Lois Carter Schlissel

Lois Carter Schlissel served as the firm’s Managing Attorney from 2002-2017. She is Of Counsel of the firm’s Employment Law practice and has counseled clients with respect to federal and state employment laws, compliance issues, and personnel matters and handles claims arising under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the Family Medical Leave Act.

Mrs. Schlissel is a member of the Northwell Health System Board of Trustees and the Huntington Hospital Board of Advisors. Formerly an officer of the Adelphi University Board of Trustees, she now serves the University as Trustee Emerita. She was a member of the Long Island Association Board of Directors from 2004 to 2019.

In 2018, Mrs. Schlissel received the Executive Circle Award from Long Island Business News. She is rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest level of professional excellence. She was honored for her “extraordinary service to the community and superb lawyering” by the Nassau County Bar Association, We Care Fund in 2012. She was also recognized by Long Island Pulse Magazine in 2010 and 2011 as one of the region’s “Top Legal Eagles”. In 2007, Mrs. Schlissel was recognized as one of the Best Attorneys on Long Island by the Long Island Press. She was named by Long Island Business News (LIBN) as one of Long Island’s Top 50 Most Influential Women, and was admitted into the LIBN Top 50 Hall of Fame. The Long Island Center for Business & Professional Women conferred its Achievers’ Award in the Field of Law on Mrs. Schlissel and she was named a “Woman Achiever Against the Odds” by the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls.

Notable experience includes:

• Tried and won several jury trials in commercial and employment cases in state and federal courts.
• Conducted internal investigations in various industries including insurance, professional services, labor organizations, and non-profits, concerning allegations of bribery, administrative misconduct, discrimination, and sexual improprieties and worked with upper management to deal with attendant legal and personnel issues.
• Successfully litigated charges of gender discrimination and retaliation between a large university and a high-level administrator.
• Mediated and favorably resolved breach of contract claims between a major financial institution and a former senior executive.
• Negotiated separation issues between executives and companies engaged in various industries including aviation, financial services, law, healthcare, and higher education.
• Successfully arbitrated commercial breach of contract claims between owners of a technology company and its business partner.
• Resolved through mediation a sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation case in which a young woman employee of a major financial institution alleged that she was raped by her manager after a social event sponsored by the company.
• Regularly consults with clients concerning employment issues, statutory and regulatory requirements, and workplace policies.

Mrs. Schlissel has written and lectured extensively before bar associations, employment groups, and professional organizations. She has given numerous media interviews and provided commentary relating to Federal civil practice, employment law issues, workplace discrimination, and sexual harassment.

Prior to joining Meyer Suozzi, Mrs. Schlissel was a law clerk at the New York State Court of Appeals and, thereafter, a litigation associate in the New York City office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP.