Jeffrey M. Daitz
Biography
Jeffrey M. Daitz is a Partner and Shareholder in our Paramus, New Jersey, office; Co-Chair of the Labor & Employment practice; and Co-Director of the Employment Practices Liability Insurance Defense Department.
He has more than two decades of experience in employment law, labor management relations, and alternative dispute resolution. Jeffrey’s nationwide practice is focused on defending employers in Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) matters and Directors & Officers (D&O) claims, and he also serves as monitoring counsel on behalf of carriers. He is often brought in to coordinate local and co-counsel in multi-party and multi-jurisdiction litigation.
Jeffrey specializes in litigation, mediation, arbitration, and investigation in all types of employment discrimination claims including sexual harassment, hostile work environment, whistleblower protection, retaliation, wrongful discharge, defamation, wage and hour collective/class action, misappropriation and enforcement of restrictive covenants and trade secrets, and a variety of other employment related cases in federal and state courts, including appeals.
He also defends clients in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other federal, state, and local employment practice agencies, as well as the federal and state Departments of Labor (WHD), Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Department of Justice (DOJ), and US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). Jeffrey also represents employers in labor-management disputes, including collective bargaining negotiations, handling administrative agency investigations and union organization campaigns.
Clients routinely engage Jeffrey for day-to-day management counseling on issues such as employee handbook and personnel policies; drafting offer letters and employment agreements; employee discipline and discharge protocols; preparing severance policies and separation agreements, interviewing and hiring; pay equity, social media compliance, and performance management; leaves of absence, accommodations, internal investigations and workplace complaints; benefits; corporate reorganizations; executive compensation; and diversity and inclusion topics.
Jeffrey is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker throughout the country on ever-changing employment laws and best practices. He also provides advice on risk management and loss control, such as comprehensive employment practices audits and both sexual harassment and other internal investigations. In addition, Jeffrey provides training and prevention counseling on topics such as EEO compliance for CEOs, Executive Directors, CFOs, Human Resources, Senior/Executive Management personnel, and In-House counsel.
He also works in tandem with the firm’s Business Transaction Service advising on such topics as compliance with Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) and related plant closings/mass layoffs, executive employment agreement, and complex commercial litigation, including breach of contract/fiduciary liability and fraud-related claims.
Jeffrey’s clients include employers in for-profit and not-for-profit industries including health care institutions, construction, financial institutions, hedge funds, private equity funds, property management, insurance, technology, transportation, building services, hotel and hospitality, retail, manufacturing, power and energy, and pharmaceutical.
Jeffrey earned a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Temple University where he majored in Accounting, Finance and Economics. He has been selected for inclusion in the list of New Jersey’s Super Lawyers, honoring the top 2% of lawyers in New Jersey.
Experience
Jeff brings more than 20 years of experience in labor and employment law, arbitration and mediation, and insurance defense to Hall Booth Smith. He defends for-profit and nonprofit employers in a variety of claims such as harassment, whistle-blowing, retaliation, wrongful discharge, defamation, misappropriation, and other matters before federal and state courts and in tribunals at the federal, state, and local levels. He also provides risk mitigation and best practices training for human resources professionals, executive management, and in-house counsel.
Credentials
Admitted
State Courts:
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
U.S. District Courts:
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
U.S. Courts of Appeals:
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- J.D., Seton Hall University
- B.A.; Accounting, Finance, & Economics; Temple University
Memberships
- American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
- DRI
- National Retail & Restaurant Defense Association: Employment Practices Committee Co-Chair
- New Jersey State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
- New York State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
- Pennsylvania State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
- Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)
Recognition
- New Jersey Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers®, 2013-2021
Presentations
- Legal Swords & Insurance Shields: A Lawyer’s and Insurance Broker’s Guide to Risk Mitigation
LeadingAge 2024 Annual Meeting + EXPO; June 5, 2024 - An Afternoon in HR
HBS Helping Businesses Succeed Series; September 21, 2023 - What Every Employer Needs to Know About the Impact of Recent NLRB Rulings and the Challenges Surrounding Immigration Compliance
Leading Age 2023 Annual Meeting + EXPO; June 22, 2023 - The Turnover Tsunami – Top Tips to Effectively Recruit and Retain Staff in a Disruptive Environment
LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware Annual Expo, June 1, 2022
- The Post-COVID Workplace – “Business as Usual” Looks a Little Different in 2022
Tri-State HRMA Symposium, May 5, 2022 - NO JAB, NO JOB!! Employer Mandated COVID-19 Vaccinations
LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware Joint Virtual Conference; June 16, 2021 - Looking Back, Going Forward: Employment Law Issues That Need To Be On Every Employer’s Radar in 2021
Tri-State HRMA’s The New Normal Virtual Conference; May 7, 2021. - Family and Medical Leave under the Americans with Disabilities Act
Virtual HR Roundtable for LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware; January 20, 2021 - Top 10 Tips for Employers To Avoid Employee Claims in the Age of COVID-19
LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware Annual Meeting; October 20, 2020. - NY Federal Judge Strikes Down COVID-19 Paid Leave Regulation – What Now?
Virtual HR Roundtable with LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware; August 19, 2020 - Getting Out of The Weeds: An Employer’s Guide to Navigating Marijuana Laws and the Workplace
New Jersey Leading Age Conference; June 12, 2019
Publications
- Let the Competition Begin! Everything You Need to Know About the FTC Rule Banning Non-Compete Agreements
HBS Employment Updates Blog; April 25, 2024 - Employer-Mandated Vaccination of the Health Care Workforce to Mitigate the COVID-19 Pandemic
Hall Booth Smith, October 2020 - New York Federal Judge Strikes Down Several Key Parts Of COVID-19 Paid Leave Regulation Including The Definition Of ‘Health Care Provider
HBS Employment Updates Blog; August 5, 2020 - The Health Care Provider Exemption To Emergency Paid Sick Leave In The Families First Coronavirus Act
HBS Employment Updates Blog; April 13, 2020
- What Is Really In Congress’ Emergency Coronavirus Bill? Here’s What You Need To Know
HBS Employment Updates Blog; March 17. 2020 - Coronavirus and the Workplace: Fast Facts For Employers
HBS Employment Updates Blog; March 10, 2020 - Health Care Employers’ Title VII Obligations to Prevent & Remedy Harassment & Discrimination Extend to Patients
HBS Employment Updates Blog; November 27, 2019 - New Jersey’s Wage Theft Act Just Stiffened Fines And Penalties Against Employers That Don’t Pay Proper Wages – A Lot!
HBS Employment Updates Blog; August 16, 2019 - New Jersey Has Outlawed Confidentiality Provisions In Employment Discrimination Settlements
HBS Employment Updates Blog; April 8, 2019