Steven Fingerhut wanted to live a life where justice wasn’t just an ideal, but a tangible outcome for those who had been wronged. From early in his career, he recognized that the courtroom could be more than a place for arguments; it could be a space to empower individuals, especially employees facing coercive workplace relationships, to reclaim control over their lives. Driven by this vision, he built a career in litigation that combines sharp legal strategy with compassionate advocacy.
Fingerhut’s approach goes beyond the traditional confines of the law. Using targeted AI searches, his firm uncovers patterns in defendants’ histories, ensuring that each case is pursued with precision and context. His expertise in federal and state courts from Queens Supreme Court to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has earned him a lifetime membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a distinction reserved for lawyers who secure multi-million-dollar recoveries. Notably, in 2025, he defended a landmark verdict on appeal to the Second Circuit, overcoming six separate challenges and reinforcing protections for employees.
Fingerhut’s mission extends beyond the courtroom. Through HarassmentHelp.org, he ensures that victims have access to therapists, career coaches, and other supportive resources, understanding that true recovery requires care for the whole person. For Fingerhut, the ultimate measure of his work is living a life where justice, accountability, and human dignity are not abstract concepts, but realities experienced by those who need it most.
Redefining Justice for Employees
When employees seek the leading sexual harassment lawyer in New York, the top discrimination attorney in NYC, or a trusted employment law firm in the tri-state area, Phillips & Associates consistently stands out. Boasting a proven record of over $300 million in verdicts and settlements, the firm is home to some of the most tenacious and innovative attorneys in the field. Among them is Steven Fingerhut, Partner, whose courtroom successes and unwavering advocacy have established him as one of the most prominent rising leaders in plaintiff-side employment law.
Empowering Employees Through Innovation and Advocacy
For Steven, innovation in employment law extends far beyond technology; it’s about empowering employees to be heard in spaces where they might otherwise be silenced. He leverages Phillips & Associates’ custom-built case tracking system, which monitors and analyzes settlements, verdicts, defense firms, and attorneys across thousands of matters.
This platform enables the firm to evaluate case potential in real time and anticipate defense strategies with precision.
At Phillips & Associates, innovation also takes the form of data-driven litigation playbooks, informed by over 8,000 cases and nearly 2,000 trials, more than double the volume of most competitors. This depth of experience provides Fingerhut and his colleagues with unmatched leverage during negotiations and courtroom proceedings.
Equally important, Fingerhut approaches clients holistically. Through HarassmentHelp.org, he connects victims not only to legal recourse but also to therapists, career coaches, and other supportive resources, acknowledging that recovery extends far beyond the verdict.
Fingerhut has developed a specialty in coercive workplace relationships, where authority is misused to pressure employees into unwanted situations, a reality highlighted by the #MeToo movement. In Smart v. USA Labor for Hire, Inc., he secured an award in excess of $425,000 for a woman facing discrimination and retaliation, demonstrating that juries will recognize injustice even when power is deeply entrenched. In 2025, he successfully defended that verdict on appeal to the Second Circuit, overcoming six separate challenges and strengthening protections for employees.
“As long as your boss holds the keys to your career, there is no such thing as equal footing,” Fingerhut emphasizes a principle that underpins both his litigation strategy and his commitment to transforming the employment law landscape.
Evidence, Advocacy, and Immediate Action
For Steven, true success comes when a client who once believed they had no case leaves the courtroom feeling validated. In Grant v. Pexie Enterprises, Inc., he secured a unanimous jury verdict for a woman who endured harassment and assault in less than two weeks of employment. While the $112,000 in damages was significant, the client’s sense of vindication was priceless.
Every day, Fingerhut works to dismantle common misconceptions about workplace harassment: offsite misconduct still counts, relationships influenced by fear are never truly consensual, and no CEO or executive is above accountability. His efforts have resulted in seven-figure settlements for employees across roles from office managers and physicians to C-suite executives, bank employees, and construction workers demonstrating how meticulously preserved evidence and well-documented timelines can overcome even the most entrenched skepticism.
