Partners Effie Blassberger and Ramsey Hinkle recently secured a seven figure settlement on behalf of a victim for decades long sexual grooming and sexual abuse.

Relying on the New York City Gender-Motivated Violence Act (GMVA), which allows survivors of gender-based violence to sue their abusers and institutions that enabled the abuse, the attorneys were able to hold the abuser accountable in a pre-litigation setting and preserve the privacy of their client.

The GMVA is a New York City law that defines “gender motivated violence” as violence that is committed against a person because of their gender which includes domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and physical or emotional abuse.  The GMVA allows victims of gender-motivated violence to seek civil remedies whether or not criminal complaints are filed.  It allows for claims against both individual perpetrators and entities that enabled or participated in the violence.  Victims can file lawsuits for damages including compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses, punitive damages, and legal fees.

A temporary 2-year lookback window opened on March 1, 2023, and will close on March 1, 2025, allowing previously time-barred claims to be filed.