Overview
Attorney Josh Stein lives and breathes accessibility law. With over 20 years of experience, almost all of it focused exclusively on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, he resolves bet-the-company regulatory investigations and shuts down novel lawsuits involving public venues, physical workspaces, policies, practices, and procedures, and digital technology.
By prioritizing efficient and effective resolutions over unnecessary or high-risk litigation, he helps clients focus on developing compliance best practices and an accessibility-first mindset. Startups to Fortune 500 companies, including high-end retailers, sports leagues and clubs, stadiums, arenas, theaters, cruise lines, hotels, media companies, and technology firms, all value Josh as a long-term partner. His vast knowledge of accessibility law, good judgment, responsiveness, and sharp negotiating tactics protect their best interests and help them efficiently avoid litigation and achieve accessibility.
Based on the volume and variety of matters he's handled, Josh is a one-stop solution for his clients' accessibility needs—ranging from commonplace to complex. Josh draws on his nearly encyclopedic knowledge of the law and his vast network of relationships to deliver definitive answers and practical solutions tailored to each client’s particular business concerns. As part of his practice, he audits design plans and construction builds of major venues, including sports stadiums/arenas, and cruise ships; defends high-end retailers, technology companies, and theaters in class actions involving novel theories of the law; and interfaces with advocacy groups seeking to expand accessibility for their constituents. He also develops accessibility policies and delivers related training and advice on both public and employee accommodation issues.
To help clients comply with the complicated and extremely technical worlds of both brick and mortar and digital (e.g., website and mobile application) accessibility for individuals with disabilities, Josh built an in-house solution with full-service technical and auditing capabilities. True to his approach, the team is committed to fixing problems quickly and giving clients practical guidance, experience, and best practices to avoid recurring mistakes and achieve long-term compliance.
Josh co-chairs Epstein Becker Green's ADA and Public Accommodations Group. He is also a thought leader in the accessibility space, regularly authoring and speaking on issues relating to all aspects of accessibility, including both employment and places public accommodations.
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Focus Areas
Experience
- Established COVID-friendly accessibility policies, practices, and procedures, and related training programs, pertaining to social-distancing, mask and vaccination policies, and the adoption of new contact-free technology, for clients across industries, including, sports leagues, clubs, and stadiums/arenas, cruise lines, high-end retail chains, hotels, and fitness chains.
- Defeated class action lawsuits alleging that global retailers’ failure to provide Braille gift cards violated federal, state, and local accessibility laws. Josh established not only that the claims had no basis in the law/regulations but that his clients also sufficiently provided access in other ways. Josh got the cases dismissed, helping set industry precedent that the ADA does not require retail stores to provide Braille gift cards.
- Defeated a class action lawsuit brought against a national theater production company alleging that the company’s online "no outside food/drink" policy violated federal, state, and local accessibility laws. Josh established that the client could never have violated the law because it offered a way for individuals to request accommodations or modifications to policies, practices, and procedures, and the plaintiff never took advantage of that opportunity to engage the client.
- Resolved a significant regulatory accessibility investigation for a global cruise line. Josh reached a comprehensive, landmark agreement to enhance his client’s existing accessibility policies, practice, and procedures. In his extensive negotiations with the regulators, Josh offered new and creative approaches to resolving concerns that were supported by architectural designs and economic data. He continues to manage the related long-term compliance program, overseeing audits, developing policies and training, and providing day-to-day and long-term planning counseling.
- Resolved a relentless onslaught of website accessibility and mobile application accessibility lawsuits and demand letters for hundreds of clients, including global high-end retail companies, technology firms, sports and media companies, and hotels. Josh promptly negotiated cost-effective resolutions to the cases and demand letters with highly advantageous terms to allow his clients to focus their time and resources on enhancing their accessibility compliance.
- Serves as accessibility counsel for national sports leagues and related clubs, and stadiums/arenas, providing guidance in all facets of their business, from their policies to adoption of new technology, to hosting major public events, the COVID-19 pandemic, location auditing, and compliance training.
Recognition
- The Legal 500 United States: Workplace and Employment Counseling (2016 to 2018), Labor and Employment Disputes (Including Collective Actions): Defense (2018 to 2020)
- Who's Who Legal: Labour & Employment (2022)
Credentials
Education
- Harvard Law School (J.D., 2000)
- Cornell University (B.S., 1997)
- School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Bar Admissions
- New York
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Media
Events
Upcoming Events
Past Events
Insights
Insights
- BlogsMedical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Regulations Announced by DOJ Under Title II of ADA9 minute read
- BlogsA New Prescription for Access: The Department of Justice Celebrates Anniversary of the ADA by Finally Issuing Title II ...9 minute read
- PublicationsIs the Digital Accessibility Storm Almost Over?2 minute read
- BlogsThey Finally Hit Refresh: After More Than a Year of Delays, It Is Time to Officially Welcome WCAG 2.29 minute read
- PublicationsWeb Accessibility Outlook: More Regulation, Less Litigation3 minute read
- PublicationsExpect More Web Accessibility Claims, Despite DOJ Guidance3 minute read
- PublicationsHow Employers Can Enforce Compliant Vaccine Mandates2 minute read
- BlogsIt’s a New Day? EDNY District Court Deviates from Peers Holding That Newspaper’s Website Is Not a Place of Public ...4 minute read
- BlogsThe Eleventh Circuit Finally Breaks Its Silence on Website Accessibility – but Was Its Decision Worth the Wait ...8 minute read
- Media Coverage
Epstein Becker Green Article on Mask Mandates in Retail Stores One of National Law Review’s Most-Read Articles of 2020 ...
