Patrick T. Collins is Chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. He practices labor, employment, and personnel law on behalf of employers and management personnel. He has a wide range of experience in all areas of litigation in both federal and state courts, defending discrimination and sexual harassment claims, wrongful discharge and whistleblower suits, and claims brought under the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the multitude of other civil rights and anti-discrimination laws. In addition, Pat represents parties in breach of contract claims and in actions involving unfair competition, restrictive covenants, and confidentiality agreements.
Pat has appeared before state human rights agencies throughout the country, as well as the EEOC, the National Labor Relations Board, and various wage and hour agencies. He has represented employers in numerous labor grievance/arbitration proceedings and in a variety of other matters relating to the unionization of employees and collective bargaining. He has also worked extensively with employers on public works contracts to ensure compliance with prevailing wage laws.
A great deal of Pat’s practice concentrates on counseling employers in making workplace decisions, which will reduce or avoid entirely the risk of litigation. Pat regularly counsels his clients on matters concerning independent contractors and contingent workers, employment policies, employee discipline and terminations, reductions in workforce, and plant closings. He has conducted sexual harassment investigations and employment law audits, and has drafted numerous employee handbooks and substance abuse and workplace privacy policies. Pat has also conducted management and employee training and legal compliance sessions in a variety of areas, including the performance appraisal process and anti-harassment.
Pat is Chair of the Somerset County Business Partnership Human Resources Roundtable. He is a former member of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, District XIII Ethics Committee, and the Sidney Reitman Employment Law Inn of Court.
Patrick Collins Appointed Chair of Somerset County Business Partnership HR Roundtable
Norris McLaughlin Attorneys to Present to Medical Management on COVID-19 Employment Law Updates
Patrick Collins to Speak on Managing Employment Issues
Patrick T. Collins Honored by Safe+Sound Somerset
Patrick Collins to Speak on Smartphone Technology at IMA Spring Conference
Patrick Collins to Speak on Smartphone Technology and the Risk in Business
Patrick Collins Elected President of the Board of Legal Services Northwest New Jersey
Somerset Valley Y Thanks Norris McLaughlin, P.A.for Many Years of Providing Camp Scholarships
THE EEOC’S ATTACK ON MAXIMUM LEAVE POLICIES
NEW JERSEY EMPLOYERS PREPARE FOR 2017
NEW JERSEY EMPLOYERS PREPARE FOR 2016
BRING YOUR OWN DEVICES (BYOD): POLICIES AND PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
NEW EMPLOYEE LEAVE LAW FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR SEXUAL ASSAULT
NEW POSTER REQUIREMENT FOR NEW JERSEY EMPLOYERS
SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE WORKPLACE: THE NEW FRONTIER
NEW YEAR CORPORATE HOUSEKEEPING: YOUR EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK
NEW WHISTLEBLOWER INCENTIVES AND PROTECTION IN THE DODD-FRANK ACT
OPERATIONAL, TRANSITIONAL AND EXIT STRATEGIES FOR CLOSELY-HELD & ENTREPRENEURIAL BUSINESS OWNERS
NEW JERSEY EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES MUST BE LICENSED WITH THE STATE
IF YOU THINK YOUR COMPANY IS BEYOND THE REACH OF THE NLRB BECAUSE YOU HAVE A NON-UNION WORKFORCE, TH
See MoreEEOC Updates Its COVID-19 Technical Assistance Publication to Address Vaccinations
New Jersey Revises Travel Restriction Guidelines
Daily Health Checks Under Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 192
U.S. Department of Labor Issues New FMLA Forms and Guidance on Return-To-Work Issues
EEOC: What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws
PPP Loan Forgiveness and Employees Who Refuse to Come Back to Work
More Changes in New Jersey Employment Law
More Changes in New Jersey Employment Law Potentially on the Way
DOL and IRS Release Guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
The U.S. DOL Updates Its Guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Once Again
Inside the CARES Act: Five-Year Carryback for Net Operating Losses and Taxable Income Offset
More Answers About the FFCRA From the U.S. Department of Labor
The Updated Rules on Joint Employment: A More Direct Approach and With Less Worry
Families First Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response Act
New Jersey’s Plant Closing Law Significantly Expanded and Now Mandates Severance Pay
2019: A Very Busy Year For New Jersey Employers
New EEOC Digest Released on Equal Employment Opportunity Law
New Jersey Passes Wage Theft Law: Employers Beware
NJ Medical Marijuana Laws Expand Employee Protections
New Jersey Law Bans Employers from Asking About Salary History
Managing Evolving Employment Issues with Limited Resources
EEOC Announces Fiscal Year 2018 Data on Charges and Litigation
New Jersey’s Legislature Continues to Alter Employment Law Landscape
New York Bans Discrimination Against Transgender Employees
NLRB Reinstates Employer-Friendly Independent Contractor Standard
NLRB Reinstates Employer-Friendly Independent Contractor Standard
EEOC Reports Success in Sexual Harassment Litigation
Employers Face Increased Cybersecurity Obligations
NJ Sick Leave Act Confusion Continues
New Definition of “Sex” Eliminates Protection for Transgender Individuals
EEOC Recommends Revamping Workplace Culture to Prevent Harassment
NJ Paid Sick Leave Poster Published
The Future of Bathroom Accommodations for Transgender Employees in Pennsylvania
Updated Harassment Policies Anticipated for NJ Legislators and Staff
Increase to Paid Family Leave Back on the Radar Screen
New Jersey Allows Striking Workers to Collect Unemployment Benefits
Reminder! Paid Sick Leave Coming to New Jersey on October 29, 2018
Annual Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Now Required in New York
New Jersey Moves to Bar Confidentiality in Certain Settlements
Third Circuit Eases Employees’ Path to Trial in Sexual Harassment Cases
The Importance of Maintaining Detailed Job Descriptions
The Importance of Maintaining Detailed Job Descriptions
EEOC Reconvenes Task Force on Preventing Harassment in the Workplace
Governor Murphy Signs New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Law
New Jersey Governor Signs Into Law Long-Awaited Pay Equity Legislation
Supreme Court Classifies Service Advisors as Exempt under FLSA
EEOC Announces Strategic Plan for 2018-2022
EEOC Announces Annual Enforcement and Litigation Statistics
Annual Digest of Decisions From the EEOC
New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination Expanded To Include Breastfeeding As A Protected Class
Santa’s Naughty List Continues to Grow
Do Employers Need to Pay for Short Rest Breaks?
