Todd Steigman
Mr. Steigman, a partner at Madsen, Prestley & Parenteau, represents employees whose workplace rights have been violated. In particular, he has extensive experience representing whistleblowers and employees who have opposed or exposed wrongdoing in the workplace.
He has represented clients who were subjected to retaliation for exercising their right to speak on matters of public concern in violation of the First Amendment and the free speech provisions of the Connecticut Constitution. He played a leading role in the case in which the Connecticut Supreme Court decided that public and private employees in Connecticut are protected from retaliation by their employers because of their opposition to official dishonesty, deliberately unconstitutional conduct, serious wrongdoing, or threats to health and safety, even if the employee is speaking pursuant to his or her official job duties. He has also represented employees who have opposed violations of state and federal law, including violations of federal securities laws.
He has litigated whistleblower claims in administrative agencies, and in state and federal courts, under federal whistleblower statutes such as Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank, and the False Claims Act, in addition to other state and federal whistleblower statutes. Mr. Steigman also has substantial experience representing employees in a wide variety of employment claims relating to discrimination (disability, gender, age, race, religion), sexual harassment, failure to pay wages and overtime, unequal pay, wrongful discharge, and the Family Medical Leave Act. He has also argued appeals before the Connecticut Supreme Court and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.
He has represented multiple victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault. He has obtained significant monetary recoveries for clients who were subjected to sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace, and has also caused employers to adopt new policies and procedures prohibiting workplace harassment and discrimination, and to ensure that policies prohibit retaliation against employees who report and complain about sexual harassment. He has completed training in Trauma Informed Legal Advocacy, and is a member of the Legal Network for Gender Equity that is affiliated with the National Women’s Law Center and the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund.
Mr. Steigman’s cases have been reported in the Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, Reuters, the Hartford Courant, the Connecticut Mirror, and the Connecticut Law Tribune, and he was interviewed for an article in the New York Times regarding the rights of a Connecticut employee to speak on political issues without being disciplined at work. He has also spoken to groups and published on issues relating to various aspects of employment law.
During law school, Mr. Steigman gained experience through internships with the Honorable William I. Garfinkel, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Connecticut, and in the Employee Rights Division of the Office of Attorney General of the State of Connecticut. Todd was selected to the 2015 Connecticut Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice.
Representative Matters
- Represented executive at multinational corporation who opposed alleged unethical business practices and alleged securities law violations in retaliation claims under state and federal law in federal court and in appeal to Connecticut Supreme Court.
- Represented doctor who was retaliated against for opposing improper billing practices and possible Medicare fraud by hospital.
- Represented public employee in retaliation and whistleblower claims in federal court and administrative agency after employee complained to independent watchdog agency.
- Represented employee in retaliation claims after employee terminated from employment for objecting to unethical and illegal business practices.
- Represented public employee who was subjected to retaliation after complaining of discrimination in federal court.
- Represented sales person who was retaliated against and terminated because of objections to unlawful business practices.
- Represented group of employees in federal court on age discrimination claims related to layoff.
- Represented doctor in gender discrimination claim regarding denial of promotion.
- Represented class of convenience store managers in overtime class action claims.
Education
- B.A., Quinnipiac University, summa cum laude, in History and Psychology.
- J.D., University of Connecticut School of Law, with honors.
Bar Admissions
- Connecticut
- U.S. District Court, Connecticut
- Second Circuit Court of Appeals
Professional Affiliations
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association