NJ Severance and Executive Compensation Lawyers

Negotiating and litigating to protect your rights

Deutsch Atkins & Kleinfeldt, P.C. is one Northern New Jersey’s largest and most respected plaintiffs’ employment law firms. The firm has extensive experience representing employees in severance package negotiations and executives in severance and executive compensation matters. If your employment has been terminated and you need legal advice regarding severance law in New Jersey or New York or your rights under your particular contract, Deutsch Atkins & Kleinfeldt, P.C. can help.

Severance packages for NJ employees

Neither federal laws nor severance laws in NJ require employers to pay severance upon the termination of employment. However, when a company has a severance pay policy, the company must follow that policy. Typically, employers only provide severance pay to employees who are laid off because of job reorganization, restructuring or downsizing, but some employers pay severance to terminated employees in recognition of past service.

Employers generally require an employee to sign a Separation Agreement and General Release that explains their right to severance pay. These agreements may include restrictive covenants, such as noncompete agreements, that limit the employee’s job opportunities after termination.

Senior-level employees can also negotiate severance packages at the outset of employment with the help of an employment contract lawyer. In addition to obtaining higher pay and health benefits, an experienced attorney may be able to modify or remove objectionable noncompete provisions. The NJ severance attorneys at Deutsch Atkins & Kleinfeldt, P.C. negotiate severance packages in a manner that protects your rights and maximizes your compensation.

Issues frequently arise when companies deny terminated employees their full compensation under their severance agreements. Our employment litigation attorneys work aggressively to resolve severance disputes in our clients’ favor.

NJ executive compensation attorneys help maximize pay and benefits

Deutsch Atkins & Kleinfeldt, P.C. has successfully represented thousands of executive and professional employees in employment contract and severance package negotiations. We assist in negotiating employment contracts prior to beginning work with an employer. Later, depending on the circumstances leading to an executive’s departure from a company, we can often renegotiate packages to obtain substantial enhancements over the initial agreement.

Although pay is a large aspect of a severance package, an experienced NJ executive compensation attorney should negotiate all potential benefits to construct a true “golden parachute.” These benefits can include: