Overview
Sara Tomezsko is a partner in the Employment Law practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's New York office. Ms. Tomezsko's practice covers all aspects of employment law, with a focus on litigating both single-plaintiff and class and collective actions through trial and appeals. She also provides litigation avoidance and compliance advice to employers in a variety of industries, including technology, telecommunications, financial services, investment banking, private funds, and entertainment.
Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Litigation: Ms. Tomezsko represents employers defending against claims involving federal, state, and local anti-discrimination, harassment, and whistleblower retaliation laws, in both court and private arbitration.
She has successfully-obtained defense verdicts in cases involving claims asserted under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII, Section 1981, and New York City and State Human Rights Laws.
Wage and House Class, Collective, and Representative Actions: Recognized by The Legal 500 for her accomplishments in this area, Ms. Tomezsko regularly litigates class, collective, and representative-action lawsuits on behalf of employers. Her successes in this area include dismissal of wage-and-hour claims on Rule 12 motions, limiting certification of a putative nationwide collective to a fraction of the potential scope, and securing employer-favorable resolutions of complex wage-and-hour matters. She also counsels employers and revises employers' policies and to ensure compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York Labor Law.
Pay Equity: Ms. Tomezsko has experience litigating pay-equity claims, both on a single-plaintiff and class-wide basis. She also counsels employers through internal pay-equity audits and analyses, and assists multi-state employers in navigating the complex patchwork of state and local pay-equity and pay transparency and disclosure laws.
Arbitration Programs: Ms. Tomezsko routinely-advises employers on maintaining successful and defensible workforce-arbitration programs in light of recent legislative updates to the Federal Arbitration Act. She has secured several dozen orders enforcing employers' arbitration agreements, both at the trial court level and on appeal, including cases involving issues of first impression.
Ms. Tomezsko received her B.A. from Loyola University in Maryland in 2006, and her M.A. in English Literature and Theory from New York University in 2009. Before attending Cornell Law School, Ms. Tomezsko spent several years working in the financial services sector. She received her J.D. from Cornell in 2013.
Recognitions
- The Legal 500 USA, Labor and Employment Disputes Including Collective Actions: Defense (2021-2023)
- Best Lawyers, Ones to Watch, New York Area (2022, 2023)
- Recognized in Benchmark Litigation’s 2023 “40 & Under” List and honored as a 2024 “Future Star”
Education
- Cornell Law School, J.D., 2013
- New York University, M.A., 2009
- Loyola University Maryland, B.A., 2006
Recognitions
- Paul Hastings Multidisciplinary Litigation Team Once Again Recognized in Benchmark Litigation USA 2025 - October 18th, 2024
- Sara Tomezsko Named to Benchmark Litigation’s 2023 “40 & Under” List - September 14th, 2023
- Paul Hastings Recognized for Legal Excellence in the Legal 500 2022 - June 13th, 2022
- Paul Hastings Labor & Employment Practice Recognized as Top Tier by the 2021 Legal 500 United States Guide - June 18th, 2021
- Paul Hastings Recognized for Legal Excellence in Legal 500 2021 - June 15th, 2021
insights
- EEOC Issues Final Regulation on Pregnant Workers Fairness Act - May 7th, 2024
- NYC Employers Required to Post and Provide the City’s Workers’ Bill of Rights - April 4th, 2024
- Pay Transparency Laws: Washington D.C. Is Next - January 31st, 2024
- New York Passes Law Protecting Solo Independent Contractors - December 12th, 2023
- New York Amends Law Affecting Settlements of Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Claims - November 27th, 2023
- PWFA Proposed Regulations and Potential Areas of Comment for Employers - August 28th, 2023
- What Employers Need to Know about the SCOTUS Affirmative Action Decision - July 5th, 2023
- New York Legislature Passes Non-Compete Ban - June 23rd, 2023
- “AI” in Employment Law: EEOC Issues Title VII Guidance - May 25th, 2023
- The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Issues Final Rules Governing New York City’s Automated Employment Decision Tool Law - April 11th, 2023
- Governor Signs New York State Pay Disclosure Bill Into Law - December 22nd, 2022
- NYC Council Passes Amendments to Salary Disclosure Law - April 29th, 2022
- New York City Commission on Human Rights Issues Guidance on New Salary Transparency Law - March 28th, 2022
- Congress Seeks to End Forced Arbitration for Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Related Claims - February 22nd, 2022
- New York City Now Requires Salary Disclosures for Applicants and Employees - January 17th, 2022
- OSHA Continues to Publish Alerts Offering Industry-Specific Safety Guidance - May 18th, 2020
- Critical Workers and Direct Threat to Self: EEOC Publishes More Technical Guidance - May 8th, 2020
- The EEOC’s Updated Technical Assistance Q&A, Including New Return to Work Guidance - April 20th, 2020
- OSHA Interim Enforcement Response Plan for COVID-19 - April 16th, 2020
- PH COVID-19 Client Alert Series: Expanded Guidance from the CDC and EEOC - April 13th, 2020
Engagement & Publications
- Employment Discrimination Law (Sixth Ed.), Associate Editor
- “Contractually Shortened Statutes of Limitations for Employee Claims,” Thomson Reuters (2014)