Do You Know The ABC’s About Independent Contractors?
Third Circuit Addresses “Willful” Violations of Fair Labor Standards Act
The Pay Data Collection Aspects of the “New” EEO-1 Form Put On Hold
UPS Maximum Leave Policy Results In $2 Million Settlement With The EEOC
UPS Maximum Leave Policy Results In $2 Million Settlement With The EEOC
Expansion of Paid Family Leave Vetoed By Governor
A Generic Doctor’s Note, Without More, Will Not Support A Claim Under The NJLAD
Two Significant Employment Laws Await Governor’s Decision
What The Change In Course By The USDOL On Worker Classification Means For NJ Employers
Could a new overtime rule be in our future?
Is New Jersey Next In Line To Ban Questions About A Job Applicant’s Salary History?
EEOC’s Most Current Decision Digest is Available On-Line
Could Comp Time be Coming to the Private Sector?
Jury Waiver And Arbitration Agreements Require Specificity
If You Checked The Box, You’re Bound By The Contract
Increased Benefits Proposed For New Jersey Paid Family Leave Insurance
Dispelling the 10 Biggest Wage and Hour Myths
Employers Must Use New I-9 Form
EEOC Releases Enforcement and Litigation Data for Fiscal Year 2016
Federal Court Preliminarily Enjoins New FLSA Overtime Regulations
Ruling on Challenge to New FLSA Overtime Regulations Expected Tomorrow
How does Pennsylvania’s new medical marijuana law compare to NJCUMMA?
A Week of Developments at the EEOC
DOL Announces New “White Collar” Exemption Regulations
Leaves of Absence As a Reasonable Accommodation Under the Americans With Disabilities Act (“ADA”)
Dept. of Labor Issues New FMLA Poster
Dept. of Labor Announces New FMLA Publications
NYC Institutes Ban on Pre-Employment Credit Checks
EEOC Changes Policy on Releasing Position Statements
The Anonymous Employee Complaint Letter. What’s An Employer To Do?
New Jersey Employers Prepare for 2016
Arbitration Clause in Employee Handbook Found Not Enforceable
Court to BorgataBabes: “No Dice!”
You May Be a Joint Employer and Not Even Know It
Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Independent Contractor Misclassification
Anti-Harassment Policies Must Be Communicated To Temporary Employees
OSHA Publishes “A Guide To Restroom Access For Transgender Workers”
U.S. Supreme Court Issues Decision Addressing Pregnancy Accommodations
Check out the EEOC’s Annual Discrimination Statistics
Expert Medical Evidence Needed To Establish The Extent Of A Person’s Disability
Supreme Court Delivers Blow to Public-Sector Unions
Supreme Court Rules for Employers on Contraceptive Mandate
Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD): Policies and Practical Considerations
New Jersey Inching Closer to Another Law Prohibiting Employer Discrimination Against the Unemployed
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Governor Christie Signs Law Prohibiting Pregnancy Discrimination
Highlighting 2013 and Looking Ahead to 2014 for New Jersey Employers
New Employment Obligations for the New Year
The New Jersey Security and Financial Empowerment (NJ SAFE) Act Poster
New Law Allows Employees to Freely Discuss Pay, Compensation, and Benefits
New Employee Leave Law for Victims of Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault
Will New Jersey Mandate Paid Sick Leave?
CEPA Claim Cannot Be Based on Code of Ethics Not Applicable to Employer
Another Facebook Firing Decision by the National Labor Relations Board
Sanctions Imposed for Deletion of Facebook Account
New Family and Medical Leave Act Poster
New Jersey Legislation Employers Should Watch
Recent Mealbreak Case Upholds Employer’s Auto-Deduct Policy
Another Posting Requirement on the Horizon in New Jersey
Hurricane Sandy – FMLA and ADA Issues
Reason to Reexamine Drug and Alcohol Policies
New Jersey Restores Exemption for Commissioned Sales Employees
EEOC Issues New Guidelines on the Use of Criminal Background Checks
EEOC Final Rule on Disparate Impact and “Reasonable Factors Other than Age” Under the ADEA
More Recordkeeping Requirements for Employers
NLRB “Quickie Election Rule” Set For April 30, 2012
Caregivers and Family Responsibility Claims Once Again Before the EEOC
New Jersey Enacts “Trade Secrets Act”
Providing Employment Verifications
New Poster Requirement For New Jersey Employers
See More
Patrick T. Collins has earned the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent® status. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
2017 Safe + Sound Somerset Jackie Wiegand Founder Award
1999 Legal Services of New Jersey Equal Justice Medal.
1999 Outstanding Board Service Award.