Mr. Catalano is a partner with Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP. Mr. Catalano’s practice is concentrated in the areas of Labor & Employment, Litigation, and Public Law.

Mr. Catalano is a member of the New York State Bar Association and a member of the Labor & Employment Law Section. He is also a member of the Broome County Bar Association and is Co-Chair of the Young Lawyer’s Section. Mr. Catalano began his legal career in the Binghamton area when he served as a law clerk with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York while in law school. He later served as a law clerk in the Buffalo Regional Office of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, served as student judicial law clerk to the Honorable John F. O’Donnell (S.J.C., 8th District), and served as a law clerk, and later as an associate, with another local law firm. He joined Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP in 2014.

Mr. Catalano represents employers in drafting employment agreements, counseling employers on wage and hour issues and department of labor regulatory compliance. He also represents employers in litigation matters such as contract grievance and arbitration, General Municipal Law 207 matters, contract negotiation, and interest arbitration. In addition to his regular work, he regularly authors and edits articles for the New York Employment Law Letter, a monthly publication that helps employers understand new laws, regulations, and court cases. 

Education:

  • SUNY Buffalo Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 2013
    • Intellectual Property Law Journal
    • Environmental Law Moot Court Team
  • Hobart College, B.A. (History and Public Policy), 2010

Bar Admissions:

  • State of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Publications & Presentations:

  • Dealing With a Hostile Work Environment Complaint, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, Nov. 2014, at 1-2 (VOL. 21, No. 11).
  • Binding Arbitration Clauses and the Importance of Employee Handbooks, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, Dec. 2014, at 4 (VOL. 21, No. 12).
  • Is There a Doctor in the House? Physicians as Independent Contractors or Employees, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, Jan. 2015, at 4-5 (VOL. 22, No. 1).
  • That’s a Crime: Employer’s Lie May Amount to Harboring Illegal Alien, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, April 2015, at 1-2 (VOL. 22, No. 4).
  • Going Biggie With a French Manicure: New Regs, Wage Increases Lurk, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, June 2015, at 1-2 (VOL. 22, No. 6).
  • Losing ‘Control’ in a Retention Agreement, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, July 2015, at 2-3 (VOL. 22, No. 7).
  • Restrictive Covenants and the Sale of a Business—It’s Not Personal, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, Aug. 2015, at 4-5 (VOL. 22, No. 8).
  • NYSDOL OK’s Wage Board’s Fast-Food $15 Minimum Wage Recommendations, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, Oct. 2015, at 1-2 (VOL. 22, No. 10).
  • 2nd Circuit Clarifies Meaning of ‘Race’ for New York Village, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, Feb. 2016, at 1-2 (VOL. 23, No. 2).
  • The ‘Other Shoe’ Drops: 2nd Circuit Weighs in on Pregnancy Discrimination, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, June 2016, at 5 (VOL. 23, No. 6).
  • Minimum Wage Update: Appellate Court Affirms ‘Fast-Food’ Wage Order, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, July 2016, at 2-3 (VOL. 23, No. 7).
  • Where’s the Beef? Lessons on Sexual Harassment from New York Grocer’s Meat Locker, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, Aug. 2016, at 2-3 (VOL. 23, No. 8).
  • Fear the Monkey: 2nd Circuit Adopts ‘Cat’s-Paw’ Liability, N.Y. Employment Law Letter, Oct. 2016, at 1-2 (VOL. 23, No. 10).

Leadership & Community Involvement:

  • Newman Foundation, Binghamton University (Former Board Member)
  • Chenango Forks High School Mock Trial Team (Former Attorney Advisor)
  • Broome Leadership Institute (“BLI”) (Graduate, Class of 2020)
  • Cortland Area Communities That Care (Board Member)

Professional Affiliations:

  • Broome County Bar Association (Member); Young Lawyer’s Section (Co-Chair)
  • Cortland County Bar Association (Member)
  • New York State Bar Association (Member); Labor and Employment Law Section (Member)
  • Northern District of the New York Federal Court Bar Association (Member)