Five HSW Partners Named to 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Guide

August 15, 2025

Prestigious global legal directory Lawdragon has selected five Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler LLP partners for its 2025 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers guide.

The distinguished list includes HSW founding and managing partner Jonathan Harris, employment practice lead David Wechsler and partners Todd Gutfleisch, Kim Michael and Megan Dubatowka for their exceptional achievements representing plaintiffs in employment litigation.

Harris advises companies, C-suite executives, founders, portfolio managers and top producers in employment, partnership and business matters, and represents clients facing internal, regulatory and criminal investigations. One of New York's leading trial lawyers, Harris regularly tries high-profile cases as lead counsel. Lawdragon recently profiled Harris for his approach to trial law and client representation. His cases have resulted in record-breaking awards, reshaped interpretations of employment law and enhanced protections for business leaders nationwide.

Wechsler heads the firm's employment practice and has counseled senior executives and companies for more than 40 years, with particular emphasis in the financial services sector, including investment banking, private equity, asset management and hedge funds. He has secured more than 100 arbitration awards and guided numerous other disputes to favorable settlements. Wechsler's extensive experience spans compensation, discrimination, defamation and restrictive covenant cases.

Gutfleisch brings three decades of experience handling employment disputes for high-ranking employees and C-suite members, particularly those in the financial services industry. Beyond his work before regulatory and arbitration tribunals, government agencies and courts, Gutfleisch negotiates and mediates high-value agreements and disputes between employees and employers.

Michael serves as a trusted advocate for employees, especially C-suite members and high-ranking professionals, in all sectors, including financial services/securities, tech, media/entertainment, advertising/marketing, publishing, real estate and health care. Her comprehensive practice encompasses advising and negotiating for clients (including employment and separation agreements and investigations), as well as litigating complex employment issues, such as compensation, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, severance, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, whistleblowing, “for cause” terminations and defamation.

Dubatowka represents individuals and companies in commercial and employment litigation, arbitrations, and mediations. She helps clients navigate career-defining and business-critical moments with strategic counsel across industries, including financial services, technology and media. This marks Dubatowka's first inclusion on the Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers list. She was also recently named to the 2025 Lawdragon 500 X - The Next Generation guide, recognizing her as an emerging leader in the legal profession.