Kingston Attorney Isaacs Honored as SuperLawyer in 2022 Review

For the 13th time in a row, Princeton attorney Hanan M. Isaac's has been named a top tier lawyer in New Jersey.

Mr. Isaacs is an attorney with the Kingston Law Group, serving  Princeton and all parts of Central Jersey. 

The announcement was made by the New Jersey SuperLawyers magazine. The magazine annually reviews attorneys from across the state and chooses the top five percent practicing lawyers around the state for the listing. Mr. Isaacs was first named to the list in 2010 and has received this high honor every year since.

Said Isaacs, “"SuperLawyers does not give this recognition lightly. They annually select the top lawyers in every legal specialty throughout the State. The review team examines each nominee, their work, case outcomes, and more. According to the publisher, making the list even once shows a huge dedication to the practice of law and the clients served.”

Being listed 13 times in a row requires a commitment to the practice of law that is second to none.

In addition to law practice, publisher SuperLawyers Magazine looks at how the attorney gives back to the profession. In that arena, Mr. Isaacs has been a leader for 43 years.  He has served on professional and community boards for his entire career. "A professional mediator and arbitrator, Mr. Isaacs has trained hundreds of CPA's, human resources professionals, lawyers, and other business community members in the art and craft of negotiations, mediation, arbitration and conflict resolution," says the SuperLawyers report on Isaacs's selection.

Mr. Isaacs works every day to improve his chosen field and mentor those just entering the profession.  This includes young lawyers, legal interns, and paralegals. He said seeing other people excel with his help is one the greatest gifts he receives.

"I hope this honor serves to inspire other New Jersey attorneys to look at their own contributions and see how they can serve their communities even better. We owe it to the legal profession and our clients to be the best we can possibly be," he said.

About Hanan M. Isaacs

For 43 years, Hanan Isaacs has served as a trial lawyer, mediator, and arbitrator, from his offices in Princeton-Kingston, NJ. Mr. Isaacs focuses his practice on employment and business litigation, personal injury, family law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in those fields. He is active with the NJ Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association, an organization of trial lawyers who regularly represent workers. Isaacs is also an Accredited Professional Mediator in both civil and family law matters with the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators. He is a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Family Law Specialist, a designation attained by 250 out of 80,000 lawyers in the State. He is active in the New Jersey legal and ADR communities and has variously served as an adjunct law professor, college professor, ADR trainer, legal writer, public speaker, as well as a leader in professional legal and ADR organizations.

Hanan M. Isaacs, Esq.

Founding Partner, Kingston Law Group

(609) 683-7400

300 Carnegie Center Drive

Suite 150A

Princeton, NJ 08540

https://kingstonlawgroup.com/

hisaacs@kingstonlawgroup.com

2022superlawyers#familylawyer#employmentlawattorney#civilligationattorney#divorcelawattorney

“Do I Have a NJ Claim for Wrongful Discharge?”

Wrongful discharge in New Jersey is a legal term for an unlawful firing. The law protects people from management misconduct in breaking the reasonable expectations of employees. This could be based on breach of contract, a violation of a Collective Bargaining Agreement, breaking an implied covenant of fair dealing, retaliation for an employee’s “whistleblowing” activities, or the employer’s unlawful discrimination/retaliation against you based on your protected classification.

People often get attached to their employment and feel like they are family members in a family. Being fired is like being expelled from that family and most employees, especially long-termers who deeply care about their job, workplace, and co-workers, often become outrated by being let go. Many people are surprised to find out that New Jersey remains an “at will” employment state (see below for details), unless you have an actual contract of employment or a handbook policy on which to rely.

Mere employer ignorance, arrogance, personal dislike, or stupidity, not connected with unlawful discrimination/retaliation for protected classes of employees, may have extremely painful consequences for you, but they are not against the law. Firing after “garden variety” unfair treatment or because your manager doesn’t like you personally are not grounds for a legal claim, let alone a lawsuit. Courts will not second-guess management, unless the former employee has proof of genuine wrongdoing.

New Jersey’s “at will” employment status for all non-contract employees is a significant potential barrier to a wrongful termination claim. Unless your firing violates a law or a contract between the employer and you, you can be fired at any time for any lawful reason – just as you may quit at any time for any reason.

What NJ Laws Cover Wrongful Discharge?

There are state and federal statutes as well as NJ common law decisions (developed by court opinions over the years) covering wrongful termination. They involve a wide range of issues -- yet the nub of the case is that you did or said or were something you were entitled to do or say or be – and the employer got rid of you for those reasons. That includes doing or reporting something in a lawfully protected status, such as “whistleblowing” -- reporting internally or to industry regulators about pollution or corruption; or filing something you had a right to file, such as a workers’ comp claim, occupational safety and health claim, unlawful discrimination claim, or paid sick leave. That is known as unlawful retaliation and New Jersey public policy forbids it.

What Law Applies in Your Situation?

1.     The Conscientious Employee Protection Act

The Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) is a NJ law covering negative actions against a worker, including demotions, discipline, pay cuts, and discharge if the employer does one of those things based upon an employee’s protected actions – called “whistleblowing”.

CEPA prohibits employer retaliation against employees who act in the company’s or society’s interests. The law covers discussing issues with management, government entities, and internal or external investigators or public media. Healthcare workers who want to address patients’ substandard care are also protected.

2.     Employment Anti-Discrimination Statutes

State and federal statutes protect employees from negative actions based on their protected basis (race, religion, gender, age, religion, disability) or their protected acts (complaining of discrimination, asking for a reasonable accommodation for a disability, participating in an investigation or lawsuit). One of those negative actions could be a termination or layoff. If that’s the case, the ex-employee may have a claim for wrongful termination

3.     Workers Compensation Law

The NJ Legislature wants employees to file for workers’ compensation when appropriate, but that may result in elevated costs for an employer. Some employers don’t like that and routinely “get rid of” employees who file such claims, justifying the discharge on the grounds the employee no longer can perform the essential duties of the job. The Legislature recognized the danger that an employer could retaliate against an employee for claiming benefits -- including by firing – and they outlawed it. Losing your job because you seek workers’ comp benefits amounts to wrongful discharge.

Has Your Employer Wrongfully Terminated Your Employment?

If you believe you have grounds for a legal claim, contact Kingston Law Group with questions or concerns about what happened and what you can do about it. You may reach us through email (hisaacs@kingstonlawgroup.com) or by calling us at 609-683-7400.

We will schedule a near-term reduced fee initial consultation. We will listen to your facts, explain the law, and outline your best avenues to achieve social and economic justice. We can speak with you on the phone, through a Zoom call, or in-person if you’re vaccinated against Covid-19. We accept credit card payments, and our appointments are from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. We can schedule evening appointments during the work week by special appointment only.

Contact us today. You’ll be glad you did.