Gorayeb & Associates marks 40 years with mayoral commendation and drone show

Gorayeb & Associates celebrated its 40th anniversary in New York City with a gala at The Boom Boom Room and a commendation from Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The milestone underscores the firm’s four decades representing construction workers, as fatal jobsite injuries remain a persistent danger nationwide.

Why it matters: - Construction and extraction workers sustained 1,032 fatal injuries nationwide in 2024, including 370 deaths from falls, slips and trips, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. - Gorayeb & Associates has built its practice around representing injured workers in that environment. - The firm says it has recovered more than $2 billion for more than 12,000 laborers.

What happened: - Gorayeb & Associates, P.C. marked its 40th anniversary on Friday, Sept. 18, with a gala at The Boom Boom Room atop The Standard, High Line, in New York City. - The event ended with a drone light show. - New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a commendation recognizing the occasion. - Christopher J. Gorayeb founded the firm in 1986 with his father, Joseph Gorayeb.

The details: - Christopher J. Gorayeb said many clients arrive hurt, out of work and unsure the system was designed for them. - He said trust has to come before a case can begin. - The firm has turned down insurance offers in the seven figures when those offers did not reflect a client’s losses. - Joseph Gorayeb practiced law from 1959 until his death in 2020. - Jay Nelson Gorayeb, Christopher J. Gorayeb’s son, was admitted to the New York bar in 2024 and became the third generation to join the firm. - Maria Urgiles joined the firm in 1997 and strengthened ties to Ecuadorian and Spanish-speaking New Yorkers. - Gorayeb & Associates represents clients in English and Spanish. - The firm’s community work includes the Gorayeb Community Center in Queens, an annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, pandemic food distributions, Know Your Rights workshops, and youth soccer and baseball sponsorships.

Between the lines: - The anniversary celebration was also a public statement about identity: a family-run law firm tying its brand to construction workers, immigrant communities and neighborhood outreach. - The commemoration from City Hall adds civic recognition to a business built on labor-rights litigation. - Christopher J. Gorayeb also used the milestone to push practical safety advice for injured workers, including written injury reports within 30 days and caution before signing insurance documents. - He said immigration status does not erase rights under New York labor law.

What's next: - Gorayeb & Associates will likely keep focusing on construction accident litigation and worker outreach as it moves into its fifth decade. - The firm’s public guidance suggests it plans to continue emphasizing early legal consultation for injured workers. - More information is available in the company’s announcement.

The bottom line: - After 40 years, Gorayeb & Associates is positioning itself as both a construction injury law firm and a long-term institution for New York’s labor community.