Andrew Wilson has focused on complex commercial and civil rights litigation for more than twenty years. He has tried cases before juries and judges in state, federal, and arbitral matters. He has argued appeals in the Second, Third, and Fifth Circuits and New York’s appellate courts.
His commercial work includes cross-border and domestic matters involving complex commercial litigation, art litigation, partnership and other contract disputes, Lanham Act claims, and commercial class actions. He has represented foreign corporations in domestic contract disputes, in multinational litigation, and as local counsel. Mr. Wilson has extensive experience obtaining evidence for use in foreign litigation under 28 U.S.C. § 1782. For example, in a case of first impression before the Second Circuit, he obtained discovery for use in a Swiss criminal prosecution relating to the Madoff fraud. Mr. Wilson also regularly provides advice to executives in severance and other contract negotiations.
Mr. Wilson’s civil rights practice includes cases relating to racial justice, children’s rights, sexual harassment, religious rights, election law, prisoners’ rights, employment discrimination, and housing rights. These matters have included claims against the Mamaroneck and Pinebush School Districts for racist and Anti-Semitic bullying, reforming the Yonkers and New York City Police departments’ treatment of religious head coverings, confidential matters relating to sexual harassment and discrimination, a $6 million settlement for a man who spent over twenty years in prison for a murder he did not commit, requiring the Cooper Union to pursue a return to free tuition, and reforming the bylaws of a former pro-Nazi residential community on Long Island.
Mr. Wilson has been named a “Super Lawyer” since 2016. He has been recognized as a member of the Lawdragon “500 Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyers” (2021-2023). He is the current Chair of the Subcommittee on Race/National Origin/Language Discrimination of the American Bar Association. And he is a member of the Legal Network for Gender Equity.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Wilson was an associate at Simpson Thacher and Bartlett LLP. He has also worked at Tory Tory DesLauriers & Binnington in Toronto, at the World Health Organization in Geneva, and at Profamilia Legal Services in Bogota. Mr. Wilson clerked for the Honorable Harold A. Ackerman, in the District of New Jersey.
Education
University of Toronto, L.L.B., 2000
Faculty of Law Review, Senior Editor
Lang Michener Prize in Property Law
Harvard University, B.A., magna cum laude, 1996
John Harvard Scholarship (for “academic work of highest distinction”)
Bowdoin Prize for English Composition
Barbara Miller Solomon Prize for Senior Thesis
Admissions
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
New York
Memberships
American Bar Association (Chair of the Civil Rights Subcommittee on Race/National Origin/Language Discrimination and Co-Chair of the Civil Rights Litigation Committee))
Association of the Bar of the City of New York
Canadian American Bar Association
The Advocates’ Society
Attorney News
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ECBAWM, S.T.O.P. Reach $17.5M Settlement in NYPD ‘Hijab Removal’ Class Action
April 5, 2024
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Newsday Reports on ECBAWM Religious Rights Case
January 22, 2024
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ECBAWM Files Religious Rights Suit Against Suffolk County
January 17, 2024
Representative Cases
Reform of the New York City and Yonkers Police Department policies to limit the removal of religious head coverings (including hijabs, turbans, and yarmulkes), together with related training. The Yonkers settlement included $175,000 in compensatory damages; the New York damages case is ongoing.
Dismissal and successful appellate affirmance of commercial class actions on behalf of New York Taxi fleet owners for purported violations of the Taxi and Limousine Commission Rules and related contract claims.
$4.48 million settlement with expansive policy changes for pervasive anti-Semitism in the Pine Bush School District on behalf of five Jewish children.
Second Circuit affirmance of a 28 U.S.C. § 1782 subpoena for hedge fund manager in aid of foreign proceedings arising from the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme.
Publications
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“Supreme Court to Revisit Affirmative Action in College Admissions”
October 22, 2015 —
American Bar Association -
“Good Stop/Bad Stop (and Frisk)”
April 14, 2014 —
American Bar Association -
“Second Circuit’s Latest Statement on Pattern or Practice”
June 1, 2013 —
American Bar Association
Education
University of Toronto, L.L.B., 2000
Faculty of Law Review, Senior Editor
Lang Michener Prize in Property Law
Harvard University, B.A., magna cum laude, 1996
John Harvard Scholarship (for “academic work of highest distinction”)
Bowdoin Prize for English Composition
Barbara Miller Solomon Prize for Senior Thesis
Admissions
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
New York
Memberships
American Bar Association (Chair of the Civil Rights Subcommittee on Race/National Origin/Language Discrimination and Co-Chair of the Civil Rights Litigation Committee))
Association of the Bar of the City of New York
Canadian American Bar Association
The Advocates’ Society