Amanda Van Hoose Garofalo
She | Her | Hers
With experience as a Big Law employment partner and over a decade practicing law in New York and New Jersey, I am well versed in representing a wide cross section of businesses in all aspects of employment law.
In founding AVHG Employment Law Solutions PLLC, I am focused on partnering with employers to provide efficient and effective solutions that keep their long-term goals at the forefront and leveraging my litigation experience to provide strategic advice based upon insight into the plaintiff bar’s trends and arguments.
I look forward to strategizing with you to ensure pricing does not block progress and preventative action, and offering solutions that consider your unique workplace.
A focal point of my career has been partnering with employers to prevent harassment and discrimination in the workplace. My prior experience shapes how I assist employers in complying with their duty to investigate harassment, discrimination or retaliation claims, and enable employers to identify and remediate potential issues before they rise to the level of harassment.
I partner with internal investigation teams to direct an investigation, and provide advice and counsel to the client upon the conclusion, including providing one-on-one corrective training or coaching to employees. I also often act as an impartial investigator — providing employees a neutral party with whom to share their workplace experiences.
As a seasoned investigator and former litigator, I structure my investigations to be legally defensible and effective, while ensuring employees feel heard and treated fairly. Likewise, I work with employers to avoid harassment in the first instance by structuring and delivering workplace trainings tailored to their specific business to educate managers on how to be effective supervisors and avoid hot button litigation issues.
-
Led multiple external investigations, including for the following:
Hospitals stemming from claims that physicians had engaged in improper behavior with either patients or staff members;
A nonprofit regarding race-related claims lodged against executive director;
A public energy company related to various claims of harassment and breaches of company code of ethics made against legal department;
A healthcare security company related to various claims of harassment, bullying and retaliation made against various C-suite and board members;
Several OSHA investigations for a hospital, successfully closing each out without a fine or further action from OSHA.
Providing advice related to the outcome of completed internal investigations to ensure any improper behavior is promptly and effectively corrected and any such future behavior is prevented.
Drafting and designing internal investigation protocols for internal investigators.
Providing advice and counsel related to compliance with the myriad employment issues under federal, state and local laws, including harassment, discrimination, gender equality, retaliation, implicit bias, DEI&B, ADEA, ADA, family leave, WARN, NYWARN and NJWARN.
Working with clients to ensure compliance, including by drafting and assisting in implementing policies, and reviewing and editing job postings, offer letters, separation agreements and more.
Drafting and designing internal protocols related to leave processes for human resources professionals.
Providing all-company trainings on anti-harassment and anti-discrimination, including, as required by New York State and New York City, anti-harassment training, leave and disability laws training, disability and religious accommodation training, and management best practices training.
Speaking at numerous presentations and continuing legal education programs related to employment law and DEI issues, such as implicit bias, gender fluidity and related laws, #MeToo, and how to structure an effective DEI program.
Authored several pieces related to #MeToo, anti-harassment/discrimination, and the emergence of new employment laws and how employers may best comply.
Provided clients with advice and guidance related to COVID-19, including with respect to ever-changing OSHA requirements and guidelines, quarantine/isolation protocols for employees, employer-reporting requirements and return to work/workplace protocols, considerations related to remote employees, vaccination, and WARN.
Obtained summary judgment for a New York hospital related to pregnancy discrimination and failure to accommodate claims regarding a vaccine mandate.
Acted as counsel at trial of an EEOC enforcement action on behalf of ten employees, successfully obtaining a verdict for the client on majority of claims, favorably settling with three intervenors, and subsequently limiting damages awarded to remainder through post-trial motions.
-
New Jersey Lawyer Magazine, “Recent Developments in the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination,” December 2014.
Employee Relations Law Journal. “#MeToo – A Brief Review,” 1. Vol. 44, No. 4, Spring 2019.
-
Association of Workplace Investigators 2023 Annual Conference - “The Wide World of Workplace Investigations: Recent Case Law and Legislative Developments,” October 2023
-
Association of Workplace Investigators
-
J.D., Seton Hall University School of Law, 2010, Whipple Scholar
B.A., Political Science, University of Michigan, 2007, University Honors
-
New York
New Jersey
U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York
U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit
U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court Western District of New York
