Overview
Alan Klinger represents parties in complex civil litigation and has a proven track record of achieving successful results, whether through negotiation or litigation. As Chair of the Labor Group, he leads the firm's representation of public sector unions and employee benefits funds.
Alan provides outside counsel to, among others, the United Federation of Teachers, Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association, American Federation of Teachers District Council 37, Council of School Supervisors & Administrators, CWA 1180, and New York City Employees Union Local 237 Funds. He also regularly represents the New York City Municipal Labor Committee (MLC), a consortium of the City's municipal unions, in major litigation and amici curiae filings. Alan also acts as pro bono counsel to the Association of State Supreme Court Justices. His government relations work involves representing clients in administrative proceedings, health care, and land use.
Alan has been recognized by Chambers USA as an authority in Labor & Employment for his leading role in the representation of public sector unions. He is nationally ranked in Legal 500 and is perennially highly ranked in City & State's "Law Power 100". Benchmark Litigation has named him a "Labor & Employment and Litigation Star" since 2017. Long recognized by Best Lawyers for his work in multiple areas of litigation, including labor and employment, ERISA, and land use and zoning, Alan has also long been ranked in Super Lawyers. He is a frequent lecturer and co-author on issues relating to labor law and collective bargaining, along with the attorney-client privilege/work product doctrine. He has also served as an adjunct professor of civil procedure.
A source reported to Chambers, "Alan is strategic and nuanced, and uses his experience and broad connections in the areas of labor relations and local government to find the best path forward in any situation." Another reported, "Alan is an excellent attorney with great personal and legal skills. He has a breadth of legal experience and knowledge."
Alan is the recipient of the Anti-Defamation League's Edward Brodsky Founder's Award for the New York Region, and received the Lawyers Alliance for New York's "Cornerstone Award" for outstanding pro bono legal service for his work on behalf of children. Alan is the Chair for the ADL's New York/New Jersey Region and Co-Chair of its Lawyers Division along with being a National Commissioner for its parent body. He also serves as a trustee of the NYU School of Law Foundation, the NYU Labor and Employment Center, and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. He serves as well on the advisory board for Partnership with Children, Inc., which promotes the emotional, social and cognitive skills of vulnerable children in New York City.
Alan served as a governor-appointed member of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2018, the last four years as Chair, assisting New York families in being able to afford a college education.
- New York
- US District Court, Southern District of New York
- US District Court, Eastern District of New York
- US District Court, Western District of New York
- US District Court, District of New Jersey
- US Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- US Supreme Court
- Justice Sidney Schreiber, New Jersey Supreme Court, 1981-1982
- J.D., New York University School of Law, 1981, Editor-in-Chief, Moot Court Board
- A.B., Princeton University, 1978, magna cum laude
Representative Matters
Among his many successful cases, Alan has:
- On behalf of public employee unions, successfully arbitrated contract impasse proceedings before the New York State Public Employment Relations Board and the New York City Office of Collective Bargaining; prevailed against the City in "scoping" and contract enforcement proceedings; obtained a judgment against the City and related governmental entities to enforce statutorily mandated inspection and repair of public premises; successfully brought suit against retirement systems and governmental entities accomplishing change in the method for computation of retirement benefits; and submitted amicus briefs on behalf of labor unions in issues of national public import.
- On behalf of an educational institution, prevailed in litigation that allowed the school to take down buildings to construct a new law center in the face of challenges to government approval.
- On behalf of a hospital, enabled it to form a professional affiliation with a major hospital by defeating challenge of a rival hospital. As counsel to the hospital, successfully defended award of government contract to it.
- On behalf the New York City MLC, negotiated health insurance programs with the City and the carriers for active municipal workers and retirees.
News & Publications
Media Mentions
January 6, 2024
Press Releases
Steptoe Announces Lawsuit Brought on Behalf of the United Federation of Teachers
January 5, 2024
Noteworthy
- Business Today, Top 10 Leading Labor & Employment Lawyers in New York
- Chambers USA, Labor Relations: Spotlight Table, New York
- Chambers USA, Labor & Employment; Labor Relations (2024)
- Chambers USA, Labor & Employment, New York (2021-2024)
- City & State, Labor Power 100 (2023-2024)
- City & State, Law Power 100 (2023)
- City & State, Law Power 50 (2019)
- City & State, 50 Over Fifty (2019)
- Anti-Defamation League, Edward Brodsky Founder's Award for the New York Region (2018)
- Lawyers Alliance, New York’s Cornerstone Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Legal Service (2007)
- The Legal 500, Nationally Recommended (2023)
- Benchmark Litigation, Litigation Star (2017-2023)
- Best Lawyers, Labor & Employment, ERISA and Land Use & Zoning (2023)
- Super Lawyers, Labor and Employment law (2006-2023)
- Schneps Media, Manhattan Power List (2023)
Authored Articles
- "Practice Before the Commercial Division," Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts, Thomson West, Fifth Edition, September 2022
- "Public Sector Unions Can Survive Janus," ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law, October 2020
- "Public Sector Pensions Under Attack," New York Law Journal, November 7, 2016
- "The Role of Strategic Thinking In Legal Training," New York Law Journal, April 22, 2013
Professional Affiliations
- Honorary member, The Supreme Court Justices Association of the City of New York
- Honorary member, The Association of the Justices of the State of New York
- Editorial Advisory Board Member, Law360 (2025)
- Chair of New York/New Jersey Region, Anti-Defamation League (2023-present)
- Commissioner, Anti-Defamation League National Commission (2018-present)
- Member, Employment Authority Labor Editorial Board, Law360 (2022-present)
- Trustee, New York University School of Law Foundation (2016-present)
- Trustee, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a non-partisan, non-profit organization created by President Kennedy that seeks to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice under law (2012-present)
- Member, New York University School of Law Center for Labor and Employment Law Advisory Board (2012-present)
- Trustee, Partnership with Children, Inc., a not-for-profit entity that assists in strengthening the emotional, social and cognitive skills of at-risk children (1998-2023)
- Member, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Board of Directors (2019-present)
- Member, Executive Committee, Lawyers Division, UJA Federation of New York (2010-present)
- Trustee, New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (2010-2018)
- Member, New York University School of Law Alumni Affairs Board (2008-present)