Bio

Innessa M. Huot is a Partner in the firm’s New York office and Chair of the firm’s Employment Practice Group.

Innessa represents workers across the country in both individual and class action lawsuits. Innessa has litigated cases in both federal and state courts, involving FLSA claims, state wage and hour violations, discrimination and harassment claims, retaliation matters, FMLA and ADA violations, breach of contract disputes, and other employment-related violations. Innessa has served as lead counsel in numerous cases filed against major businesses and corporations and has successfully recovered millions of dollars on behalf of her clients.

In 2023, Innessa secured the largest verdict in the State of New York for a discrimination case on behalf of an employee terminated because of her disability. After a two-week trial in federal court, the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff against her employer in the amount of $1,735,000.00, plus an additional $535,000.00 in prejudgment interest (plus attorneys’ fees and costs). Ruderman v. Law Office of Yuriy Prakhin, et al., No. 19-CV-2987-CBA-LB, ECF No. 220 (E.D.N.Y. Feb. 24, 2023).

Some of Innessa’s more recent public recoveries include, inter alia:

$650,000 class and collective action settlement on behalf of law enforcement officers asserting late payment of wages and failure to pay claims. Pierre v. City of New York, et al. (B&H Foto), No. 20-cv-05116-ALC, ECF No. 516 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 15, 2024).

$8,930,186.41 class and collective settlement for Officers asserting late payment of wages and failure to pay claims. Pierre v. City of New York, et al. (TD Bank), No. 20-cv-05116-ALC, ECF No. 499 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 15, 2024).

$2.9 million settlement for a collective of maintainers and custodians raising FLSA claims for late payment of wages and overtime. Conte, et al. v. Metro. Transp. Auth., et al., No. 21-cv-02516-VEC (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 14, 2023).

$7.25 million settlement for a collective of law enforcement officers claiming late payment of wages and failure to pay overtime. Mercado, et al. v. Metro. Transp. Auth., et al., No. 20-cv-06533-AT (S.D.N.Y. July 5, 2023).

$5.4 million settlement on behalf of a collective of Sergeants and Lieutenants challenging MTA’s unfair employment and wage practices. Feliciano, et al. v. Metro. Transp. Auth., et al., No. 18-cv-00026-VSB (S.D.N.Y. May 6, 2020).

$500,000 settlement for an aggrieved employee asserting FLSA, NYLL, NYCHRL, and NYSHRL claims against her employer. Goins v. BB&T Sec., LLC, et al., No. 1:20-cv-09891-PGG-JLC (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 6, 2022).

$110,000 collective action settlement for workers’ wage and hour claims. Hall v. J. Caiazzo Plumbing & Heating Corp. et al., No. 1:21-cv-05416-ENV-SJB (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 28, 2021).

$160,000 settlement for a collective of restaurant workers raising overtime and minimum wage claims. Molina, et al. v. Huaxcuaxtla Rest. Corp., et al., No. 1:20-cv-02481-RWL (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 25, 2021).

$425,000 settlement for unpaid wages and overtime on behalf of restaurant workers. Sanchez, et al. v. Stonehouse Rest LLC, et al., No. 1:18-cv-01397-ST (E.D.N.Y. Feb. 4, 2021).

$135,000 settlement of FLSA and NYLL overtime claims for a collective of workers. Kuznetsov, et al. v. Bravura Glass and Mirror Corp., et al., No. 1:20-cv-00726-LB (E.D.N.Y. Dec. 23, 2020).

$550,000 settlement for unpaid wages for a class of paramedic and ambulance workers. Ackerman v. N.Y. Hosp. Med. Ctr. of Queens, No. 702965/2013, NYSCEF Nos. 70 at 1-3; 80 (N.Y. Sup., Queens Cty. June 24, 2020).

$462,500 class action settlement for wage-and-hour claims raised by restaurant workers. Reeves, et al. v. La Pecora Bianca, Inc, et al., No. 151153/2018 (N.Y. Sup. Ct., June 11, 2020).

$260,000 settlement of minimum wage and overtime claims. Porrini v. McRizz, LLC, et al., No. 2:19-cv-03979(ARR)(RML) (E.D.N.Y. Aug. 16, 2022).

$700,000 settlement for a class of drivers, representing an incredible 100% of their wage damages as well as an additional 75% of their liquidated damages stemming from their wage claims. Morrell, et al. v. NYC Green Transp. Grp., LLC, et al., No. 1:18-cv-00918-PKC-VMS (E.D.N.Y. May 8, 2019).

$1.425 million settlement for a class of servers and bartenders challenging unlawful service charge and tip retention practices. Izzio, et al. v. Century Golf Partners Mgmt., L.P., No. 3:14-cv-03194-M (N.D. Tex. Feb. 13, 2019)

$9.8 million settlement for unpaid wages and overtime for a class or grocery store employees. Griffin, et al. v. Aldi, Inc., No. 5:16-cv-354 (LEK/ATB) (N.D.N.Y. Nov. 15, 2018)

$5.6 million class action settlement for 2,917 class members nationwide. Run Them Sweet, LLC v. CPA Global LTD, et al., No. 1:16-cv-1347-TSE-TCB (E.D. Va. Oct. 6, 2017).

$51 million class action settlement. Foster, et al. v. L-3 Commc’ns EoTech, Inc., et al., No. 6:15-cv-03519-BCW (W.D. Mo. July 7, 2017).

$250,000 class action settlement for unpaid overtime and statutory damages. Strong, et al. v. Safe Auto Ins. Grp., Inc., et al., No. 2:16-cv-765 (S.D. Ohio Aug. 28, 2017).
Innessa has been designated a “Super Lawyer” each year since 2017 and has been selected for inclusion into the America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators list. Innessa is active in multiple bar associations, including the Brooklyn Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section, American Bar Association’s Section of Labor and Employment, and the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA).

Innessa earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Pace Law School and her M.B.A. in Finance, summa cum laude, from Pace Lubin School of Business. Innessa graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A., summa cum laude, in Political Science and International Relations.

Innessa is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Southern District, Eastern District, Western District, and Northern District of New York, the District of New Jersey, and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Innessa Melamed Huot

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