ELF 2020

Vito is Managing Principal of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman. He also serves as President and CEO of the firm’s subsidiaries, Porzio Life Sciences, Porzio Governmental Affairs, and Porzio Compliance Services. He co-chairs the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and the Education and Employment Team.

Vito has a long and distinguished career in New Jersey. He handles an extraordinary variety of employment law matters for the firm’s public and private sector clients in state and federal courts, before state and federal agencies, and before arbitrators. Vito litigates and counsels clients in every area of labor and employment law, including issues of restrictive covenants, harassment, discrimination and whistleblowing. He represents management in labor grievances and before the Public Employment Relations Commission. Vito regularly guides clients through reductions in force and on employment issues related to restructuring and consolidation. He also handles investigations by management into allegations of employee wrongdoing.

Vito is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Trial Certification as a Civil Trial Attorney. Vito also serves as Chair of the New Jersey Law Revision Commission.

Kerri focuses her practice in the areas of employment and education law, specifically in representation of management in both employment counseling and employment litigation. Kerri handles a variety of employment law matters for the firm’s public and private sector clients in state and federal courts as well as before administrative agencies, including the EEOC, PERC, NLRB, and the New Jersey Department of Labor. She has litigation and counseling experience in numerous areas of employment law, including issues involving wage and hour claims, restrictive covenants, harassment, discrimination, and whistleblowing. She has successfully defended management in class-action wage and hour lawsuits and has handled numerous investigations by management into allegations of employee wrongdoing. She also has represented management in all facets of collective bargaining and labor disputes.

ML focuses her practice in education law, with a concentration in special education, and employment law. She has extensive experience counseling school boards, charter schools, and private schools in a variety of issues that impact those clients daily. She helps her clients with a large variety of matters, including contracts, public bids, labor and employment, and student issues. ML provides advice to Administrators and Directors of Human Resources regarding the many employment law issues that arise with teachers and other employees, including claims of discrimination, medical and family leaves, and requests for accommodations under the ADA.

Kathryn concentrates her practice in the areas of employment and labor law and education law. Kathryn defends employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and whistleblower litigation for public and private sector clients, in all aspects of discovery, motion practice and trial preparation and settlement negotiations. She also has experience with restrictive covenants, employee manuals, and workplace policies, often counseling clients on compliance with employment and labor laws. In addition, Kathryn conducts workplace investigations, and provides customized training on various topics to management and employees.

Melanie is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and concentrates her on defending management-side employers in all areas of employment litigation, wage and hour claims, unfair labor practice charges, OSHA investigations, and audits and investigations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s/Homeland Security. Melanie partners with human resources and labor relations professionals to provide counsel on all aspects of the employment relationship, and conducts in-house training and internal investigations.

Melanie is a member of the New Jersey and New York State Bars, and serves on the New Jersey State Bar Committee on Higher Education, a member of DRI and serves on its Publications Committee, and teaches a class on employment law for Rutgers University.

Kevin Craig is a recognized subject matter expert in law enforcement, management, and school security. A retired New Jersey Police Chief, he has over 30 years of experience in public safety, emergency management, and school security. He is a Licensed Private Detective and is certified as a Public Manager, Police Instructor, School Safety Specialist, and School Resource Officer in New Jersey. Chief Craig holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a specialization in School Security and Safety Administration. He has represented the NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police on the NJ K-12 Task Force in conjunction with the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and was appointed to the NJ School Security Task Force by the Governor of New Jersey as a subject matter expert.

Rich counsels, as well as defends public and private employers in state and federal courts and administrative agencies. He represents clients in a wide variety of traditional labor law matters, including collective bargaining, grievance and interest arbitration, and unfair labor practice and representation proceedings, both before the National Labor Relations Board and the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission. Rich has successfully represented both private and public employers in numerous labor and employment law cases, including discrimination and harassment cases, and in whistleblower and alleged retaliation cases. Rich also is a Civil Mediator qualified under N.J. Court Rule 1:40.

