Jackson Lewis Adds Employment Litigation Team in New Jersey
WHITE PLAINS, NY (February 3, 2015) Jackson Lewis P.C., one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing workplace law firms, is pleased to announce it has bolstered its New Jersey roster with the addition of a labor and employment team from Giordano Halleran & Ciesla. Joseph C. DeBlasio, formerly co-chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Area, joins Jackson Lewis as Shareholder. He is joined by Shareholder Kelly D. Gunther and Associates Ryan S. Carlson, Sabrina Kania and Saranne E. Weimer. The team will be resident in the firm’s Morristown, NJ office prior to opening the firm’s Red Bank, NJ office in Spring 2015.
“Joe began his career as an Associate at Jackson Lewis, and we are delighted to welcome him back,” said Firm Chairman Vincent A. Cino. “That he has brought such a high quality team with him is icing on the cake. Attracting successful, well-regarded lateral attorneys has been an integral component of our firm’s growth strategy, and this new group’s impressive track record and extensive litigation experience will be a wonderful complement to our national team.”
“We have wanted to expand our New Jersey capabilities for a long time, due to increasing demand from our clients and the opportunity to expand the corridor between our Morristown and Philadelphia offices,” added Richard J. Cino, Managing Shareholder of the firm’s Morristown, N.J. office. “This new office makes us even more accessible to our client base in New Jersey. We are confident that we have the perfect team to accomplish this expansion. Joe, Kelly, Sabrina, Ryan and Sara are skilled practitioners with excellent reputations for defending companies in all facets of labor and employment matters. We are thrilled to have a team of their caliber on board for our New Jersey expansion.”
Mr. DeBlasio represents management in all aspects of labor and employment-related matters. He primarily focuses his practice on defending employers in litigation matters involving claims of alleged wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage-and-hour violations and whistle-blowing. He also represents employers in all labor and employment and benefits-related matters and negotiates and enforces employment agreements and restrictive covenants. Mr. DeBlasio also handles labor-injunction matters in federal and state courts, traditional labor matters before the NLRB, and labor arbitrations under collective bargaining agreements. In addition, he frequently counsels employers for compliance and litigation avoidance.
Mr. DeBlasio, who has been recognized as a “Leader in His Field” by Chambers USA and selected for inclusion in New Jersey Super Lawyers, sits on the Employment and Labor Law Steering Committee of DRI and is an Ombudsman in the New Jersey Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves. He received his B.A. from Flagler College and his J.D. from the Louisiana State University Law Center.
Ms. Gunther focuses her practice on the representation of employers in employment litigation. Her experience includes the representation of management in defending against claims of alleged wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage-and-hour violations and whistle-blowing. She also litigates the enforcement of confidentiality and non-compete agreements, as well as other restrictive covenants. In addition, Ms. Gunther provides general counseling to employers on all workplace issues, including strategies for litigation avoidance.
Ms. Gunther was recently designated a Rising Star by New Jersey Super Lawyers. She sits on the Women in the Law and Employment and Labor Law Committees of DRI. Ms. Gunther received her B.A. from Muhlenberg College, summa cum laude, and her J.D., cum laude, from Rutgers University School of Law in Camden, where she was lead notes editor of the Rutgers Journal of Law & Religion.
Ms. Kania represents management in employment litigation matters with an emphasis on defense primarily against claims of alleged wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage-and-hour violations and whistle-blowing. She also counsels employers with regard to workplace policies and manuals, and general litigation avoidance. Ms. Kania received her B.A., cum laude, from West Chester University and her J.D. from Widener University, where she was a Staff Member of the Widener Law Review.
Mr. Carlson focuses his practice on the representation of management in employment litigation matters with an emphasis on defense primarily against claims of alleged wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage-and-hour violations and whistle-blowing. He also counsels employers with regard to workplace policies and manuals, and general litigation avoidance.
Mr. Carlson received his B.A. with High Honors from Rutgers University and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Widener University’s School of Law, where he was Business Editor of the Widener Law Review and President of the Sports and Entertainment Law Association.
Ms. Weimer focuses her practice on the representation of management in employment litigation matters. She regularly counsels employers on all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, management, and separation of employees, union recognition and withdrawal, and compliance with federal and state workplace requirements. She received her B.A., summa cum laude, from Ramapo College of New Jersey and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law, where she served as a Senior Associate Editor of the Seton Hall Law Review.
“We were drawn to Jackson Lewis for many reasons, including the firm’s extensive network of subject matter experts and vast depth of resources,” said DeBlasio. “We look forward to collaborating with this exceptional team of workplace law attorneys and providing our current and future clients with world-class counsel as they continue to navigate the increasingly complex labor and employment environment.”
Jackson Lewis’ Morristown, N.J. office can be reached at (973) 538-6890.
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About Jackson Lewis
Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis is dedicated to representing management exclusively in workplace law. With over 780 attorneys practicing in 54 locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Jackson Lewis is included in the AmLaw 100 and Global 100 rankings of law firms. The firm’s wide range of specialized areas of practice provides the resources to address every aspect of the employer/employee relationship. Jackson Lewis has one of the most active employment litigation practices in the United States, with a current caseload of over 6,500 litigations and approximately 550 class actions. Jackson Lewis is a founding member of L&E Global Employers’ Counsel Worldwide, an alliance of premier employment law boutique firms and practices in Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific Region.
For more information about Jackson Lewis, please contact:
Lara Hamm, Jackson Lewis
T: (703) 483-8373
E: HammL@jacksonlewis.com
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