Wilkenfeld Law Office

Ari Wilkenfeld

Principal Attorney

“I love a good fight.”

About Ari Wilkenfeld

Ari Wilkenfeld is the principal attorney at Wilkenfeld Law Office and a seasoned litigator and trial attorney who has worked as a plaintiff-side employment attorney for more than 27 years. He has represented victims of sexual harassment and discrimination in a number of high-profile cases, including the case against Matt Lauer in 2016. The National Law Journal described Ari’s work on the Lauer case as “the latest advocacy in a decades-long career fighting for victims of alleged harassment and retaliation.”

Cited by the New York Post as a “high powered DC lawyer,” and by Esquire Magazine as a “famously determined civil rights lawyer,” Ari has extensive experience litigating in federal and state courts, as well as before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and various arbitration panels. He has represented thousands of individuals in cases against their former and current employers. His clients come from all walks of life and from a broad range of industries. Ari has represented professionals, including high-level executives, investment bankers, hair salon stylists, fencing and dance instructors, commission-based sales professionals, actors, journalists, human resources professionals, university professors, as well as a wide range of federal employees, from Customs and Border Protection officers to food and safety inspectors.

At a Glance

Experience

27+ Years

Position

Principal Attorney

Practice

Employment Law
Civil Rights Litigation

Jurisdictions

District of Columbia
Maryland

Professional Recognition

Ari was the co-recipient of a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association. The Citation commends Ari for his “commitment to fighting on behalf of psychologists and others who have faced unjust discrimination, sexual harassment, and psychological intimidation in corporate, educational, and governmental settings.” The Citation praises Ari as being “among the best employment lawyers in the nation.”

Credentials & Professional Background

Education

Ari received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Syracuse University in 1993. He received a J.D. degree from The University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1997, where he served as a Senior Editor for the Journal of Labor and Employment Law and an Associate Editor for the Comparative Labor Law Journal. He was a Legal Writing Instructor, a Legal Research Fellow, and a member of The University of Pennsylvania Law School’s National Mock Trial Team.

Bar Admissions & Memberships

Ari is barred in the District of Columbia (DC Bar No. 461063) and Maryland (MD Bar No. 9806240300).

He is an active member of the bars of the D.C. Circuit, the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

He is also an active member of the American Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association.

Talk to Ari About Your Situation

This page provides general information and is not legal advice. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Last updated: August 13, 2026