representing workers in class and collective actions involving wage theft and related issues.
• He previously coordinated the Immigrant Worker Rights Project at Catholic Migration Services in Queens, New York, representing low-wage workers in wage and hour litigation and partnering with agencies such as OSHA and the U.S. Department of Labor on worker education.
• Prior to becoming a lawyer, he worked for many years as a community organizer and advocate for workers, tenants, and low-income communities in New York.
• He has served on the boards of organizations focused on worker justice and housing rights in New York.

Education and bar admissions (from his profile)

• Education:
• Fordham University School of Law, JD (2010)
• Hunter College, M.S. Urban Studies (2005)
• Toccoa Falls College, B.S. Philosophy and Religion (1996)
• Bar admissions:
• Admitted to practice in the state of New York.
• Admitted to the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Office contact information for the New York team

• New York City office
• HKM Employment Attorneys LLP
• 39 Broadway, Suite 2430, New York, NY 10006
• Phone: 212-451-9533

• New Paltz office
• HKM Employment Attorneys LLP
• 153 Main Street, Suite 201, New Paltz, NY 12561
• Phone: 845-400-9028

Employees seeking help with New York employment law issues can contact either office to be connected with an attorney from the New York team.

• New York is an at-will employment state.
• In general, an employer may end an employment relationship at any time, and an employee may also resign at any time.
• However, an employer cannot lawfully fire someone for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons, or in violation of an employment contract.

When a firing may be wrongful

A termination may be considered wrongful termination if, for example:

• The decision to fire an employee was based on a protected characteristic, such as race, gender, age, religion, disability, family status, military status, or other protected traits.
• The termination was an act of retaliation for engaging in a protected activity, such as:
• Filing a workers' compensation claim.
• Requesting unpaid FMLA leave or paid family leave.
• Engaging in whistleblower activity.
• Reporting safety violations to OSHA.
• Filing a discrimination complaint.
• Requesting a disability accommodation.
• Participating in an internal or external investigation about workplace misconduct.

If an employer fires an employee for these kinds of discriminatory or retaliatory reasons, the employee may have a wrongful termination claim.

Employees with contracts

• Employees who work under a written employment contract may have additional protections.
• If an employer ends the relationship before the contract term is over, or without following the contract's termination provisions, that may be a breach of contract in addition to a potential wrongful termination issue.
• The firm's New York City wrongful termination lawyers can review an employment contract and advise how it affects a potential claim.

Separation agreements and severance

• When an employer ends an employment relationship, it may offer a separation agreement that includes severance pay and other benefits.
• In many cases, signing the agreement means the employee gives up the right to sue for wrongful termination.
• The firm's New York City employment lawyers recommend that employees review any proposed separation agreement with an attorney before signing, to understand whether they may be waiving potential claims and whether better terms can be negotiated.

How the New York office can help

• Review the circumstances surrounding a job loss in New York City to determine whether they may amount to wrongful termination.
• Analyze any employment contract or separation agreement involved.
• Advise employees on potential legal options and remedies.

To discuss a potential wrongful termination issue, employees can contact HKM Employment Attorneys LLP at the New York City office:

• Address: 39 Broadway, Suite 2430, New York, NY 10006
• Phone: 212-451-9533

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.