Timothy S. Klimpl, an Associate of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., will present “ERISA Basics for Lawyers,” a CLE seminar sponsored by the Fairfield County Bar Association, on Tuesday, December 4, from 12:30pm to 2:00pm, at the office of the Fairfield County Bar Association in Stamford, CT.
Klimpl’s topics will include ways to spot ERISA issues for clients; the responsibilities of an ERISA plan fiduciary; and addressing compliance problems in retirement and health plans, among other topics. The program is approved for 1.5 transitional and non-transitional NY & CT law practice management credits. To register, please visit fairfieldbar.org.
Klimpl has represented a broad array of employee benefit plans, including corporate, multiemployer, and governmental employee benefit plans providing retirement, health, disability, dental and other welfare benefits. His work on executive compensation matters includes equity and incentive compensation plans, nonqualified deferred compensation, employment agreements and severance issues, including Section 409A compliance. Klimpl advises clients on issues including ERISA compliance, the Pension Protection Act, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), ACA investigations, COBRA, HIPAA, tax qualification requirements under the Internal Revenue Code for employee benefit plans, preparation of benefit determination notices, and the IRS Voluntary Correction Program (VCP) for retirement plans under the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS).
Klimpl has reviewed and interpreted collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and drafted CBA language relating to employer funding obligations under the Pension Protection Act and tax provisions under the ACA. He also prepares employee handbooks and advises employers regarding wage and hour laws, anti-discrimination statutes, and employment agreements; engages in corporate formation; and applies for and obtains federal tax-exempt status for non-profit organizations.
Klimpl also represents senior-level employees in the negotiation of their employment and severance packages and all associated agreements, including evaluation of wrongful termination claims. His work for clients includes employment and post-employment compensation, health coverage and COBRA issues, confidentiality, non-compete, non-solicitation, and benefits and protections within the structures and strategies for those packages.
Klimpl received his J.D. from New York Law School and his B.A., cum laude, from Syracuse University. He is a member of the American, New York State, Connecticut and Fairfield County Bar Associations.
Norris McLaughlin, P.A., is pleased to present a series of presentations on significant legal issues facing human resource professionals, business owners, and in-house lawyers. These seminars will highlight timely legal developments and managerial concerns in labor and employment law.
The final seminar of the series, Hot Topics, set for December 13, will feature a panel of speakers presenting in-depth on five emergent topics, which include:
Osterman has successfully handled complex, commercial real estate transactions and land use matters throughout the State of New Jersey, including those involving shopping centers, industrial and office parks, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, restaurant chains, convenience stores, gas stations, retail chains, educational institutions, horse farms, large and small residential subdivisions, private golf, lake and country clubs, utility treatment facilities, recycling facilities, religious facilities, charitable non-profit facilities, raw land for development and preservation, and the redevelopment of environmentally contaminated “brownsfield” sites. His clients include large and small corporations and other business entities, non-profit organizations, trusts, estates, and individuals.
Osterman’s transactional experience includes acquisitions, sales, financing, leases, easements, licenses, and preservation matters. He has also handled transactions involving the joint sale of commercial real estate and business assets, as well as the purchase, sale and development of unique estate properties. Osterman counsels clients on the effect of, and compliance with, various federal, state and local land use and environmental statutes and regulations, including, among others, federal and state wetlands laws, the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law, the Residential Site Improvement Standards, the Industrial Site Recovery Act, and the New Jersey Right to Farm Act. He regularly represents clients before planning boards, boards of adjustment, and other municipal, county and state bodies across the State of New Jersey in connection with development applications for various commercial and residential projects and other land use matters.
Osterman has undertaken pro bono land use matters for the Somerset Hills YMCA and the Somerset County YMCA. He has served on the Board of Directors of both the Somerset Hills YMCA and the Somerset County YMCA; has served as a member and co-chair of the Somerset Hills YMCA’s Community Advisory Board; and has served as President of the Somerset Hills YMCA Board of Managers, and currently serves as a member of that Board. In 2014, Osterman received the Somerset Hills YMCA’s Volunteer Leadership Award and in 2002, he received the New Jersey State Alliance Outstanding YMCA Volunteer Award.
Osterman earned his J.D. from University Pennsylvania School of Law, and his B.S. from Lehigh University. He is a member of the New Jersey State and American Bar Associations’ Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Sections.
The law firm of Norris McLaughlin, P.A., is proud to announce that it has been selected for inclusion in fifteen practice areas in the 2019 Best Law Firms rankings by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers. This marks the ninth consecutive year the firm has earned Metropolitan First Tier rankings in New Jersey. The firm’s full listing of First Tier rankings is, as follows:
The mission of Best Law Firms from the start has been to help guide referring lawyers and clients – from the country’s largest companies needing corporate legal advice to individuals needing to get a divorce or write a will – issues that have a bet-the-company implication (in the case of a corporation) or a potentially life-changing result (in the case of an individual). The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® Best Law Firms rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their fields, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. A full listing is posted online here.
A resident of Morristown, Wise focuses his practice on general commercial litigation. Prior to joining Norris McLaughlin, he served two judicial clerkships in the New Jersey Superior Court. First, in the Law Division with the Honorable Richard F. Wells, J.S.C., and then in the Appellate Division with the Honorable William E. Nugent, J.A.D.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Wise served in the New Jersey Army National Guard for six years, where he completed a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant.
