Judith I. Padow

Judith Padow has practiced labor law since 1988 and has dedicated her career to advocating for unions and protecting workers’ rights. She joined Gladstein, Reif & Meginniss after serving as Deputy General Counsel and Director of the Legal Department at SEIU Local 32BJ, one of the largest property service unions in the country. From 2011 to 2014, she managed a team of seven attorneys and advised the union on a wide range of matters, including collective bargaining, unfair labor practice litigation, representation elections, and internal governance.

Her career has included significant roles at the labor law firms Cohen, Weiss & Simon and Levy Ratner, where she practiced both labor and employee benefits law. Ms. Padow has litigated unfair labor practice and representation cases before the National Labor Relations Board and has represented unions and workers in federal and state courts. Her litigation experience covers statutes such as the National Labor Relations Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and the New York City Displaced Worker Law.

In addition to litigation, Ms. Padow has served as trustee for numerous Taft-Hartley employee benefit funds. She has advised unions on employee benefits compliance and legislative changes, including those under the Pension Protection Act of 1996 and the Affordable Care Act. Her guidance has helped unions safeguard benefits for tens of thousands of members.

Since 1999, Ms. Padow has also shared her expertise as an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School, where she teaches an advanced writing seminar in Labor and Employment Drafting. Her dedication to education extends beyond law; she is also pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Her decades of service to unions, both as an advocate and educator, reflect a career committed to strengthening workers’ rights and advancing labor law.