Ronald Shechtman served as Pryor Cashman’s Managing Partner from 2007 to 2025 and continues to play a key leadership role within the firm. He is also co-chair of the firm’s Labor + Employment Group.

Ron represents diverse clients in labor management relations and employment matters arising from the increasing legal complexity of today’s workplace. He litigates labor management, EEO, wrongful discharge, ERISA and related cases and assists clients in developing strategies to mitigate exposure to litigation and liability arising from the employment relationship.

A Leader in Labor & Employment Law

A prominent attorney for management and artists in theater and dance, Ron helps protect intellectual property rights, negotiates contracts and resolves contentious collective bargaining issues. He is longtime counsel to the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), the independent national union of stage directors and choreographers, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers, and Ballet Hispanico. Ron also negotiates executive employment agreements on behalf of both employers and employees in a myriad of industries.

Ron represents a number of nonprofit organizations on a pro bono basis, primarily in the performing arts, and has, on numerous occasions, lectured before the theater program at Yale University and Yale School of Drama.

Creating a Culture of Opportunity, Quality and Client-Driven Service

In 2007, Ron succeeded Gideon Cashman to become the first non-founding partner to lead Pryor Cashman. He served as Managing Partner from 2007-2025, guiding the firm’s expansion and solidifying its position as one of the region’s most sophisticated and successful midsized firms. In recognition of his leadership, Ron was named a "Distinguished Leader" by the New York Law Journal for his successful management of the firm.

During his tenure, Ron focused on enhancing client relationships, attracting and retaining top legal talent to serve the firm’s clients and developing the firm’s strategic direction.

Committed to preserving a culture that fosters collegiality and an entrepreneurial spirit, he encouraged attorneys to develop their practices organically with clients’ interests and needs at the forefront. This philosophy has continued to attract and retain dynamic, top-level lawyers, many of whom come from much larger firms.

Education

  • New York University School of Law (J.D.)
  • Amherst College (B.A.)

Recognition

  • Named one of Lawdragon 500's Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers (2020-23)
  • Named a "Labor & Employment Star" by Benchmark Litigation (2022)
  • Named an Employment Law Trailblazer by The National Law Journal (2020)
  • Named a top attorney in Employment Law (2013-24), Labor Law: Management, and Litigation: Labor + Employment by Best Lawyers in America (2013-26)
  • Recognized as a top attorney in Labor + Employment law by The American Lawyer (2019)
  • Named to the Super Lawyers - New York Metro list in Labor + Employment law (2008-24)
  • Named a "Distinguished Leader" by The New York Law Journal (2017)
  • Named one of the 20 most powerful employment attorneys in the U.S. by Human Resources Executive and Lawdragon (2011-15)
  • Named to the Employment Lawyers Hall of Fame by Human Resources Executive and Lawdragon (2015)

Admissions

  • New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Professional Affiliations

  • New York State Bar Association, member, Board of Advisors for Managing Partners Conference (2017)
  • American Civil Liberties Union, member, Free Speech and Association Advisory Committee to the Board
  • New York City Bar Association, member, Labor and Employment Committee
  • New York University School of Law, member, Center for Labor and Employment Law Board of Directors; former adjunct professor of labor law
  • The Creative Coalition, member, Board of Directors

Teaching Positions

  • Ron has taught labor law courses at New York University School of Law since 2004, and he is a board member of the school’s Center for Labor and Employment Law. 

Academic Achievements

  • Ron is a graduate of New York University School of Law, where he was an Arthur Garfield Hays Fellow and Editor of the New York University Law Review.