Rachel Geman
Partner, New York Office
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212 355-9500
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“We challenge outcomes that our clients know are flat wrong. Sometimes tragically, usually avoidably. Fixing the problem is our job.”
Rachel Geman
Rachel Geman

Rachel Geman, a partner in the New York office, chairs the firm’s Whistleblower Law/False Claims Act practice group and combats frauds that harm her clients in their lives and misconduct that threatens the fairness and safety of their workplaces and communities.

Recent successes and exemplar ongoing matters:

  • Represents the Authors Guild and a number of prominent fiction authors in copyright class action litigation against OpenAI (2023)
  • Named Co-Lead Counsel for the Medical Monitoring Class in the Valsartan contaminated drug litigation (2023)
  • Counsel for the whistleblower in litigation against AbbVie involving the marketing of Humira ($27 million in settlements as of 2023)
  • Co-Lead Counsel in consumer privacy litigation against fintech company Plaid (2022 settlement of $58 million and robust injunctive relief)
  • Lead Counsel for whistleblowers in matter involving fraud in New York’s Indigent Care Program against the Door (2022 settlement of $12.9 million)
  • Represented consumers in the GM Ignition Switch MDL economic loss litigation (2020 settlement of $121 million)
  • Co-Lead Counsel representing the City of Philadelphia in Fair Housing Act litigation against Wells Fargo (2019 settlement with the bank’s funding city programs for communities affected by lending discrimination and agreeing to other relief)
  • Exemplar earlier cases: Rachel was co-lead class counsel or counsel for the class in consumer financial litigation over “payment protection” products, resulting in more than $50 million in settlements; she represented employee benefit plans in recovering $65 million from AXA Rosenberg; she represented a class of female financial advisors who secured $39 million plus injunctive relief from Bank of America/Merrill Lynch to settle gender discrimination claims; and she cut her teeth in the False Claims Act years ago in helping to recoup $78.5 million from the University of Phoenix in one of the largest settlements involving fraud on the Department of Education.

Rachel serves as the employee-side Chair of the ABA’s Workplace and Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee and is a CDRC-trained community mediator.

Long form bio (click to open pdf).

