ON BACKGROUND
Wigdor LLP has filed a pregnancy discrimination and retaliation complaint on behalf of Claire Gondon against leading real estate development and investment firm Naftali Group and Naftali executives Michael Witek and Eva Malachi. Ms. Gondon was a Senior Project Manager at Naftali with a rich background in real estate development, design and construction management, and urban mixed-use projects.
As alleged in the attached complaint, Naftali hired Ms. Gondon in 2022 as one of only two women in the company’s construction group who were not administrative personnel. Her focus was the expansive Williamsburg Wharf development on Kent Avenue in Brooklyn – the company’s first waterfront development project in the borough. Ms. Gondon earned glowing praise for her work and, as of December 2025, was likely to be promoted to a lead project manager role soon.
In January 2026, Ms. Gondon told her supervisors that she was pregnant and planned to take maternity leave. Four days later, the company told Ms. Gondon that there may not be any work for her in the future. Shortly thereafter, the company fired Ms. Gondon, claiming that there was insufficient work for her. In fact, the Williamsburg Wharf project was only halfway to completion. And shortly after firing Ms. Gondon, Naftali Chairman and CEO Miki Naftali bragged to the press that the Company had just closed on a new $810 million deal on Fifth Avenue, had a strong pipeline of deals, and that its “work was far from over in 2026.”
To add insult to injury, when Ms. Gondon went to pick up her belongings, she discovered her male replacement had already started moving into her office.
The full complaint may be found here
ON RECORD
Statement of Valdi Licul and Brooke Payton, Wigdor LLP:
“Pregnancy discrimination remains a reality for far too many women in the workplace, and it should never be accepted as normal. As alleged in the complaint, Ms. Gondon was a high-performing employee who deserved to be recognized for her dedication and accomplishments, not sidelined after disclosing her pregnancy and plans to take maternity leave. We look forward to pursuing accountability from Naftali Group and the executives involved.”