At Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC, our attorneys understand that businesses go through various stages in their life cycle. That’s why we strive to provide comprehensive legal support to business owners and key executives throughout every phase of their business journey. By building long-term relationships with our clients, we are able to help them nurture their business and achieve success at every step of the way.

Our team of business and corporate attorneys are recognized as leaders in their field and have assisted a wide range of businesses, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, with:

• Entity selection, formation, and organization planning
• Commercial transactions, mergers, and acquisitions, including asset or stock acquisitions or sales
• Executive compensation issues, disclosure matters, and general corporate governance
• Contract preparation, compensation plan development, and general corporate counseling
• Succession and exit planning
• Federal and state tax planning
• Shareholder dispute resolution
• Construction and real estate matters
• Intellectual property and information technology issues
• Reduction in force, severance, and restrictive covenants

We serve a diverse range of industries and business types, and our business and corporate attorneys work closely with our other specialized professionals to provide cost-effective solutions that meet the full spectrum of legal needs for any business.

Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC is a go-to firm for businesses and government entities facing employment-related disputes. Our attorneys represent employers in a wide range of labor and employment issues, serving clients throughout New Jersey and surrounding areas.

We offer a comprehensive approach to employment law, handling litigation in federal and state courts, as well as before administrative agencies such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR), Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC), and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).  We also provide preventive counseling and training to help resolve problems before they become litigious. Additionally, we assist with collective negotiations, represent employers accused of unfair labor practices, and consult on union avoidance, non-compete agreements, affirmative action plans, and employment contracts.

Our attorneys are experts in defending against employment discrimination claims, including those based on gender, race, national origin, religion, retaliation, and harassment under Title VII and New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. Additionally, we litigate claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), and other federal and state laws. We also handle cases involving non-compete agreements and other employment disputes. Our firm has a proven track record of success in and out of court, including resolving cases at the administrative level, through settlements, summary judgment, trials, and obtaining injunctive relief for violations.

Counseling and Training

To help our clients avoid costly litigation and prevent problems before they occur, we offer proactive counseling and training services. Our attorneys work with clients on a day-to-day basis to develop and review workplace policies and perform audits, helping them navigate compliance with employment laws on both state and federal levels.

We also provide on-site education and training on key employment issues for employees, managers, and business owners throughout the state. Our attorneys are featured speakers at public seminars and conferences and are skilled at analyzing and customizing training to meet specific client needs.

In today’s rapidly changing electronic world, our attorneys assist employers with HR issues related to technology and electronic communications. As the potential liability associated with email and electronic documents increases, we review and develop company email policies and provide training to managers and employees to help them avoid problems before they occur.

Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC offers specialized legal services to school boards and administrators, who are faced with complex legal challenges. Our attorneys serve as general and labor counsel, providing sound legal advice to education officials to navigate these legal challenges. We work closely with school superintendents, boards, and district leaders throughout New Jersey to address personnel matters, student issues, and negotiate and enforce business contracts and transactions. We also litigate matters in federal and state courts and administrative forums.

Our attorneys are experienced in a variety of education law topics, including sexual harassment, anti-discrimination policies, collective negotiations, bullying, family leave and drug testing. They are also frequent lecturers on these topics.

In terms of personnel matters, our attorneys provide legal counsel to prevent employment problems and defend against employment-related litigation. We assist with:

• Hiring decisions, employment contract negotiations and contract disputes
• Staff reorganization
• Tenure hearings and seniority determinations
• Employee compensation and personnel policy development
• Training of administrators and staff
• Employee and union grievances and grievance proceedings
• Employee discipline, employee transfers and dismissals
• Discrimination charges, equal protection, freedom of speech and civil rights
• Termination decision

Student Issues

We also advise schools and school boards on student issues such as:

• Development of academic and disciplinary policies
• Student discipline, expulsion, and law enforcement proceedings
• Personal injury claims
• Discrimination claims under Title VI, Title IX, the ADEA and ADA
• Special education compliance
• Section 504 equal access and due process hearings
• Search and seizure, drug testing and civil rights litigation
• Constitutional freedom of speech and freedom of religion concerns

We handle the full spectrum of special education program and placement concerns, guiding educational clients through the complex regulations that govern education for students with special needs. When a dispute arises, our attorneys represent clients in mediation, due process hearings, and in state and federal court.

Litigation

In terms of litigation, we work proactively with educational clients to avoid costly litigation. However, when lawsuits arise, our attorneys are experienced in representing education clients in court on issues such as:

• Age, race, sex, and other forms of employment discrimination
• Sexual harassment
• EEOC and Office of Civil Rights proceedings
• Claims under the Equal Pay Act
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• Open Public Meetings Act
• Open Public Records Act
• Law Against Discrimination
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Family & Medical Leave Act
• New Jersey Family Leave Act

The Litigation Practice Group at Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC is known for providing effective and efficient representation to a wide range of clients. Our clients include publicly and privately held local and national companies, real estate developers, municipalities, boards of education, other public entities, entrepreneurs, non-profit groups, and individuals.

