Lawyers

Wendy S. Van Dorn is Senior Counsel in Gordon & Rees’s New York and Long Island offices.  Her practice primarily focuses on employment litigation and she is a member of the firm’s Employment Law, Commercial Litigation and Professional Liability Defense practice groups.

Ms. Van Dorn has extensive experience representing directors, officers, employees, companies, municipalities and school districts on claims alleging harassment, discrimination and retaliation predicated on race, sex, religion, age, disability and all other protected categories at the federal, state and local levels.  She has litigated a wide range of employment related cases in State and Federal Courts as well as before the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the New York State Division of Human Rights and the New York City Commission of Human Rights.  She regularly counsels employers on risk avoidance regarding employment, discrimination and harassment claims.

Ms. Van Dorn was recently selected as an Administrative Law Judge to preside over Nassau County Commission on Human Rights hearings held in response to complaints of housing discrimination in violation of Local Law 9 of 2006 and she is responsible for preparing written recommended findings and decisions for adoption by Nassau County’s Human Rights Commissioners.

In addition, Ms. Van Dorn has over ten years of substantial experience handling medical malpractice, professional liability, products liability, complex personal injury and commercial litigation.  She has successfully represented hospitals, physicians, dentists, nurses, midwives and health care professionals in defending and avoiding malpractice lawsuits.  She has also represented corporate defendants in multiparty mass toxic tort and asbestos related matters. Ms. Van Dorn’s experience includes trial and appellate practice, as well as mediation and alternate dispute resolution.

Admissions

New York State
United States District Court, Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York

Memberships

Nassau County Bar Association

Labor and Employment Law Committee
Women in the Law Committee
Defendant’s Round Table Committee

Suffolk County Bar Association

Labor and Employment Law Committee

Community Involvement

Ms. Van Dorn regularly serves as a volunteer for Girl Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of Nassau County where she teaches positive image and leadership training to girls of all ages.  She has also served as a volunteer for the Nassau County Bar Association Student Mentoring Project where she guided at-risk middle school students, one-on-one.