Matthew concentrates his practice in the areas of education law, with a focus on special education matters and labor & employment law. Matthew represents numerous public entity clients before the Office of Administrative Law, Public Employment Relations Commission, Arbitrators, and all New Jersey courts regarding various matters involving, but not limited to, Orders to Show Cause, Due Process Petitions, Emergent Applications, removal of tenured teachers, special education/ADA violations, and numerous labor & employment arbitrations.

Patti provides comprehensive counsel to companies ranging from the Fortune 500 to small businesses, looking to manage risk or facing claims from employees, running the gamut of allegations including discrimination, harassment, whistleblowing, retaliation, equal pay, FLSA claims and class actions, and alleged worker misclassification. She is well experienced in issues relating to restrictive covenants, as well as government or administrative agency investigations. In addition to defending employment lawsuits and claims, she provides and supports her clients on in-house investigations, responding to government subpoenas, environmental claims, and criminal allegations.

David has been both an employment and labor attorney as well as a global human resources executive for both public and private life sciences companies. David delivers legal HR and business strategies that lead to profitable growth and value creation. He offers advice, counsel, and strategies to senior management in talent acquisition and development; benefits and compensation strategies; ERISA and HR compliance. David provides valuable support to help organizations navigate the most challenging elements of human resources without compromising their mission, culture, and values.

Eli is a principal in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. He concentrates in business litigation, insurance coverage, insurance regulations and compliance, management-side employment counseling and litigation defense, appellate work and defense of private and public entities in tort actions, emerging issues associated with state-legalization of cannabis, cannabis licensing, and cannabis compliance. He chairs Porzio, Bromberg & Newman P.C.’s cannabis law practice, and is a member of Porzio Compliance Services, which leverages complementary resources from the law firm and its other subsidiaries, Porzio Governmental Affairs and Porzio Life Sciences, to provide regulatory, legal and business services to cannabis clients.

Eli is a member of the International National Cannabis Bar Association, where he chairs the Legislative Advisement Committee, and a member of the NYC Cannabis Industry Association Regulatory Committee.

Having been appointed twice as New Jersey’s Commissioner of Education, David is an accomplished policy leader with decades of experience in all areas of New Jersey and New York education matters. David has been involved in numerous employment and labor related matters while Of Counsel at Porzio, including investigations, policy and best practice reviews, and employee disciplinary issues mostly in the education and higher education domain. He is also part of the Porzio Compliance Services safety and security team.

Janelle handles an array of employment law matters affecting the firm’s public and private sector clients in federal and state courts as well as before administrative agencies. She has litigation and counseling experience in numerous areas of employment law, including issues involving harassment, discrimination, and whistleblowing. Janelle’s work in the areas of harassment and discrimination has given rise to significant demand for employer and employee training to address sensitivity, diversity, and inclusion as a proactive and preventative measure. In addition to corporate clients, Janelle also handles a variety of employment matters for college, public school board, and private school clients. Clients particularly enjoy Janelle’s ability to bring about swift, cost-effective, and amicable resolutions to their issues.

David is a litigator who partners with private and public entities to advise on employment-related matters. He has authored numerous articles for a variety of publications, including the New Jersey Law Journal, New Jersey Lawyer Magazine, Yahoo Finance, the American Bar Association’s TIPS Employment and Labor Law Committee Newsletter, and the New Jersey Police Chief Magazine. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Association of School Attorneys, on the Board of Directors for the Lehigh Lawyers Association, and previously on the Board of Trustees for the Roseland Glen Condominium Association. He volunteers his time by serving as the Morris County co-coordinator for the Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition. He was recognized on the 2019 New Jersey Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list and the 2021 Best Lawyers in America "Ones to Watch" list.

Employment Law Forum
October 27, 2020

CLE Requirements

Questions and Answers
11:39 am - 12:00 pm

Employment Law ForumOctober 27, 2020

CLE Requirements

Questions and Answers11:39 am - 12:00 pm

Employment Law Forum
October 27, 2020

Questions and Answers
11:39 am - 12:00 pm