Craig M. Bonnist

Craig Bonnist counsels employers and represents them in employment disputes before federal and state courts and administrative agencies and in compensation claim arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, and the American Arbitration Association. He has successfully defended his clients in matters ranging from breach of contract and restrictive covenant claims to discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation claims. He has successfully litigated through verdict numerous cases, including several notable favorable and published decisions.

Craig negotiates and drafts employment contracts as well as retention, separation, release, confidentiality, non-solicitation and non-compete agreements. He represents corporations and chief executive officers in negotiating complex contracts and retention agreements. In addition to handling employment and compensation matters, Craig defends and counsels businesses on contract and other commercial litigation matters.

Craig formerly served as a Co-Chair of the Westchester County Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section and is currently a member of the Labor and Employment Section with the American Bar Association.

A frequent lecturer, author and commentator on issues affecting employers, he has been a CNBC contributor, offered employment advice in several financial publications, and presented on employment law topics for several continuing legal education programs. He authored a chapter titled “The Objectives of Employment Agreements and the Inclusion and Drafting of Effective Provisions to Fulfill Those Objectives” in the 2015-2016 edition of the book Negotiating and Drafting Employment Agreements and co-authored an article titled “Sexual Harassment Claims – Changing the Response Calculus” for Bloomberg’s Daily Labor Report.

Representative Matters

Conducted numerous investigations into sexual harassment claims for companies, providing comprehensive reports on the allegations to the in-house human resources teams. We have also provided comprehensive sexual harassment prevention training.

Conducted an investigation into an Americans with Disability Act claim made by an employee of a regional community non-profit organization and counseled the organization on how to reasonably accommodate the employee to avoid litigation.

Obtained summary judgment in New York state court for an accounting firm dismissing a former employee’s multi-count claims that included discrimination, harassment, and breach of contract.

Moved successfully to quash a subpoena that would have provided a third party with access to a private equity firm’s proprietary information.

Obtained a favorable New York state appellate ruling for an insurance company executive in finding that the executive’s new employer did not have a legitimate protectable interest in the executive’s pre-acquired clients’ business and thus could not enforce a restrictive covenant related to these clients.