By Bruce Atkins | Published December 19, 2013 | Posted in Employment Law | Tagged Tags: noncompete agreements | Comments Off on Noncompete Agreements Can Be Challenged in New Jersey
Noncompete Agreements Can Be Challenged in New Jersey
It’s understandable that companies want to keep trade secrets out of the hands of their competitors, which is why many employers require employees to sign noncompete contracts. Employers fear that when an engineer, salesperson, executive or marketer leaves the company to work for a competitor, the new employer will benefit from the new employee’s knowledge Read More
Read MoreJob Terminations in New Jersey Are Sometimes Unlawful
Employment in New Jersey is “at will,” which means that employees work at the will of the employer, and the employer can fire an employee at any time for any reason — or for no reason. This is a pro-business policy that has been in place since the 19th century in most states. There are Read More
Read MoreNegotiate a Better Severance Package with Proactive Thinking
Severance packages for terminated employees recently have become a topic of debate in the New Jersey Legislature. Two bills are pending that would penalize higher-paid workers who receive severance packages by denying them state unemployment benefits. Neither bill has passed either chamber of the legislature. Regardless of what happens in Trenton, employees (and ex-employees) should Read More
Read MoreEven Judges Can Be Wrongfully Terminated
That is what former Linden Municipal Court judge Louis DiLeo alleges. Filing a wrongful termination lawsuit in the Union County Superior Court on July 10, 2013, DiLeo claimed several charges against the City of Linden and its mayor, Richard Gerbounka, including: Discrimination Retaliation Civil rights violations Wrongful termination As reported by the Star Ledger, according Read More
Read MoreYou Can Lose Your Case if You Don’t Follow the Rules
When a plaintiff files a lawsuit, the plaintiff often focuses on the facts of the case and the law that pertains to those facts. The plaintiff should prevail when the law supports the plaintiff’s allegations, and the plaintiff should lose when the law supports the defendant’s allegations. But there is another way that a plaintiff Read More
Read MoreFormer Employees Sue Local Defense Contractor for Age Discrimination Terminations
On August 14, 2013, 12 former employees of Mission Solutions Engineering (MSE) filed suit in federal court alleging that their terminations constituted age discrimination. The plaintiffs are seeking back pay, damages and counsel fees. According to the local press, the company, located in Moorestown, New Jersey, is a defense contractor. In January 2012, the company Read More
Read MoreRutgers Basketball Is a Lesson Learned About Harassment and Intimidation
Learning at Rutgers University isn’t limited to the classroom. There are lessons to be learned even on the university’s basketball court. That’s where players suffered verbal and physical assaults by then head coach Mike Rice Jr. beginning in 2010. Rice’s coaching style included cursing at players, shoving them, and throwing basketballs at their heads. When Read More
Read MoreDiscrimination Whistleblowers Deserve Retaliation Protection Even When No Victim Is Identified
Discrimination law in New Jersey was made clearer on July 17, 2013 with a New Jersey Supreme Court decision against the United Parcel Service (UPS). In October 2005, a UPS manager, Michael Battaglia, reported to his superiors about allegedly sexually suggestive remarks made by another employee, Wayne DeCraine, about a female employee, despite the fact Read More
Read MoreEmployment Matters Where a Lawyer Can Help a High-Ranking Executive
The relationship between employers and employees has many facets. This relationship may deteriorate over time — and a high-ranking executive may have the need for legal intervention to enforce the terms and conditions of employment, or to provide protection in the pursuit of a new position. Some of the areas where a high-ranking executive may Read More
Read MoreUnderstanding Whistleblower and Qui Tam Cases
Whistleblowers are courageous. They often act as society’s canaries in a coal mine, pointing out dangerous situations whose continuance can only lead to abuse and illegal activity that harms society. Unfortunately, instead of being rewarded for their courage in pointing out misdeeds, whistleblowers may be subjected to punishment, harassment, or outright termination of employment. Depending Read More
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Neil H. Deutsch has been practicing law for over 35 years and is known as a skilled negotiator in employment and discrimination law. He believes in a bottom-line approach of risk analysis and cost effectiveness for his clients. "Case evaluation is something we take seriously," says Mr. Deutsch who seeks top net dollar for his…
Bruce L. Atkins is the Senior Managing Partner at Deutsch Atkins P.C., a prominent plaintiff employment law firm in the tri-state area. Mr. Atkins believes employees’ rights should be aggressively pursued when they’ve been wrongfully dealt with by their employers. He brings this philosophy to his practice when considering each case and its potential outcomes.…
Michael K. Fortunato is a Partner at Deutsch Atkins, P.C. His practice focuses on employment litigation and counseling for employees and executives, including matters involving discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination, whistleblower claims, severance negotiations, employment agreements, and restrictive covenants. Michael represents clients in litigation and administrative proceedings involving state and federal employment laws including the…
Carly Skarbnik Meredith, Esq. is a Partner at the firm. Carly has focused her career exclusively in the field of employment law. She has a plethora of experience representing both employees and employers with their employment issues, needs, and concerns. She believes representing both employees and employers has made her an extremely well-rounded client advocate.…
R.J. Prifitera joined Deutsch Atkins, P.C. in October of 2023. R.J. represents employees in wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, and whistleblowing matters. Prior to joining the firm, R.J. received a B.A. from the University of Delaware in 2018. Thereafter, he attended and graduated Seton Hall University School of Law in 2022 where he received the Monsignor…
