Douglas Mark Schneider

Douglas Schneider is an experienced civil and criminal defense litigator. His civil practice focuses on employment discrimination and business litigation. He has obtained favorable results for clients in cases relating to employment discrimination, complex contract disputes, and business break-ups. In his active criminal defense practice Doug represents individuals charged with state and federal crimes as well those under investigation by New York State, New Jersey, and the federal government. He has a long record of success, including:

• A significant six-figure settlement from a fortune 500 company accused of discrimination on the basis of disability in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• A significant six-figure settlement from a private school accused of discriminating against a 63 year old teacher on the basis of her age in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. 
• A $300,000 settlement for an event planning company in a complex contract dispute involving unpaid fees for professional services.
• A fully favorable decision from the Social Security Administration for a New York City police officer who had suffered a traumatic brain injury in the line of duty and whose ongoing benefits and past benefits were challenged by the Social Security Administration.
• A favorable settlement against a New York hospital accused of gender and pregnancy discrimination for firing his client while she was on approved maternity leave.
• A settlement on the eve of trial for a printing and promotions company that more than doubled the amount offered pre-suit. The breach of contract case was about animal crackers.
• A unanimous decision by an appellate court reversing the drug conviction of his client. The case was featured prominently on the front page of the New York Law Journal.
• An internal investigation that prevented his client from getting indicted in an insider trading case. Mr. Schneider’s successful defense of his client played a major role in the groundbreaking decision in U.S. v. Newman that fundamentally changed insider-trading law.
• Dismissal of all charges against a building superintendent falsely accused of sexual misconduct by a disgruntled former employee.
• Reduction of drunk driving charges to reckless driving, which saved a taxi driver from losing his TLC license.
• Dismissal of all burglary charges, and elimination of a prior conviction, for a client with a severe drug problem.

Through Mr. Schneider’s representation, the client was given a clean record, completely recovered from his drug addiction, finished his education, and is gainfully employed. Mr. Schneider is an honors graduate of Union College. Following graduation he worked for Congresswoman Shelley Berkley of Las Vegas Nevada. Doug received his law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he served on the Cardozo Law Review and as a member of the Criminal Appeals Clinic.

Doug practiced in the litigation department of Proskauer Rose, where he was part of a team that successfully represented the leaseholder of the World Trade Center in an appraisal proceeding arising from the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Following his time at Proskauer, Mr. Schneider worked at a prominent boutique law firm where he represented individuals, corporations and organizations in a variety of matters including litigation, criminal investigations and prosecutions, and regulatory inquiries.

Mr. Schneider is admitted to practice in New York State, New Jersey, and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey. Doug is an active member of several professional organizations, including the New York City Bar Association where he was appointed to serve a three-year term on the prestigious committee on ethics.