William H. Ng

William H. Ng represents employers and management in a wide range of labor and employment law matters. His litigation practice focuses on defending companies of all sizes, from startups to multinational corporations, in the following:

• Federal and state wage and hour class and collective actions
• Employee/independent contractor classification issues
• Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases
• Contract, trade secret and restrictive covenant matters

William has handled numerous cases and disputes involving:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• New York State and City Human Rights Law
• New York State Commercial Goods Transportation Fair Play Act
• New York State Construction Industry Fair Play Act
• Fair Housing Act (FHA)

He regularly appears in federal and state courts in New York and New Jersey and has successfully defended clients in mediations and arbitration proceedings. William has extensive experience representing companies being audited and investigated by federal, state, and local regulatory and administrative agencies including:

• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Immigrant and Employee Rights Section
• The U.S. Department of Labor, Wage & Hour Division
• The New York State Office of the Attorney General
• The New York State Department of Labor
• The New York State Division of Human Rights
• The New York City Commission on Human Rights
• The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)

In addition to his litigation practice, William regularly advises national and multistate employers on their workplace policies and practices for compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws. William provides strategic and practical advice to clients with respect to pay practices, employment and restrictive covenant agreements, handbook and personnel policies, internal investigations, employee discipline and discharge decisions, and workplace safety policies. He also conducts workplace training sessions for employees, managers, human resource professionals and attorneys on topics concerning inclusion, equity, and diversity.

William works with clients in a wide range of industries that include:

• Global and national retailers
• Healthcare (including hospital systems and networks, licensed home care service agencies, physical therapy and psychotherapy practices, and behavioral health providers)
• Financial services (including global and national banks and financial service centers)
• Transportation (logistic companies and contractor/on-demand drivers)
• Hospitality (international/multistate restaurants, hotels, and catering halls)
• Platform/technology companies, startups, and emerging companies
• Manufacturing, distribution, and retail companies
• Education (including private companies and charter schools)
• Nonprofit organizations (including community based social service providers)
• Commercial real estate and residential co-operative buildings
• Construction (trades, suppliers, and management companies)
• Municipal work (law enforcement and local districts)

William’s representative experience:

• Successfully defended several private and public healthcare employers in actions alleging discrimination and retaliation claims and wage and hour class/collective actions
• Successfully defended global real estate firm in an action alleging gender discrimination and harassment claims
• Successfully represented global retail company in administrative agency proceeding
• Successfully represented technology firm in an action alleging race, ethnicity, and national origin discrimination
• Successfully defended catering halls and restaurant groups in class actions alleging unpaid wages and improper distribution of service charges and obtained numerous favorable settlements
• Successfully defended transportation and logistics company against claims of unpaid overtime led to dismissal of action in favor of company
• Obtained an order denying conditional certification in a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective/class action filed in the Southern District of New York brought on behalf of restaurant workers
• Prevailed on a motion for summary judgment in favor of hospitality employer and successfully dismissed executive chef’s misclassification and unpaid overtime claims
• Successfully represented a luxury hotel and resort in a Department of Labor investigation against claims of wage and hour violations
• Successfully defended multistate transportation companies against misclassification claims at workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance hearings
• Represented companies and employers appealing company-wide unemployment insurance contribution determinations before the New York State Department of Labor
• Defended property and business owners in lawsuits alleging disability discrimination under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Prior to joining Littler, William spent more than five and a half years as an assistant corporation counsel and senior counsel in the Tort and Labor and Employment Law divisions of the New York City Law Department. While in the Labor and Employment Law Division, he represented various city agencies, including the New York City Police, Fire and Education departments in employment litigation and wage and hour collective actions. In the Tort Division, he selected numerous juries and tried several negligence cases to verdict in New York State Supreme Court.

William is a past President of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), the largest diverse bar association in the country. William has earned industry recognition for his legal work and is a recognized leader in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community for his civic and community engagement. He regularly speaks to national and local trade associations, bar associations and business groups on labor and employment law topics. As a member of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), William partners with the New York employer community to engage in legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts on workplace issues.