My experience with Wigdor LLP--particularly with Valdi Licul--was the most egregious and dehumanizing encounter I've ever had with any legal institution, let alone one that claims to specialize in civil rights and sexual assault. I was unfortunate enough to have Mr. Licul assigned as the evaluating partner on my civil sexual assault case, and what followed was a staggering display of ignorance, arrogance, and outright cruelty.
One would expect a partner at a so-called "respected" firm to possess not only a firm grasp of the law, but also the basic human decency required to interact with a survivor of trauma. Instead, Mr. Licul repeatedly dismissed my experience, telling me my case would be more "believable" if my abuser had used greater physical force--as if the absence of visible bruises renders trauma less real (and I did sustain injuries, though apparently not enough to be taken seriously). He reduced my assault to what he called the "gray area" between a regrettable sexual experience and actual assault, even though my case met every legal requirement to be considered the latter.
Worse, he attempted to justify his reluctance with blatantly false legal claims--citing a "1-year statute of limitations" in New York that simply does not exist. His misinformation was not only inaccurate, but also dangerous, and emblematic of the systemic gaslighting survivors face when seeking justice.
The comments I endured from Mr. Licul and his team were so appalling that I was ultimately forced to file a complaint with the Bar. No survivor should ever be retraumatized by the very people entrusted to advocate for them.
To all women and survivors: avoid Wigdor LLP at all costs. This firm embodies the very worst of a legal system that routinely fails us--not because it lacks the tools to help, but because it chooses not to use them. Instead of confronting injustice, they reinforce it, empowering abusers and silencing victims in the process read more
