Nicole Wiitala - New York, NY
Attorney at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP
Discrimination and Harassment Lawyers in New York, NY
17 State Street Suite 3700 New York, NY 10004
- Free Consultation
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
9
Years
Experience
New York Discrimination and Harassment Lawyer
Updated: 10/07/2026
Areas of Practice
- Discrimination and Harassment
- Criminal/Sexual Violence Matters
Attorney Information
Overview
Nicole Wiitala is a Managing Partner for Legal Personnel at Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP. Since joining Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP, Nicole has been recognized in the legal community as a 2021 New York Metro Super Lawyer Rising Star.
At Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP, Nicoleâs practice has focused on discrimination and harassment and criminal/sexual violence matters, representing both individuals and classes. Nicoleâs representations have included:
- Litigating a landmark Title IX class action lawsuit against Dartmouth College brought on behalf of current and former female graduate students and undergraduates in Dartmouthâs Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, culminating in a $14 million Court-approved settlement that also included programmatic relief valued at an additional $1.5 million
- Litigating a nationwide gender discrimination and sexual harassment class action filed against Schlumberger Technology Corporation on behalf of women who work on oil rigs in the U.S.
- Litigating a nationwide gender discrimination class action lawsuit Merck and Co., Inc. on behalf of female pharmaceutical sales representatives, culminating in a $6.2 million Court-approved settlement
- Litigating a nationwide gender discrimination class action lawsuit against Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on behalf of female pharmaceutical sales representatives, culminating in a $4 million Court-approved settlement
- Litigating a wage and hour class action against Alaska Communications Systems in which Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight won class certification on behalf of employees suing for unpaid overtime
- Litigating individual discrimination and retaliation cases on behalf of attorneys, including the former Vice President for Legal Affairs at Giorgio Armani Corporation, the former in-house counsel at Zara, and the former General Counsel and Executive Vice President at EXL Service Holdings, Inc.
- Litigating an age discrimination, gender discrimination, and retaliation case on behalf of the former Head of Americas Research at Cushman and Wakefield
- Representing the former Senior Vice President at JUUL Labs, Inc. in his whistleblower retaliation and wrongful termination claims currently in arbitration
- Negotiating settlements on behalf of individuals alleging a broad range of claims, including discrimination on the basis of gender, pregnancy, age, and national origin, including claims brought by in-house counsel, executives in financial services, physicians, and advertising industries
Nicole received her law degree cum laude from Pace University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Pace University. While at Pace Law School, Nicole served as Editor-in-Chief of Pace Law Review. She worked as a judicial extern for the Honorable Edgardo Ramos in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and interned in the Litigation Bureau at the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York.
A member of the New York bar, Nicole has presented at conferences on sex abuse class action cases.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- New York Super Lawyersâ âRising Starâ Selectee â 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021
- Bloomberg Law Labor & Employment Fresh Face
- Benchmark Litigationâs 40 and Under List â 2026
- Best Lawyersâ Ones to Watch Selectee for âLabor and Employment Law â Employeeâ and âLitigation â Labor and Employmentâ â 2027, 2026, 2025, and 2024
- Lawdragonâs â500 Leading Civil Rights and Plaintiff Employment Lawyersâ Selectee â 2026 and 2025
Other Sources of Feedback About Nicole Wiitala
Included on the 2026 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2024 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2023 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2022 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2021 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
Education
Legal Education
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Pace University School of Law, White Plains, New York
J.D.
Honors: cum laude
Law Review: Pace Law Review, Editor-in-Chief
Non Legal Education
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Pace University
B.A.
Honors: cum laude
Current Employment Position(s)
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Managing Partner for Legal Personnel
Past Positions
- Honorable Edgardo Ramos in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judicial Extern
- Litigation Bureau at the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York, Intern
Classes and Seminars
- Panelist/Speaker, Emerging Cases: Litigation Updates and Trends to Watch, âDefeating GoliathâSex Abuse Class Action Casesâ, The American Association For Justice â Class Action Seminar, December 6, 2018 - Present
Representative Cases
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Maria Sicola v. Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.
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Ian Jack Miller v. Zara USA, Inc. et al.
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Fabio Silva v. Giorgio Armani Corp., Et. Al.
Bar Admissions
- New York, 2017
- U.S. District Court Southern District of New York
Photo
Contact
17 State Street
Suite 3700
New York, NY 10004
Phone Number: 888-681-5583
Fax Number: 646-402-5651
Email: Send a message
Website: https://sanfordheisler.com/
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