Katharine H. Parker

One of the worst, if not the worst, magistrate judges in the SDNY. Neither fair nor impartial. Hostile toward plaintiffs. Generally pro-defense and attempts to elicit information useful and/or helpful towards defendants at court conferences, etc., Ignores the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and case law in the Second Circuit. Litigants will have to preserve any issues for appeal because this magistrate is biased. Does everything she can to prevent parties from obtaining discovery. Namely, deems paper print outs as sufficient for plaintiffs and will not permit them access to electronic data which is standard operating procedure in federal court. Awful magistrate who is also a racist. POC parties should take particular note of her conduct. She is pro-defense and will disregard any and all litigation/discovery misconduct by defendants. Be sure to preserve the issues for appeal. She should never become an Article III judge and hopefully she will not be reappointed. Should have stayed at Proskaeuer!

The absolute worst. She doesn't even pretend to understand an injured plaintiff and went so far as to belittle my client and his injuries.

I fail to understand the negativity ascribed to Mag. Parker. She is practical and reasonable. She practiced in the trenches, and it shows. Excellent temperament. Understands the difficulties attorneys face and that what she has to rule upon is usually the doing of the clients, not the attorneys. There should be more judges like her. Period.

There are some judges that should just say Plaintiffs suck and Defendants rule. She is an embarrassment to the bench.

I wonder if this judge ever self reflects to see how one-sided her decisions are. Why take a role as a judge if you have a biased viewpoint? Keep your job as a litigator and defend the corporations as you've done throughout your entire career. Don't bring that to the bench.

When Defense attorneys show up in her court room they should just go sit next her and not sit at the defendants table. She rules their way and grants every Defendant request regardless.

It is one thing to battle your adversary but another to have a judge advocate for your opponent. That is unfortunately what the plaintiffs' bar face when they appear before this judge. A true disappointment.

Once again, the defense bars favorite judge decide in the employment context rules against the plaintiffs. Judge Parker doesn't even pretend to hide her disdain for plaintiffs cases anymore nor her proclivities based upon representing employers in employment cases. Read her decision in Delijanin v. Wolfgang's. If you are a plaintiff have a meritorious case and are assigned to Judge Parker run like hell because you have no shot.

Case settled and Plaintiffs got a great result but she knocked down legal fee by 2/3 and money will revert to the Defendants.

A true embarrassment to the bench. Its one thing to be a former defense atty at Proskauer but it is another to bring your pdefense proclivities to the bench. If you are a plaintiff especially in the employment context you have slim to no shot in front of her. She admonishes Plaintiffs counsel only when it comes to discovery abuses. A judge with her bias should not be sitting on the bench. Just listening to her at the Sedona conference as it pertained to ESI should be a red flag for anyone appearing with an ESI issue before her - unless of course you are a defendant bc then she will use her defense background and bias to screw the Plaintiffs. When I heard her speak I cringed for any Plaintiff appearing before her.

This was my first appearance before Mag. Judge Parker and I most certainly hope it is not my last. She was thoughtful, knowledgeable, and even-tempered. She allowed both parties to be heard fully without losing patience. What a great addition to the bench in SDNY!