A former employee has filed a lawsuit against a global real estate services firm, alleging age and religious discrimination. Miriam Brilleman, the plaintiff, lodged her complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on February 25, 2026, accusing Cushman & Wakefield U.S., Inc. of unlawful employment practices.
Miriam Brilleman, a 65-year-old former Senior Director at Cushman & Wakefield (C&W), claims that her termination was motivated by age discrimination and retaliation for her complaints about religious discrimination. The lawsuit details that Brilleman had been with C&W since 2017 and consistently received positive evaluations and accolades. However, she alleges that things took a turn in 2023 when she was passed over for a promotion in favor of a younger male colleague, Jered Basilan. When questioned about this decision, Brilleman’s boss reportedly told her, “I picked him — if you don’t like it, you can leave and take a severance package.”
Brilleman further alleges that ageist comments were directed at her during her tenure at C&W. She recalls being told by Basilan that she was “older than [his] mother” and hearing frequent remarks within the HR department about needing “runway,” implying a preference for younger employees. The complaint also highlights an incident where Brilleman’s manager excluded her from key initiatives and decisions related to talent assessments.
The case takes another dimension with allegations of religious discrimination following the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel by Hamas. Brilleman expressed concerns over C&W’s lack of response compared to their actions following other international events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Her suggestions for company-wide listening sessions were met with dismissive comments from management. She describes being retaliated against after voicing these concerns, leading to what she describes as being ‘iced out’ by senior management.
Brilleman’s termination came on March 5, 2025, when she was informed by Basilan and another manager that she lacked “the skills for the future.” This statement is cited in the lawsuit as evidence of age-based discrimination. Post-termination rumors circulated within C&W attributing her departure to this alleged lack of future skills, which Brilleman argues have damaged her professional reputation.
In seeking redress from the court, Brilleman demands several forms of relief including back pay with interest, reinstatement or front pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress and reputational harm, punitive damages due to malice or reckless indifference exhibited by C&W’s actions towards her protected rights under various anti-discrimination laws such as ADEA and Title VII.
Representing Miriam Brilleman is Anthony G. Mango from Mango & Iacoviello LLP based in New York City. The case has been assigned Case ID: 26-CV-1562 in front of judges yet to be named.
Source: 126cv01562_Miriam_Brilleman_v_Cushman_&_Wakefield_Complaint_Southern_District_of_New_York.pdf