2 minute read - PublicationsViewpoint: Accessibility Challenges Facing Public Accommodations2 minute read
- Media CoverageJoshua Stein Quoted in "5 Tips for Helping Workers Deal with Mask-Averse Customers"5 minute read
- BlogsCOVID-19 Accessibility Issues as ADA Turns 3011 minute read
- PublicationsKey COVID-19 Accessibility Issues as ADA Turns 302 minute read
- Firm AnnouncementsThe Legal 500 United States Recognizes Epstein Becker Green as Top-Tier Law Firm in Health Care and Workforce Management ...4 minute read
- BlogsNo Mask, No Service? ADA Considerations for Business Owners Requiring Face Masks in Retail Stores4 minute read
- BlogsThe Eastern District of New York Provides Businesses an Early Holiday Gift in Strictly Construing Standing Requirements in ...3 minute read
- BlogsAs the Holidays Approach, the Latest Wave of ADA Cases Challenge the Absence of Braille Gift Cards3 minute read
- BlogsUpdated Job Accommodation Network Toolkit Available for Disability Accommodation Resources1 minute read
- BlogsAs Summer Approaches, the SDNY Once Again Provides Hope for Businesses Exhausted by Repeated Website Accessibility ...9 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Epstein Becker Green Recognized as Top-Tier Law Firm by The Legal 500 United States, Receives Additional High Rankings ...
4 minute read - BlogsWhile Far from a Knockout, the Southern District of New York Strikes a Blow for Businesses Facing Website Accessibility ...4 minute read
- BlogsFederal Appellate Courts Ring In the New Year by Taking Up Website and Mobile Application Accessibility7 minute read
- Media CoverageEpstein Becker Green's Annual Briefing Featured in "4 Employment Law Predictions for 2019"2 minute read
- BlogsDOJ Finally Chimes In On State of the Website Accessibility Legal Landscape – But Did Anything Really Change ...4 minute read
- PublicationsNew Disability Discrimination Guidance Sheds Light on New York City's "Cooperative Dialogue" Requirements9 minute read
- Media CoverageJoshua Stein Quoted in "How a Fla. Ruling Ignited a Surge in Online ADA Suits"3 minute read
- Firm AnnouncementsLegal 500 United States Recognizes Epstein Becker Green as Top-Tier Recommended Law Firm, Awards Additional High Rankings ...4 minute read
- BlogsThe Generally Prevailing Website Accessibility Guidelines Have Been Refreshed – It’s Time to Officially Welcome WCAG ...7 minute read
- Media CoverageJoshua Stein Quoted in "ADA Rewards Employers That Stick to the Essentials"2 minute read
- Media CoverageJoshua Stein Quoted in "Preventing Workplace Violence: Think Twice About Claiming 'Direct Threat'"3 minute read
- BlogsWill Congress Slam the Breaks on ADA “Drive By” Lawsuits?5 minute read
- PublicationsAn Assortment of Legal Issues Hospitality Employers Should Be Considering This Year31 minute read
- Media CoverageJoshua Stein Quoted in "Disability Suits Over Website Access Surge"2 minute read
- BlogsSeventh Circuit Breaks from the Pack in Holding That Long-Term Leave Is Not a Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA ...5 minute read
- BlogsStart Spreading the News – EDNY Denies Motion to Dismiss Website Accessibility Complaint5 minute read
- BlogsAs the ADA Turns 27, Recent Developments Suggest No End to Website Accessibility Lawsuits4 minute read
- BlogsLatest Website Accessibility Decision Further Marginalizes the Viability of Due Process and Primary Jurisdiction ...5 minute read
- BlogsNation’s First Website Accessibility ADA Trial Verdict Is In and It’s Not Good for Places of Public Accommodation ...5 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Epstein Becker Green Receives Top Rankings in The Legal 500 United States for 2017
3 minute read - BlogsThe U.S. Access-Board Releases Long-Awaited Final Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment Standards4 minute read
- BlogsU.S. Access Board Releases Information and Communication Technology Standards and Guidelines4 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Epstein Becker Green Receives Top Rankings in The Legal 500 United States for 2016
3 minute read - BlogsNew State Legislation Seeks to Curb “Drive By” Lawsuits and Service Animal Fraud8 minute read
- Media CoverageJoshua Stein Quoted in "DOJ: How Accessible Technical Standards Delay Is Affecting U.S. Businesses"2 minute read
- BlogsDOJ Refreshes Its Efforts to Promulgate Title II Website Accessibility Regulations and Other Accessible Technology ...8 minute read
- Media CoverageJoshua Stein Mentioned in "New EEOC Guidance on Leave as a Reasonable Accommodation"1 minute read
- PublicationsEEOC Issues New Resource Regarding Leave as a Reasonable Accommodation9 minute read
- BlogsDOJ Launches New Online Resource Regarding Accessible Technology Issues2 minute read
- BlogsRecent Decisions Reinforce That Accessible Technology Claims Are Not Going Away7 minute read