Richard Betheil, a Pryor Cashman partner for more than 25 years, is a member of the Labor + Employment, Litigation, and Corporate Groups and leads the Cemetery Law Practice.

Richard’s distinguished career as a litigator, negotiator and advisor to institutions across the country is marked by numerous victories for clients in federal and state courts, at the collective bargaining table, and before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  

Providing counsel to a cross-section of clients ranging from health care professionals, nonprofits and the public sector to higher learning institutions and cemetery associations, Richard delivers a combination of labor-management relations representation and general corporate advisory services.

On Top of Health Care Developments

Richard is at the forefront of key issues that impact his clients’ collective bargaining stance, especially those related to health care. He helps clients understand the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) and its impact on employer-provided insurance plans.

Litigating a Broad Array of Workplace Issues

Disputes related to labor-management relations, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), wage and hour classifications, discrimination and harassment, and occupational health and safety are just a few of the matters Richard takes on for his clients. Known for his determined advocacy of clients’ interests in the courtroom and at the bargaining table, he is respected for his practical approach to litigation and negotiation. Richard explains the pros and cons of clients’ cases, balances business considerations with the principles involved and guides clients to the most appropriate course of action.

Serving the Needs of Cemetery Associations

Major cemeteries throughout the New York metropolitan area rely on Richard to provide the full range of general counsel services. His practice encompasses regulatory, labor and employment, legislative and tax matters; resolving disputes; and advising on corporate governance, mergers and investments.

Richard created the Cemetery Employer Association of Greater New York, a trade group he represents in collective bargaining. He is also a member of the board of directors of five prominent Jewish cemeteries and serves as their legal counsel.

Education

  • New York University School of Law (J.D., 1980)
    • Order of the Coif
  • New School for Social Research (M.A., Economics, 1977)
  • Oberlin College (A.B., phi beta kappa, 1973)
    • Year Abroad, London School of Economics

Recognition

  • Named to the Super Lawyers – New York Metro list in employment + labor and nonprofit organizations (2014-25)

Admissions

  • New York, 1981
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second and Ninth Circuits
  • U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

Professional Affiliations

  • Association of the Bar of the City of New York
  • Beth Moses Cemetery Corporation, Board of Directors
  • Cedar Grove Cemetery Association, Board of Directors
  • Montefiore Cemetery Association, Board of Directors
  • Springfield Long Island Cemetery Society, Inc., Board of Directors
  • Wellwood Cemetery Association, Inc., Board of Directors

Academic Achievements

  • Richard is a graduate of New York University School of Law where he was Order of the Coif and an Arthur Garfield Hays Fellow. Richard won the Benjamin F. Butler Memorial Prize, the John Norton Pomeroy Prize and the American Jurisprudence Award in Labor Law.
  • Richard received his M.A. in Economics from the New School for Social Research, where he was a Herbert Lehman Fellow. In 1973, Richard graduated from Oberlin College, where he was Phi Beta Kappa and a Senior Scholar. Richard spent a year at the London School of Economics as part of his undergraduate education.