Cynthia Devasia
Attorney at Law

(917)551-1352

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Ms. Devasia has a long standing and exemplary record representing individual and institutional clients in Labor & Employment litigation and transactional matters.  She is a trusted advisor to her clients responsible for litigation strategy, management and execution, risk assessment and mitigation,  complex problem solving and crisis management, and negotiation and mediation.

As an ardent advocate for individual workers, Ms. Devasia has handled disciplinary hearings, wrongful termination claims, grievance arbitrations, line of duty/job injury claims, EEOC investigations, and harassment and discrimination claims related race, age, gender, nationality and pregnancy discrimination.  She has negotiated, mediated, and/or litigated a variety of employment issues including work-place safety, reasonable accommodation, religious accommodation, and Military Leave and other leaves of absence. She provides guidance on various Human Resources issues and has negotiated employment contracts and separation agreements. She regularly advises regarding state and federal labor and employment laws including the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act and Fair Labor Standards Act. She has extensive experience litigating individual civil rights and has pursued novel Constitutional claims.  

As General Counsel to public and private sector unions, Ms. Devasia represents unions in New York state and federal courts and administrative agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board, New York State Public Employment Relations Board and Department of Labor, and New York City Office of Collective Bargaining, in various labor law matters including duty of fair representation cases, improper practice and unfair labor practice charges. She has negotiated several collective bargaining agreements and represented unions in mediation and interest arbitration. She regularly presents training programs for union officials and members, handles internal union investigations, and drafts corporate governance documents like union Constitutions and By-laws. Ms. Devasia has also represented non-profit organizations guiding them through the state incorporation and 501(c)(3) qualification processes as well as providing advice on organizational compliance and administration.

Ms. Devasia’s extensive employee benefits practice includes advising trustees, administrators or other plan fiduciaries of various public and private sector employee fringe benefit funds including multi-employer jointly trusteed Taft-Hartley funds. She advises regarding fiduciary duties, plan design and administration, withdrawal liability, qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs) and compliance with ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, HIPAA, state insurance laws and federal laws. She has litigated on behalf of benefit funds in cases involving breach of fiduciary duty, benefit denial, and delinquent contribution claims. Ms. Devasia also has extensive experience drafting Trust Documents, Summary Plan Descriptions, and corporate governance policies.

Ms. Devasia has appeared in various media outlets on television and radio to discuss Labor & Employment issues including WPIX News 11 and ABC 7 News, and her work has been featured in the New York Law Journal, The Chief-Leader, the Daily News, New York Post and The Associated Press. She is an active member of the New York State Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers Association and its Law Related Education Committee. 

Ms. Devasia strives to inspire the same passion she holds for the law amongst new generations by often lecturing about the legal profession and topics in New York City schools and serving as an Adjunct Professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law which is where she received her Juris Doctorate. While at Cardozo, Ms. Devasia served as Editor-in Chief of the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution and Assistant Editor of the Cardozo Studies in Law and Literature.  Unique  experiences such as being part of Cardozo’ nationally ranked Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution and a legal intern for the Honorable Whitman K. Knapp of the Southern District of New York shaped her legal skills and acumen. As an Adjunct Professor, Ms. Devasia teaches doctrinal law as well as legal writing, research, and lawyering skills.