We approach litigation with a strategic mindset, always focused on achieving results for our clients while limiting their exposure to unnecessary legal proceedings and expenses. Our attorneys have extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution methods such as arbitration tribunals, case evaluation, mediation, and negotiation to achieve satisfactory results. We also work closely with our clients to devise a litigation strategy that fits their specific needs, including consulting on the possible avoidance of disputes.

Our attorneys have a wealth of experience in various areas of business litigation, such as alternative dispute resolution, class actions, business break-ups, environmental law, and construction. We offer a comprehensive range of services to meet all of our clients’ litigation needs.

The Insurance Defense Practice Group at Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC offers comprehensive legal services to insurance companies, with a focus on various coverage areas. Our clients include property and casualty insurers, joint insurance funds, personal lines carriers, commercial carriers, and professional E&O carriers. Our attorneys have extensive experience in handling employer liability coverage, tort claims, product liability coverage, commercial business coverage, and commercial general liability coverage.

As part of our commitment to reducing risk for our clients, we regularly conduct continuing education seminars. Our practice primarily involves defending insureds against various types of claims, but we also have a dedicated team of attorneys who provide coverage opinions and representation for insurance companies in disputes with their insureds.

Our Insurance Defense Group is one of the most experienced and well-established groups at our firm, with a deep understanding of excess coverage and reinsurance issues. We welcome any inquiries related to insurance defense matters.

Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC’s Real Estate Practice Group offers a comprehensive range of services in the real estate industry. We represent diverse clients including land developers, office park owners, institutional clients, homebuilding companies, resort developers, affordable housing developers, mixed-use project owners, commercial lenders and retail and commercial landlords and tenants. We are well-versed in various types of real estate transactions, financing and development of residential multi-family and single-family homes. We also have experience with annexation, zoning, subdivisions, acquisition due diligence, registering subdividers, green building issues, preparing and enforcing covenants for property owners’ associations, residential and commercial condominiumization and construction of all types of projects.

Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC attorneys specialize in local government law, providing legal services to state agencies, counties, municipalities, municipal utility authorities, and public entity insurance funds. We have specialized knowledge and experience in the unique areas of local government and local government relations. Our attorney’s offer a comprehensive range of services to their public clients, including ordinance drafting, zoning and land use, tax appeals, public employment matters, litigation, public contracts, public bidding, construction, utilities, and compliance with Open Public Records Act and Open Public meeting laws. We have extensive experience in local government, having served as general counsel for several municipalities and other governmental entities

The legal landscape of elections in New Jersey is becoming increasingly complex, with severe consequences for non-compliance. Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC’s election law attorneys understand the vital importance of providing timely, accurate, and practical legal advice to election and government officials. Our firm is well-equipped to provide expert services in this challenging field. Our attorneys not only advise candidates and government officials on election matters, but also assist candidates through the complex process of election recounts, protests, and challenges. In addition to election law, our corporate political law practice helps clients navigate the rapidly-changing state and local laws regulating corporate political activity and campaign contributions.

Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC has a long history of     successfully defending governmental and private entities in   workers’ compensation matters. We have extensive experience   representing over one hundred seventy public entities   throughout   New Jersey, making us well-equipped to handle   even  the most   complex legal issues.

Our attorneys approach each case with a proactive mindset, providing high-quality representation in a timely and cost-effective manner. We understand the impact work-related legal issues can have on employers and strive to ensure that our clients receive the best possible protection under the Workers’ Compensation program. In addition to defending clients against various types of work injury claims, we also work closely with them to design and implement procedures that reduce costs and mitigate future claims and liabilities. Our attorneys assist employers in all types of workers’ compensation claims, including those arising from construction and industrial accidents.

All new files are personally reviewed by the supervising partner, Richard Gantner. Our firm provides adjusters with a comprehensive legal action plan and budget, outlining the likely exposure, plan of action to close the case, analysis of any potential legal defenses, and identifying the handling/trial attorney and paralegal assigned to the case.

The Cannabis Practice Group at our firm recognizes the individuals responsible for founding and scaling cannabis establishments as visionaries, and we aim to play a crucial role in their success.

• Our mission is to provide dynamic, cutting-edge, and practical advocacy to our cannabis clients in an authentic manner.
• Our vision is to have every member of the Cannabis Practice Group exclusively devoted to servicing the cannabis industry’s needs.

We value building lasting, meaningful relationships with our clients and treating everyone with respect, equality, and fairness in every interaction. Our core values include being good people, being a good person, and being a good human.

Our team provides strategic insight to multi-state operators and microbusinesses on locating adult-use cannabis establishments in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area. We also advise alternative treatment centers on how to expand into the adult-use retail market, municipalities on the potential operational benefits of allowing adult-use cannabis establishments, and ancillary service providers and technology solution companies within the cannabis industry.

Our areas of practice include:

• Government Relations
• Real Estate, Zoning, Land Use
• General Counsel
• Labor and Employment, Human Resources
• Corporate formation and structure
• Regulatory Compliance
• M&A
• Litigation
• Trademark, Intellectual Property

We also make a commitment to education about the new green industry as the foundation for success in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area. Effective communication with local leaders about cannabis topics is essential to success, and our team is equipped to debunk misinformation and provide authentic information on cannabis operations and its potential benefits to local communities.