Pilgrim & Associates

About Us

Core Mission

Pilgrim & Associates Arbitration, Law & Mediation LLC

The core mission of Pilgrim & Associates Arbitration, Law & Mediation LLC (P&AALM) is to help clients efficiently overcome existing challenges to achieve their unique goals, and to anticipate issues of concern and avoid potential problems. The law firm was initially established in 1991 as a general practice law firm, with a focus on business and not-for-profit law, sports and entertainment law. Pilgrim & Associates was re-established in 2009, after Pilgrim returned from working as in-house counsel for two sports organizations. The firm was yet again re-established in January 2021 (to reflect its expansion of services) to Pilgrim & Associates Arbitration, Law & Mediation LLC.

P&AALM is a trusted counselor to entrepreneurs, founders, senior executives and boards of directors, individual and corporate business clients. The firm’s attorneys have successfully represented clients on matters involving corporate governance, corporate transactions, corporate strategic planning, contract negotiation and preparation, regulatory compliance (including Title VII and IX Discrimination matters), risk management, internal investigations, litigation and dispute resolution (mediation, arbitration and administrative hearings). P&AALM has also represented sports leagues/associations and athletes on a wide variety of business regulatory and legal issues, contract negotiations, managed sport drug testing programs, drafted dispute resolutions rules and regulations for national sports associations, and administered their mediation, arbitration and grievance proceedings,; and also represented athletes and sports clubs in arbitration and mediation proceedings.

P&AALM also provides counsel and investigative services to educational institutions on Title IX matters, and counsels businesses and employees on harassment and discrimination policies and issues.

The firm was certified by New York State and New York City as a Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) and a Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE) — 2014 to 2017.

Jill Pilgrim, the firm’s founder and driving force, has a world of experience in sports-related dispute resolution based on her service as: Member/Hearing Officer for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Committee on Infractions (2014-2018); Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association-Olympic & Sports Disputes ( 2016-present); Hearing Officer for the New York State Gaming Commission (2015-2018); General Counsel for USA Track & Field, Inc. and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (1998- 2009); Arbitrator for USA Track & Field Doping Hearing Board and Doping Appeals Board (1991-1998); Arbitrator for United States Olympic Committee Out-of-Competition Drug Hearing Board (1991). In addition, she successfully represented an Olympic athlete before the Court for Arbitration for Sport (Atlanta 1996).

Pilgrim is also a seasoned arbitrator on financial industry customer complaints and employment matters for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) – formerly known as the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). She also arbitrates commercial disputes for the American Arbitration Association.

Pilgrim was a nationally ranked sprinter on the Track and Field team at Princeton University where she majored in Politics and graduated with a B.A. She studied at the Alliance Françoise and the Sorbonne, in France, and earned a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the states of New York and Indiana, and before District Court, Eastern District of New York.

P&AALM was proud to be honored as a finalist in the “Best for NYC Challenge”, in May 2016: City of New York Announces Best For NYC Honorees, Celebrating New York City Businesses Working to Improve Quality of Life for Workers and Strengthen Their Bottom-Line.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

P&AALM is an equal opportunity employer and wholeheartedly supports the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Statement of Diversity Principles, namely:

Diversity is an inclusive concept and encompasses, without limitation, race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, nationality, age, disability and marital and parental status. With greater diversity, we can be more creative, effective and just, bringing more varied perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, talents and interests to the practice of law and the administration of justice. A diverse group of talented legal professionals is critically important to the success of every law firm, corporate or government law department, law school, public service organization and every other organization that includes attorneys. Diversity is not about quotas or different standards. Rather, the opportunity to increase diversity should be one important consideration in the decision-making process. We want to hire, retain and promote our lawyers based on each of our unique criteria, while simultaneously maintaining our commitment to diversity.