Mercedes Colwin

Mercedes Colwin is the founding partner of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP’s New York City office and one of the nation’s most accomplished trial attorneys. She represents many clients in high-profile, high-stakes litigation, including employment law, professional liability, class actions, commercial disputes, products liability, defamation, and civil rights violations. She also defends corporate executives and Fortune 500 companies, particularly in cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct and workplace claims.

Mercedes earned her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and holds a B.A. in English from New York University. She is fluent in Spanish.

Throughout her career, Mercedes has tried and defended thousands of cases nationwide, with an impressive trial success rate of over 90%. She brings seasoned courtroom experience and strategic insight to every case, often serving as lead counsel in complex matters. Prior to entering private practice, she served as an Administrative Law Judge for the New York State Division of Human Rights, presiding over more than 3,000 discrimination cases during her nine-year tenure.

Mercedes’ distinguished legal accomplishments have earned national recognition. Forbes Business American Airlines named her one of the Six Most Influential Women in America, alongside global leaders like Madeleine Albright. Notre Dame Law School awarded her the Graciela Olivarez Award for ethical and professional excellence—an honor also received by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She has also been featured in Lawdragon, MultiCultural Law, and Human Resources Magazine for her work as a top employment lawyer.

Mercedes Colwin is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist at major legal conferences and regularly appears on national television as a legal analyst. She is admitted to practice in New York, the U.S. District Courts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Her professional memberships include DRI, the New York State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP
• Member, DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar
• Member, Professional Liability Underwriting Society
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, National Association of Insurance Women
• Member, New York County Lawyers Association

Licensed State

• New York

Education

• Brooklyn Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• New York University
  BA in English

Awards & Badges