Are you searching the internet for an employment attorney? Maybe the issue is discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or a hostile work environment. Perhaps you are owed wages or were retaliated against for being a whistleblower and engaging in protected whistleblowing activity. Whatever the issue may be, Keating Law Firm is here to offer you a free consultation to review your potential employment case.
Keating Law Firm was founded to defend and fight for employees’ rights and to take a stand against workplace injustices throughout New Jersey. With nearly a decade of litigation experience, attorney Christopher Keating focuses each day on representing hard-working employees in situations like yours. By offering a free consultation to potential clients, Keating Law Firm is able provide the possibility of quality legal representation to all people regardless of income and economic status.
In civil litigation, you – the plaintiff – must carry the burden of proving that your current or former employer engaged in unlawful conduct and violated your rights, and that you suffered damages as a result. The analysis can often be complex legally, but the underlying principles are simple:
- Discrimination is unjust and must be eradicated in the workplace,
- Employees must be paid their wages on time and in full for the work they perform, and
- Employees must be protected from unlawful retaliation when they are engaging in legally protected activity or complaining of clear violations of law or public policy.
Once you schedule a free consultation – in person, via Zoom, or by telephone – Keating Law Firm will work with you to gather all relevant information to meaningfully advise you on your potential legal claims. As a potential client, you will explain the facts and circumstances that led you to believe your rights were violated and how you suffered damages as a result. Before committing to representing you in litigation, Keating Law Firm will perform a thorough investigation of your allegations, the facts and circumstances of your case, and the parties involved.
As a starting point, you should gather the documents that will be crucial to the law firm’s analysis:
- all relevant text messages, emails, and audio/video recordings,
- hiring and termination documents,
- any write ups and performance reviews,
- records of attendance, earned sick leave, unpaid leave, and paid time off (PTO),
- your employee handbook and any other policies or procedures that are relevant to your case,
- all payroll and tax records,
- medical records, if applicable, and
- all other documents that you believe are relevant and material to your case.
It is also helpful for you to provide a detailed timeline of events and a list of potential witnesses.
Connecting the dots in a viable employment lawsuit
Potential clients often contact Keating Law Firm because of unlawful workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and/or a hostile work environment they suffered based on their race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, pregnancy, or age. Such unlawful conduct may rise to a violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), state or federal Civil Rights Acts, or other related statutes.
At the consultation stage, an attorney must assess – using the limited information available – whether the employer’s conduct was actually related to your membership in one of those protected classes, and, if so, whether there could be sufficient evidence to prove the connection at trial. In litigation, the employer will likely respond to your allegations by claiming that you were terminated for an entirely lawful reason. In turn, it will be our burden to show that the employer’s alleged reason was false, baseless, and pretextual, and that your membership in a protected class (disability, race, pregnancy, etc.) was a motivating factor in your employer’s decision to take action against you, such as a suspension or wrongful termination.
As an example, in a matter of disability discrimination, think about whether the adverse employment action you suffered was directly connected to your engaging in legally protected activity. Were you terminated after you filed a Workers’ Compensation claim? Were you terminated soon after you requested a legally protected medical leave, family leave, or another form of reasonable accommodation? Often those events happening close in time to one another is sufficient to justify an investigation of a possible employment discrimination claim.
When should I contact Keating Law Firm?
You should contact Keating Law Firm as soon as you believe your rights have been violated, regardless of your current employment status. Some potential clients contact Keating Law Firm after being unlawfully and wrongfully terminated. Others are still employed and were recently subjected to illegal demotions, suspensions, or write ups, or were passed over for promotions. When it comes to protecting your rights, it is never too early to have a seasoned employment attorney in your corner.
How can an employment attorney help me?
No two cases are the same. Keating Law Firm empowers employees with quality legal representation focused on results and will work with each client to methodically plan for an appropriate course of action. Although there is no magical time machine to cure all injustices of the past, Keating Law Firm strives to put each client on the path to a better future and to achieving some sense of healing in their personal and professional lives.
Some cases may settle early without a lawsuit, while others may require months or years of hard-fought litigation. At every stage of representation, Keating Law Firm explores and advises clients on the possibilities of recovering back and front wages, emotional distress damages, punitive damages, injunctive and equitable relief, and attorney’s fees and costs. When appropriate, Keating Law Firm may also be able to pursue reinstatement or other equitable relief on behalf of a client.
From the day your file is open until the day it is closed, Christopher J. Keating, Esq. will be your attorney and your advocate.
Contact Keating Law Firm for a free consultation
If you believe your rights were violated by your employer, contact Keating Law Firm today at 856-519-5011 to schedule your free case consultation.
Keating Law Firm offers convenient virtual consultations and in-person meetings at its law office in Moorestown, NJ. Keating Law Firm – Your Attorney, Your Advocate.