Profile
Michael J. Slocum focuses his practice on labor and employment law, including the defense of discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge and whistleblower claims. Michael has represented employers in a broad array of industries, including health care and life sciences, pharmaceutical, private security, and retail, and has experience defending against both individual employee claims and class actions.
Michael has written and spoken numerous times on a multitude of issues facing employers in diverse industries. In addition to many client alerts and online articles, Michael was a contributing author to "Avoiding Liability for Unconscious Bias and Subtle Discrimination" published in the New Jersey Law Journal in December 2008, as well as a chapter on the False Claims Act in the 2010 edition of "Health Law and Compliance Update." Michael was a speaker at a September 2008 seminar "The New Jersey FCA: Perspectives and Insight," as well as the firm's May 2013 "Taking Care of Business: An Annual Update on Labor and Employment Law" seminar. More recently, Law 360 published Michael’s article “NYC Earned Sick Time Act May Hit Small Business Hardest” in May 2014, and his article “NJ Supreme Court Reaffirms ‘Faithless Servant’ Doctrine” in November 2015. Michael also authored “EEOC Proposes Collecting Pay Data to Combat ‘Pay Discrimination,’” published by the New Jersey Law Journal in March 2016, and well as “Revisiting the Great Joint Employment Debate,” published by the New Jersey Law Journal in April 2018.
Prior to joining the firm, Michael practiced in the litigation department of a national firm focused on labor and employment matters in the life sciences industry, where he served as Editor of that firm's "False Claims Act Quarterly." He has experience representing clients at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts, as well as before a variety of state and federal administrative agencies.
Concentrations
- Labor and employment litigation, specifically:
- Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FLSA, FMLA, and state and local analogues
- NLRA, ERISA, and “ban-the-box” / “fair chance” laws
- Labor and employment counseling on multiple topics including:
- handbook and policy review
- wage and hour advice
- employee relations
- Whistleblower claims, including NJ CEPA
The attorney is providing legal services through and affiliated with Greenberg Traurig, LLP, a New York Limited Liability Partnership. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and circumstances.
Capabilities
Experience
- Representation of a major retailer in case brought by two supervisory-level plaintiffs, each of whom asserted roughly ten various causes of action, including various theories of discrimination, retaliation and defamation. Obtained summary judgement on most claims and negotiated settlement on the eve of trial.
- Representation of a major health care company against claims, brought by executive-level plaintiff, for age discrimination and breach of stock agreements. Obtained a “walk away” victory, where plaintiff dropped all claims shortly after giving a deposition.
- Representation of defendant in a class action brought by employees seeking to recover from ERISA directed trustee retirement funds misappropriated by their employer. Briefed extensively several novel legal issues under ERISA, including full briefs to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, prior to achieving class-wide settlement.
- Representation of a university in lawsuit alleging age and disability discrimination in connection with an institution-wide reduction in force. Obtained summary judgment dismissing all claims.
- Representation of a health management company in claims brought by C-Suite plaintiff. Plaintiff sought to recover seven-figure severance under employment contract following for cause termination. After hotly contested litigation, successfully reached a settlement.
- Representation of client seeking to recover a bonus under claw-back agreement from former employee, who counter- and third-party claimed for breach of contract and civil RICO. Successfully negotiated settlement that recovered bonus.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law - Management, 2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, ERISA Litigation, "Other Key Lawyer," 2023
- Selected, New Jersey Law Journal, "New Leaders of the Bar," 2017
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, New Jersey Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars," 2013
- Team Member, a Law360 "Employment Practice Group of the Year," 2013
- Member, Winning Team, New Jersey Law Journal’s "General Litigation Department of the Year" award, 2013
- Team Member, Lexology’s Client Choice Award USA & Canada, United States: New Jersey, 2013
A description of the selection methodology for the above awards can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- Member, American Bar Association
Credentials
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J.D., with honors, Rutgers School of Law - Newark, 2003
- Recipient of the Alumni Senior Prize
- Co-Chairperson, Rutgers Moot Court Board
- B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 2000
- Hon. Donald Coburn, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division
- New Jersey
- New York
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit