Shavani Naidu - New York, NY

An employment attorney in Tully Rinckey’s New York City office, and a global citizen who has lived in South Africa, Singapore, the U.K. and U.S., Shavani has worked in diverse settings in both the public and private sector. Prior to joining Tully Rinckey, Shavani worked in-house as a labor and employment attorney at the New York City Department of Social Services where she investigated and prosecuted matters of employee misconduct and fitness to work under Section 72 and 75 of the New York Civil Service Law before the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. In addition, Shavani handled numerous complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act with the New York State Division of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Shavani’s background in Human Resource Management has aided her practice of employment law. She has extensive experience drafting employment agreements and internal employment policies including workplace health and safety, EEO, reasonable accommodation, leave and benefits policies.

Her passion for employment law is rooted in her work in international human rights advocacy. Shavani worked as an attorney at Project Expedite Justice, where she dedicated her practice to creating access to justice for survivors of human rights abuses in Cambodia, including human trafficking, forced labor, sexual assault, and gender-based violence. She also provided legal capacity-building and training for lawyers in Ethiopia on war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. Shavani has represented clients from all walks of life and her commitment to treating her clients with respect, care, and empathy is central to her practice.

Shavani attended the University of Bristol in the UK where she graduated with a Bachelor of Laws. Her dissertation focused on prison reform, specifically preventing torture and inhumane treatment in prisons throughout South Africa. Thereafter, she went on to pursue a Master of Laws at BPP University in the UK, which included a focus on business strategy and finance.

Shavani’s extensive travels inspired the various community service projects she embarked on, from housebuilding in Cambodia to teaching in the Philippines and India. Growing up in South Africa, she developed a deep commitment to addressing the challenges of unpaid care work, which disproportionately affects women and young girls in disadvantaged communities, limiting their access to education and employment opportunities. Shavani is devoted to advancing gender equality in the workplace and empowering women to achieve independence and self-sufficiency.

In her spare time, Shavani loves traveling and exploring new places with her friends and family, attending music festivals and concerts, keeping active by trying new workout classes throughout the city and doing yoga.