Jane Bilus Gould

JANE BILUS GOULD is a founding member of Gould & Berg, LLP.  She has practiced law for four decades during which she has concentrated her work in the areas of federal civil rights and employment discrimination litigation and in commercial and real estate litigation.

In the employment arena, Ms. Gould works collaboratively with both employees and employers to achieve the best possible outcome for the particular client.  She is a seasoned trial and appellate lawyer who has successfully litigated numerous cases before federal and state courts and has successfully represented employers and employees before administrative agencies such as the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the New York State Division of Human Rights. She has negotiated and secured substantial confidential settlements on behalf of clients in cases involving claims of discrimination in employment on the basis of sex, disability, race and age, in cases involving claims of retaliation for the exercise of First Amendment rights to free speech and free association, and in claims involving violations of the wage and hour provisions of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York Labor Law.   Ms. Gould takes a practical approach to representation of her clients’ interests and where appropriate, is a proponent of alternative dispute resolution in the form of arbitration and/or mediation as more expeditious and cost effective vehicles for realizing the client’s goals.

Ms. Gould provides frequent advice and consultation to clients on a wide range of employment related issues including the drafting, review, and negotiation of termination and severance agreements, the impact of non-competition agreements, and the use of proprietary information and intellectual property.  She frequently consults with public sector employees on issues related to their rights and status under the New York State Civil Service Law, the New York State Education Law and applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements.

She has been named a New York “Superlawyer” and has received the “Above the Bar” Award as 2011 Leading Labor and Employment Attorney in Westchester County.  She is rated “AV” by Martindale- Hubbell.

Ms. Gould brings a well-honed perspective to her work in commercial practice, where she has consulted on and litigated matters involving real estate brokerage commissions, foreclosure defense, construction, theft of intellectual property, breach of non-competition agreements and violations of the Federal Fair Housing Act.

Admitted: New York, United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, 1974; (Northern District) United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1975; United States Supreme Court, 1981.

Education:

The National Law Center,

George Washington University School of Law, J.D. with honors, 1973

University of Pennsylvania, A.B., cum laude, 1970

Memberships: New York State Bar Association, Westchester Women’s Bar Association President, 1987-1989; Vice President, 1986-1987; Corresponding Secretary, 1983-1985;  Member, Judicial Screening Committee and Program Committee; Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, Board of Directors, 1987-1993.