  • Columbia Law School, New York, New York
    J.D. – 1997
    Honors: Stone Scholar
    Honors: Equal Justice America Fellow
    Honors: Human Rights Fellow
    Law Journal: Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, Editor
  • Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
    A.B. (Cum Laude) – 1993
  • New York, 1998
  • New York State Supreme Court, 1998
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2013
  • U.S. Court Of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, 2015
  • U.S. Court Of Appeals, 9th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, 2007
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 2005
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 1999
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 1999
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 2019
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2011
  • American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Standing Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, Member, Past Employee Co-Chair (2009-2011)
  • Certified Fraud Examiners, New York Chapter, Member
  • National Employment Lawyers’ Association – New York Chapter, Chair of Amicus Committee (2017-); Past Board Member (2005-2011)
  • National Employment Lawyers’ Association – National
  • Public Justice Foundation
  • Rutter Federal Employment Guide, Contributing Editor (2017 – present)
  • Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund
  • Faculty, “Medical Monitoring in Personal Injury, Products Liability, and Medical Device Litigation: Developments and Strategies,” Strafford CLE Webinar, June 2023
  • Panelist, “Gender Based Discrimination & Pay Inequality,” 7th Annual Class Action Money & Ethics Conference, May 2023
  • Panelist, “The Mental Health Crisis and the Workplace,” ABA Workplace and Occupational Safety & Health Mid-Winter Conference, March 2023
  • Panelist, “Shareholder Derivative Actions Challenging Diversity,” 16th Annual ABA Labor and Employment Law Conference, November 2022
  • Speaker, “Data Driven Cases,” Taxpayers Against Fraud 22d Annual Conference, October 2022
  • Moderator, “Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Bias: Prospects, Pitfalls, and Penalties,” 2022 National Conference on Equal Employment Opportunity Law,” March 2022
  • Panelist, “Time to Rethink and Retool: Innovative Strategies for Crafting State-of-the Art Settlement Agreements,” ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law, 15th Annual Labor & Employment Law Conference, November 2021
  • Moderator, “Corporations Are Deponents, My Friend: Taking 30(b)(6) Depositions In Wage & Hour Cases,” National Employment Lawyers Association Spring Seminar, March 2021
  • Moderator, “Discovery In Wage & Hour Cases,” National Employment Lawyers Association Virtual Convention, July 2020
  • Faculty, “Classwide Damage Models in Misleading and False Advertising Consumer Class Actions,” Strafford Consumer Class Actions Webinar, May 2020
  • Faculty, “Current Topics in Employment Discrimination Class Actions,” Lawline Webinar, August 2019
  • Speaker, “Statistics in Employment and FCA Cases,” Clearlaw Webinar, January 2018
  • Speaker, “The Anatomy of a False Claims Act Case & How the FCA Works in a Whistleblower World,” Lawline Webinar, October 2017
  • Speaker, “Litigating Wage & Hour Cases: Challenges & Opportunities,” National Employment Lawyers Association Spring Conference, April 2017
  • Speaker, “Plaintiffs’ Perspective in Investigating and Litigating Employment Class Actions,” Lawline Webinar, December 2016
  • Speaker, “Pay Equity in Practice: What Works? Employee-Side Perspectives on Compensation Discrimination,” ABA-LEL Conference, November 2016
  • Speaker, “Bringing Your First – or Next – FHA Case,” NCLC Annual Conference, October 2016
  • Moderator, Government Plenary, ABA EEO Conference, March 2016
  • Speaker, “Latest Trends and Developments in Qui Tam Lawsuits and the Statute of Limitations,” Webinar, January 2016
  • Speaker and Moderator, “Statistics for Lawyers – Even Those Who Hate Math,” National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Convention, June 2015
  • Speaker, “Gender Pay Disparities: Enforcement, Litigation, and Remedies,” New York City Conference on Representing Employees, May 2015
  • Speaker, “Protecting Pay: Representing Workers With Wage and Hour Claims,” National Employment Lawyers Association, April 2015
  • Speaker and Author, “What Employment Lawyers Need to Know About Non-Employment Class Actions,” ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law Conference, November 2014
  • Moderator, “Dodd-Frank and Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Issues,” National Employment Lawyers Association/New York, October 2014
  • Speaker, “Consumer Class Action Symposium,” National Consumer Law Center Consumer Rights Litigation Conference, November 2013
  • Panelist, “Class Certification Strategies: Dukes in the Rear View Mirror,” Impact Fund Class Action Conference, 2013
  • Panelist, “Fraud and Consumer Protection: Plaintiff and Defense Strategies,” Current Issues in Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation, ABA Section of Litigation, 2012
  • Panelist, “Drafting Class Action Complaints,” New York State Bar Association, 2011
  • Participant and Moderator, “Ask the EEOC: Current Insights on Enforcement and Litigation,” ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law, 2011
  • Moderator, “Hot Topics in Wage and Hour Class and Collective Actions,” American Association for Justice Tele-Seminar, 2010
  • Panelist, “Rights Without Remedies,” American Constitutional Society National Convention, Revitalizing Our Democracy: Progress and Possibilities, 2008
  • Panelist, “Fair Measure: Toward Effective Attorney Evaluations”
  • Panelist, “Getting to Know You: Use and Misuse of Selection Devices for Hiring and Promotion,” ABA Labor & Employment Section Annual Meeting, 2008
  • Panelist, “Electronic Discovery,” Federal Judicial Center & Institute of Judicial Administration, Workshop on Employment Law for Federal Judges, 2005
  • Chair and Panelist, “Current Topics in Fair Labor Standards Act Litigation,” Conference, Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 2003
  • Moderator, “Workforce Without Borders,” ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law, EEOC Midwinter Meeting, 2003
  • AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Selected for inclusion by peers in The Best Lawyers in America in field of “Employment Law – Individuals,” 2012-2024
  • “Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2022-2024
  • “Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2018-2023
  • “Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2021-2023
  • “Super Lawyer for New York Metro,” Super Lawyers, 2011, 2013-2022
  • “Lawyer of the Year,” Best Lawyers, Employment Law – Individuals, New York City, 2014, 2019
  • Recognition for outstanding service to individuals and families who sought compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
  • Legal 500 recommended lawyer, LegalEase, 2013
  • “Rising Star for New York Metro,” Super Lawyers, 2011
  • Distinguished Honor Award, United States Department of State, 2001
  • “Class Actions: Class Representatives / Named Plaintiffs (Federal),” Practical Guidance Practice Note, Lexis/Nexis, 2021
  • Author, “Whistleblower Under Pressure,” Trial Magazine, April 2013
  • Author and Panelist, “Who is an Employer Under the FLSA?,” National Employment Lawyers Association Conference, 2013
  • Co-Editor, The New York Employee Advocate, 2005-2009
  • Author and Panelist, “Class Action Considerations: Certification, Settlement, and More,” American Conference Institute Advanced Forum, 2009
  • The New York Employee Advocate (Co-Editor, 2005-2009; Regular Contributor, 2008 – Present)
  • Author, “’Don’t I Think I Know You Already?’: Excessive Subjective Decision-Making as an Improper Tool for Hiring and Promotion,” ABA Labor & Employment Section Annual Meeting, 2008
  • Author and Panelist, “Ethical Issues in Representing Workers in Wage & Hour Actions,” Representing Workers in Individuals & Collective Actions under the FLSA, 2007
  • Author and Panelist, “Evidence and Jury Instructions in FLSA Actions,” Georgetown Law Center/ACL-ABA, 2007
  • Author and Panelist, “Crucial Events in the ‘Life’ of an FLSA Collective Action: Filing Considerations and the Two-step ‘Similarly-Situated’ Analysis,” National Employment Lawyers Association, Annual Convention, 2006
  • Author and Panelist, “Time is Money, Except When It’s Not: Compensable Time and the FLSA,” National Employment Lawyers Association, Impact Litigation Conference, 2005
  • “Image-Based Discrimination and the BFOQ Defense,” EEO Today: The Newsletter of the EEO Committee of the ABA’s Section of Labor and Employment Law, Vol. 9, Issue 1, 2004
  • “Fair Labor Standards Act Overtime Exemptions: Proposed Regulatory Changes,” New York State Bar Association Labor & Employment Newsletter, 2004
  • Moderator, “Workforce Without Borders,” ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law, EEOC Midwinter Meeting, 2003