At Phillips & Associates, Fingerhut consistently advises employees experiencing workplace harassment to reach out immediately rather than wait until termination. He emphasizes that harassers often move quickly to delete or destroy evidence once they sense resistance. Protecting communications is critical, and Fingerhut guides clients on how to preserve key evidence, including texts, emails, and messages on platforms like Telegram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp, ensuring their cases remain strong. His proactive counsel helps clients safeguard both their rights and their path to justice.
Harnessing AI and Digital Evidence to Champion Employee Justice
Steven is highly adept in the digital dimensions of modern workplace harassment cases, leveraging texts, Slack threads, and even deleted DMs to establish patterns of retaliation and hostile work environments. At Phillips & Associates, the firm’s investment in AI-powered evidence review tools enables Fingerhut to focus on courtroom strategy while ensuring every piece of data strengthens the case.
The firm’s AI capabilities allow them to uncover comprehensive information about both corporate entities and individuals central to lawsuits. Targeted AI searches reveal prior legal battles, monitor employee reviews on platforms like Glassdoor, Indeed, Reddit, and Quora, and gather data on company finances or potential witnesses. This meticulous approach ensures cases are built with precision, giving plaintiffs a clear advantage against often-underestimating corporate defense teams.
Fingerhut and his colleagues focus exclusively in employee-side employment law, representing clients in matters such as:
● Sexual harassment
● Discrimination based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, or disability
● Pregnancy and paternity discrimination
● Retaliation and wrongful termination
This focused expertise has yielded significant settlements and verdicts, including:
● $2,000,000 settlement for construction workers subjected to race discrimination
● $975,000 settlement for a bank employee harassed by a director-level supervisor
● $900,000 settlement for an office manager facing severe harassment
● $800,000 settlements for both a physician and a C-suite executive terminated due to bias.
Championing Justice
Steven’s career blends academic rigor with courtroom tenacity. Holding a degree in mathematics with a minor in art history from The College of New Jersey, followed by a law degree from Albany Law School, he combines analytical precision with human empathy. His early judicial externship with Hon. Lawrence E. Kahn in federal court instilled a profound respect for the judicial process, while years in private practice sharpened his resolve to fight for employees against powerful financial and corporate interests.
Since joining Phillips & Associates in 2015, Fingerhut has fully embraced the firm’s mission to level the playing field, giving workers a voice against corporations. His guiding principle is straightforward:
“The courtroom is where power has to answer to principle.”
Recognition and Legacy
Fingerhut’s accolades reflect both his skill and his impact on employees’ lives:
● Super Lawyers Rising Star (2018–2021, 2024, 2025)
● Best Labor & Employment Attorneys (American Institute of Legal Counsel)
● Lead Counsel Rated (Thomson Reuters)
● Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum (Lifetime Member)
Yet, he emphasizes that true fulfillment comes from client outcomes:
“The greatest honor is when a client says: you believed me when no one else did.”
His career stands as a testament to combining legal expertise, strategic innovation, and empathy to ensure justice for employees, particularly those facing coercion, discrimination, and harassment in the workplace.
Redefining Workplace Rights
Steven continues to champion legal recognition of coercive workplace relationships as harassment in their own right. At Phillips & Associates, already a leading force in sexual harassment, discrimination, and employment law, he envisions the next chapter as expanding this movement nationwide. Platforms such as HarassmentHelp.org, the firm’s CLE training portal, and the upcoming National Summit on Sexual Harassment & Employment Law in Miami are central to this effort.
Balancing Advocacy and Compassion
Steven’s career exemplifies how aggressive advocacy and compassionate representation can coexist. As a Partner at Phillips & Associates, his verdicts and settlements have not only protected employees but also helped shape the employment law landscape in New York. The firm is widely recognized as the #1 sexual harassment and discrimination law firm in New York and the tri-state area.
“The courtroom is where balance is restored,” Fingerhut emphasizes. “And every employee deserves that chance.”
Through his work, Fingerhut continues to ensure that employees’ voices are heard, respected, and legally protected, setting a benchmark for fairness and justice in the modern workplace.
