The international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP announced that Wendy Johnson Lario, Kristine J. Feher, Micala Campbell Robinson and Kristy L. Grazioso have joined the firm’s New Jersey office in the Labor & Employment Practice. Lario and Feher join Greenberg Traurig as shareholders; Robinson and Grazioso join as of counsel. Most recently, all four were attorneys at Day Pitney LLP.
Lario, who will serve as Chair of the New Jersey Labor & Employment Practice, is a Chambers-ranked employment litigator who represents employers in litigation involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblowing and breach of contract issues, among others. She is admitted to practice in both New Jersey and New York and regularly litigates in those federal and state courts and administrative agencies.
Lario also provides advice and training to in-house counsel, human resources professionals and management on a wide array of employment issues, ranging from hiring, firing and discipline to employee accommodations, reductions in force, severance and employment agreements, identity theft requirements and background checks. She conducts internal investigations and counsels employers regarding the interplay between state and federal leave laws, disability discrimination laws and workers’ compensation. Lario has been selected for inclusion in multiple editions of New Jersey Super Lawyers. She also serves as the President of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association.
“We are excited to add Wendy, Kris, Micala and Kristy to our New Jersey office. Their labor and employment backgrounds complement our existing practices and will help to better serve our clients in a collaborative and business-oriented style,” said Philip R. Sellinger, managing shareholder of the firm’s New Jersey office.
Feher’s practice, like Lario’s, focuses on employment discrimination and wrongful discharge litigation arising under federal and state laws, as well as breach of contract, and related tort actions. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey state and federal courts, as well as the federal courts of New York. Feher also counsels and trains employers to assist them in complying with applicable laws, managing difficult employment issues, and proactively minimizing litigation risk. In addition, she assists employers with immigration matters, allowing them to employ foreign nationals in the United States. Feher was selected for inclusion in New Jersey Super Lawyers- Rising Stars editions from 2006 through 2009; has been identified as a top employment litigator by Benchmark: Litigation, and was ranked by Chambers USA in the field of employment law. She has published numerous articles and alerts on topics relating to employment law and employment-based immigration, and speaks regularly on those topics.
Robinson and Grazioso focus on a number of employment litigation issues, including discrimination and wrongful discharge, wage and hour compliance, workers’ compensation, termination procedures, accommodation policies, employee handbooks and internal investigations, among others.
“We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with the talented attorneys at Greenberg Traurig. The firm’s platform enables us to offer a wide range of services in a multitude of markets while still bringing value to our clients,” said Lario. “We look forward to building Greenberg Traurig’s Labor & Employment practice in New Jersey with our practical, results-driven and cost-effective approach. The firm is a natural fit for our team,” she added. “Moreover, on a personal level, coming to a firm that is committed to diversity and the advancement and promotion of women is critically important to all of us. And when it comes to those things, Greenberg doesn’t just talk the talk, it walks the walk.”
Feher added, “With today’s volatile economic conditions, competitive market place and the continued emergence of technology in the workplace, companies planning layoffs or addressing issues like medical leave, harassment and social media use by employees need a legal team that is not only experienced with employment laws, but has instant access to a world of professionals who can see the business as a whole and not simply address a seemingly isolated legal issue. We are excited to join Greenberg Traurig and bring these resources to our clients.”
Lario holds her J.D. From Seton Hall University School of Law and B.A. from Duke University. Feher holds her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and B.A. from Tufts University.
Robinson was a law clerk with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2005-2007. Grazioso was a law clerk for the Honorable Stanley R. Chesler, U.S. District Judge, from 2005-2006 and is currently co-chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association. They are both admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey. Robinson holds her J.D. from Howard University School of law and B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Grazioso holds her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and B.S. from Quinnipiac University.
Greenberg Traurig’s Labor & Employment Practice provides an array of workplace strategies and legal counsel, including consulting, technical assistance and litigation services. The team understands the business impact of labor and employment issues and helps organizations analyze options, make informed decisions and take effective action.
