Kim Patricia Berg

Kim Patricia Berg serves as a part-time United States Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of New York where she presides over criminal matters occurring on the federal lands within the SDNY.  She is a founding partner of Gould & Berg, LLP, a White Plains, New York law firm where her practice of law focuses primarily in the areas of employment, contracts, restrictive covenants, commercial disputes, wills, trusts and estates, and civil rights.  Kim Berg routinely represents litigants, including both employees and employers, in matters conducted before the state and federal trial and appellate courts and before administrative agencies such as the New York State Division of Human Rights, New York State Department of Labor, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Such matters include claimed violations of the anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, labor laws, employment leave laws, civil service matters and tenure rights, and constitutional provisions involving free speech, free press, union association, due process, equal protection, and prisoner's rights.  She also handles transactional matters such as contracts, non-compete and non-solicit agreements,  employment and independent contractor agreements, partnership/business agreements, separation agreements, requests for workplace accommodations, and will drafting.Her success at trial in a complex prisoner death case won her accolades for the highest verdict in a civil rights case as reported by Verdict Searches’ “Top NY Verdicts for 2009”.  Kim Berg was the recipient of the Above the Bar Award recognizing her as a Leading Civil Rights Attorney in recognition of a legal career devoted to the pursuit of justice for victims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation and violations of civil rights and for being well-respected as an attorney who uniformly engages in ethical representation of clients.  She has been named to the New York Super Lawyer's List for Employment Law and Civil Rights continuously since 2013.In addition to practicing law full time and serving as a part-time federal judge, Ms. Berg serves as an Administrative Law Judge for the Westchester County Human Rights Commission and as a FINRA Arbitrator.  Recognizing that resolution of disputes can often been resolved without long, expensive and risky litigation, she frequently serves as a certified mediator with advance training in several substantive areas of law, both privately and through her including on many court rosters for matters filed with the United States District Courts, New York State Supreme Courts and New York State Surrogate's Courts.Ms. Berg holds several positions with the Westchester Women's Bar Association and runs a mentor program in collaboration with her alma mater.  She has held several leadership positions including as President of the WWBA and President, Vice President, Secretary and Local Director of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association; President and Secretary of the WWBA Foundation; Secretary to the Westchester Committee of the Federal Bar Council; and as Co-Chair of several committees including WWBA and WBASNY Employment Law Committees, and the WWBA Bylaws, Awards, and Mentor Committees. She is also a member and Chair of the Mentor Committee for the Elisabeth Haub School of Law's Women in the Law Committee. She is a member of the Gender Fairness Committee for the Ninth Judicial District and a member of the New York State Bar Association, Westchester County Bar Association, and Federal Bar Association for which she regularly presents continuing legal education courses.She earned her J.D.,cum laude, from Pace University School of Law in 1995 and her B.A.,magna cum laude, from Pace University in 1992 with a minor in Secondary Education.