Gould & Berg, LLP

Employment work for both sides

Based in White Plains, Gould & Berg, LLP represents employees and employers across Westchester County and nearby areas. Its employment work covers discrimination, sexual harassment, wage and hour disputes, retaliation, employee discipline, termination, severance agreements, and non-compete agreements. This gives the firm a broad view of workplace disputes and the decisions that can lead to them.

Representation of both sides is a defining part of the employment practice. Employees may need advice about workplace treatment, unpaid wages, discipline, or the terms of a proposed separation. Employers may need help responding to a complaint, reviewing an employment decision, or preparing documents that set clear workplace rules.

Claims before agencies and courts

Employment claims often begin with a careful review of dates, communications, personnel records, pay records, and workplace policies. Discrimination and retaliation matters may also involve an administrative charge before a lawsuit. Jane Bilus Gould has represented employers and employees before the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Kim Patricia Berg has handled workplace discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the New York State Human Rights Law. Those laws address different protected traits and forms of workplace conduct. The governing law, filing deadline, employer coverage, and available proof can shape how a claim proceeds.

Wages, contracts, and workplace documents

Wage and hour disputes commonly require a close reading of payroll data, time records, job duties, and the method used to calculate compensation. Questions may concern unpaid wages, hours worked, or an employee's classification. Clear records matter because the parties may remember schedules and responsibilities differently.

The firm also drafts and reviews workplace policies, employee handbooks, and employment-related agreements. Severance and non-compete documents can address payment terms, continuing duties, restrictions, releases, and the handling of confidential material. A careful review helps each party understand the language before signing or seeking enforcement.

Civil rights, speech, and whistleblower matters

The firm's civil rights work includes claims involving free speech, union activity, due process, and equal protection. It also handles whistleblower matters and workplace retaliation. These subjects can overlap when a person reports conduct, speaks on a public issue, participates in union activity, or challenges a government decision.

Civil rights cases often turn on the source of the claimed right and the conduct being challenged. The identity of the decision-maker can affect which rules apply. Courts may also examine the notice given, the procedures used, and the connection between protected conduct and an adverse action.

Building a clear factual sequence

Free speech and retaliation claims usually depend on context. Written communications, meeting records, policies, witness accounts, and the timing of later decisions may help establish that context. The legal analysis can differ according to whether the dispute concerns public employment, private employment, union activity, or another protected act.

Due process matters often examine whether an institution gave notice and a fair chance to respond before taking action. Equal protection claims require attention to the challenged treatment and the basis for comparison. Gould & Berg's stated work in these areas fits closely with its employment and student discipline caseload.

Student discipline in school settings

High school, college, and university students may face disciplinary action that affects enrollment, academic standing, campus access, or future plans. Gould & Berg represents students in these proceedings. The practice includes student discipline and matters associated with Title IX in the directory's practice taxonomy.

School disciplinary systems usually rely on institutional codes and written procedures. A case may include a notice of allegations, an investigation, interviews, a hearing, findings, sanctions, and an internal appeal. The exact process depends on the school and the type of allegation.

Records and procedural questions

Student matters call for close attention to emails, messages, school policies, witness statements, and the institution's notices. Counsel may need to identify the applicable rule, prepare a response, and track procedural deadlines. A clear record can also matter if the student later challenges the school's decision.

Civil rights questions may arise when a public school takes disciplinary action. Due process and free speech principles can become part of the analysis, depending on the facts. The firm's stated civil rights work gives its student discipline practice a related legal foundation.

Business, real estate, and estate disputes

Gould & Berg handles commercial disputes involving contracts and disagreements between business principals. Its business work also includes formation and dissolution. These matters can involve ownership documents, operating terms, payment records, correspondence, and the parties' course of dealing.

Business litigation typically begins with the governing documents and the remedy each side seeks. Pleadings define the claims, discovery develops the factual record, and motions may resolve legal issues before trial. Settlement discussions or mediation can occur when the parties see value in a negotiated result.

Real estate and foreclosure work

The firm's commercial practice includes real estate matters and foreclosure defense. Jane Bilus Gould has concentrated part of her four decades in practice on commercial and real estate litigation. Real estate disputes may depend on contracts, loan documents, notices, payment histories, title records, or communications between the parties.

Foreclosure cases require attention to the loan history and the papers filed in court. Deadlines and procedural requirements can affect the available response. A lawyer may also evaluate possible resolution terms while preparing the litigation position.

Estates and dispute resolution

The firm handles estate planning, probate, estate administration, and related litigation. Estate planning usually involves documents that state how a person wants property and decision-making authority handled. Probate and administration concern the court process, the collection of assets, valid debts, and distribution to the proper recipients.

Estate litigation can arise over a will, fiduciary conduct, ownership, or administration. Gould & Berg also handles mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Mediation gives the parties a structured setting for settlement talks while leaving the decision with them.

Two founding partners with related practices

Jane Bilus Gould and Kim Patricia Berg founded the firm and have more than 50 years of combined legal experience. Their work includes litigation in New York state, federal, and appellate courts, as well as proceedings before state and federal agencies. The site identifies both lawyers as founding partners.

Gould has practiced law for four decades. Her stated concentration includes federal civil rights, employment discrimination, commercial litigation, and real estate litigation. She has represented employees and employers, which matches the firm's two-sided employment practice.

Berg practices in civil rights, employment law, discrimination, retaliation, and commercial disputes. Her experience with federal and New York employment statutes connects directly to the firm's workplace claims. Her commercial work also supports the firm's business litigation offering.

Reviewer assessment

In my opinion, the clearest feature of Gould & Berg is the connection among its practice areas. Employment disputes can involve civil rights or whistleblower issues, while student cases can raise speech and due process questions. Business and estate matters add contract, property, and fiduciary disputes to the firm's court work.

The firm presents a defined partner team with experience in courts and administrative agencies. It represents individuals, employees, employers, students, and businesses in the matters described on its site. Its office is in White Plains, and its stated service area includes Westchester County and surrounding communities.