Queenie Arlen Paniagua

Employment Attorney | Litigation, Executive Representation & Workplace Disputes

When your career, livelihood, business, or professional reputation is at stake, choosing the right attorney matters.

Queenie Arlen Paniagua is an experienced New York employment attorney and litigator who represents employees, executives, professionals, and employers in complex employment disputes, sensitive workplace matters, and high-stakes negotiations. With more than a decade of legal experience spanning private practice, prosecution, and public-interest law, she combines sophisticated advocacy, strategic judgment, and personalized representation.

Advocacy for Employees and Executives

A substantial focus of Queenie's practice is representing individuals facing consequential employment issues. She advocates for employees experiencing workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and other unlawful employment practices. She also has extensive experience representing executives and professionals navigating employment agreements, compensation disputes, severance negotiations, restrictive covenants, and difficult career transitions.

Queenie understands that employment disputes can affect far more than a client's legal rights. They can have lasting consequences for financial security, professional reputation, and future opportunities. She works closely with clients to understand their priorities and develop strategies that protect their interests and advance their goals.

Proven Litigation Experience. Strategic Counsel.

Queenie is an experienced trial attorney who has tried approximately 10 cases to verdict, including four jury trials. She has argued significant motions, conducted evidentiary and suppression hearings, and represented clients in federal and state courts and in arbitration proceedings before FINRA, AAA, and JAMS.

Before entering private practice, she spent more than six years as a prosecutor with the Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorney's Office, ultimately serving as Deputy Bureau Chief, where she investigated and prosecuted thousands of matters.

Earlier in her career, Queenie served as a Staff Attorney at the New York Legal Assistance Group, a nonprofit legal services organization.

Her experience representing both employees and employers, together with her background in prosecution and commercial litigation, provides valuable insight into how disputes are evaluated, negotiated, defended, and litigated. She draws on that perspective to anticipate challenges, assess risks, and pursue strategies tailored to each client's circumstances.

Queenie also represents employers in employment-related disputes and workplace matters, providing practical, strategic counsel informed by her litigation experience.

Personalized Representation. Sound Judgment. Dedicated Advocacy.

Queenie believes effective representation begins with understanding the client—not simply the legal issues. She prioritizes clear communication, candid advice, thorough preparation, and thoughtful consideration of the professional, financial, and personal consequences of each decision.

Whether negotiating an executive separation, advocating for an employee subjected to unlawful workplace conduct, representing an employer, or pursuing litigation, Queenie approaches each matter with the strategic focus and individualized attention it deserves.

Her goal is to provide clients with the experience, guidance, and advocacy they need to make informed decisions and move forward with confidence.

Fluent in English and Spanish and conversant in Italian, Queenie is a former President of the Dominican Bar Association and has served in leadership roles with St. John's University, including its Board of Governors and School of Law Alumnae Leadership Council.