Joseph Gallagher is a partner in Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler’s Employment and Commercial Litigation groups. He represents individuals and business entities in a wide variety of commercial disputes, and his employment practice focuses on advising high net-worth individuals on their onboarding and separation agreements, restrictive covenants, and in partnership disputes. He has particular experience helping clients navigate matters in the financial services sector.
Notable Matters:
Mr. Gallagher regularly represents clients in state and federal court, in arbitration, in mediation, and in private negotiations. His key matters include:
- representing 42 former employees of BuzzFeed in arbitration and litigation against the company in a dispute arising out of BuzzFeed’s disastrous de-SPAC transaction at the end of 2021;
- representing, with David Wechsler, a high-profile activist investor in arbitration against his former business partner over significant break-up payments;
- representing, with Jonathan Harris, a successful entrepreneur in resolving multi-million dollar claims he brought against a Fortune 500 company that included significant valuation questions;
- representing a leading Web3 company in a variety of commercial and employment disputes in New York state court and in arbitration;
- representing, with David Wechsler, a healthcare startup that has secured more than $35 million in funding in restrictive covenant litigation brought by a competitor’s subsidiary;
- successfully defending the appeal of a motion to dismiss victory secured by an international mining company and its chief executive in federal court against allegations of securities fraud.
Education:
Mr. Gallagher graduated from Williams College, phi beta kappa, in 2003, and from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2008.
Admissions:
Mr. Gallagher is admitted to practice in the State of New York, the S.D.N.Y., and the E.D.N.Y.
Updated Sep 2023
