For two decades, Valdi Licul’s celebrated legal practice has been devoted exclusively to fighting on behalf of those facing discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. Workplaces are Licul’s domain, and he’s battled tirelessly for their integrity – protecting critical whistleblowers in cases of fraud in the financial services industry and victims of sexual harassment and assault, age, racial and gender discrimination and more in industries across the board.
As workplaces have changed over the years, laws surrounding workplace discrimination have, as well. Recent shifts that have impacted Licul’s practice include a push for reducing the number of sexual harassment and assault cases going to arbitration via the Ending Forced Arbitration Act (EFAA) of 2021, ensuring victims of sexual harassment and assault get their day in court. Then, in 2022, an amendment to New York’s whistleblower law expanded the scope of protected activity and, with an update in November of 2024, increased both the statute of limitations on retaliation claims and penalties for employers who retaliate against whistleblowers.
Yet, while the law has changed, Licul’s clients’ experiences have remained frustratingly similar: “Unfortunately, my clients today face many of the same issues as clients from twenty years ago,” he says. “Conscientious workers trying to root out illegal activity often become targets instead of being rewarded for their courage. Extraordinarily accomplished women are still paid...
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