New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) Honored by Outten & Golden--a Preeminent New York Law Firm that Shares NICE's Passion and Dedication to Workers' Rights

NEW YORK, March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) received Outten & Golden's fourth annual Public Interest Award during a reception hosted by O&G to celebrate and highlight NICE's ongoing effort to ensure that new immigrants can build social, political, and economic power in their communities and beyond. Outten & Golden LLP, a national preeminent employee rights firm, is pleased to recognize the achievements and mission of NICE, founded in 1999 when local activists came together in response to anti-immigrant billboards posted by the racist Project USA in the borough of Queens.  After a successful campaign to take down the billboards, NICE made a name for itself through its Government Access and Accountability Program.

In 2012, NICE, in collaboration with the Urban Justice Center, produced a cutting edge report Dreams and Schemes in Queens, New York: Immigrant Struggles to Find Work and Get Status in the Face of Consumer Fraud.  The report focused on two of the most prevalent and notorious businesses targeting immigrant consumers – immigration service providers/immigration attorneys and employment agencies; it documents the systemic nature of consumer frauds committed against immigrants and offers solutions for improved laws, policies, and enforcement mechanisms to better protect immigrants.

"Wage theft and discrimination against immigrant workers are prevalent practices.  NICE has been a leader in shedding light on this often overlooked group of workers.  We also expect that the Dreams and Schemes report will help raise much-needed awareness on the issue of consumer fraud in the immigrant community," said Wayne Outten, managing partner of Outten & Golden.

Outten & Golden, in partnership with the Urban Justice Center's Community Development Project, developed and currently runs NICE's Worker's Committees legal clinic. The monthly clinic focuses on providing legal advice to largely undocumented Latino immigrants about their rights under the labor laws. The legal clinic has recovered thousands of dollars in unpaid wages and benefits on behalf of NICE members. 

NICE also partners with other law firms, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions throughout the country in its work to improve the rights of immigrant workers.

NICE is located at 37-41 77^th Street, 2^nd Floor, Jackson Heights, NY 11372, and may be reached by phone at (718) 205-8796 or via the web at www.nynice.org

For more information about Outten & Golden LLP, including its Public Interest Award, please contact Delyanne Barros at (212) 245-1000, or via email at DB (at) outtengolden.com, or visit our website: www.outtengolden.com .

About Outten & Golden

Outten & Golden focuses on advising and representing individuals in employment, partnership, and related workplace matters. The firm counsels individuals on employment and severance agreements; handles complex compensation and benefits issues (including bonuses, commissions, and stock/ option agreements); and advises professionals (including doctors and lawyers) on contractual issues. It also represents employees with a wide variety of claims, including discrimination and harassment based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, disability, national origin, religion, and age, as well as retaliation, whistleblower, and contract claims. The firm handles class action involving a wide range of employment issues, including economic exploitation, gender- and race-based discrimination, wage-and-hour violations, violations of the WARN Act, and other systemic workers' rights issues.

Outten & Golden has offices in New York, Illinois and Connecticut.

Contact:
Wayne N. Outten, Managing Partner
(212) 245-1000

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SOURCE Outten & Golden