Wise earned his J.D., cum laude, in 2016 from Rutgers University Law School, where he was a staff editor of the Rutgers University Law Review; and his B.S. in 2009 from The College of New Jersey.
Harris, who joins the firm after 12 years as Chief Legal Officer at Newark Housing Authority, has a strong background in municipal and federal law, contract negotiations, arbitration, mediation, transactional real estate, and eminent domain matters. She has handled transactions involving the acquisition of hundreds of properties that resulted in the relocation of thousands of residents and businesses within 77 redevelopment areas.
Harris is experienced in negotiating and creating comprehensive agreements for construction projects, redevelopment agreements with private parties, and lease of facilities projects (government-owned assets). She negotiates binding Letters of Intent and term sheets as the framework for final agreements and coordinates with bond counsel, city, federal, and state agencies, as well as financial consultants to assist in analyzing risks, rewards, and requirements for the agreement under negotiation. Harris understands best practices and industry standards in public/private partnerships.
Harris’s experience gives her an understanding of asset management, management and labor relations, bond responsibilities, redevelopment agreements, coordination with a multi-governmental approval process, and reaching agreements with stakeholders holding varying opinions and interests. Further, her role as Chief Legal Officer and Executive Director at Newark Housing Authority has given Harris the ability to strategically negotiate and efficiently guide transactions to minimize risk and complications for her clients.
Harris has been recognized for personal and professional achievements throughout her career in including the “Woman of Achievement Award” from the Tri-County Scholarship Foundation and the “General Counsel of the Year” from NJBiz.
Harris earned her B.S. from Bucknell University in 1981 and her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Lawin 1986.
Raymond G. Lahoud, Esq., a Member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., and Chair of its Immigration Law Group, is pleased to present a two-part seminar series for all human resource professionals, business owners, compliance officers, administrators, and management at organizations and companies in every industry of every size on how to complete the I-9 process correctly, prepare for random immigration inspections, and be proactive in avoiding devastating employer immigration compliance penalties.
The seminars are free of charge and open to the public. HRCI and SHRM credits are available. Lahoud will present “How to Handle Form I-9 When Hiring and After” on Friday, October 19, and “Best Practices for ICE Audits When It Comes to Form I-9” on Tuesday, November 13. Both sessions will be held 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Norris McLaughlin’s office in Bridgewater, New Jersey. SHRM and HRCI credits are available. For more information and to register, click here or RSVP by email to Jacqueline Ehrenkranz, Marketing Coordinator, at .
“Daily, employers are caught off guard when Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents come knocking at Human Resources’ door, seeking to conduct random Form I-9 audits. We want you to be prepared, proactive, and represented. I am relieved that so many employers see the value in this seminar, as the topic is timely and emergent,” said Lahoud.
A resident of Easton, Pennsylvania, Lahoud focuses his practice primarily on immigration law and deportation defense for individuals and corporations. His practice includes Citizenship, U.S. Non-Immigration Visas, E Visas, E-3 Visas, H-1B Visas, H-2B Visas, L Visas, O Visas, P Visas, Q Visas, R Visas, TN Visas, U.S. Immigration Visas, EB5 Investor Visas, Exceptional Ability Immigrant Visas, Extraordinary Ability Immigrant Visas, K-1 Visas, K-3 Visas, Multinational Manager/Executive Immigrant Visas, Outstanding Professor/Researcher Immigrant Visas, PERM Labor Certification, Family Petitions, Adjustment of Status, Marriage Petitions, Asylum, and VAWA applications. Lahoud also has a long history of political and business management expertise.
Lahoud also works in the field of Immigration Waivers, such as the Visa Waiver Program, National Interest Waivers, Hardship Waivers, and J Waivers. His practice focuses specifically on Deportation Defense at the Immigration Court, Board of Immigration Appeals, and Circuit Court levels. He has defended individuals against deportation across the United States. In state and federal appellate courts, he seeks post-conviction relief for the underlying crime that led to deportation proceedings. He also represents individuals who overstayed their visas or entered the United States without inspection.
Lahoud has received numerous accolades. He has been awarded the Empire State Pro Bono Counsel Award each year since 2012, has been selected as Lead Counsel, received the Martindale-Hubbell Platinum Client Champion Award, and has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star, ranked as a Top Rated Immigration Attorney in the New York Metro Area. EB5 Investors, the leading online portal, conference series, and magazine for investors, developers, and EB-5 professionals has named Lahoud one of the “Top 5 Rising Stars” nationally. He was also named one of the 40 young professionals from the Greater Lehigh Valley as the Lehigh Valley Business 2017 Forty Under 40 for his commitment to business growth, professional excellence, and the community. Lahoud earned his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Lehigh University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Norris McLaughlin is a full-service, mid-sized, regional law firm with 130+ attorneys serving the legal needs of businesses and families in the New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania areas, uniquely positioned to represent Fortune 500 corporations, middle-market companies, and individuals, since 1953. Once a humble two-man practice on Main Street in Somerville, New Jersey, Norris McLaughlin has become the largest firm in Somerset County and one of the top 20 firms in New Jersey. The Pennsylvania office has been named “Best of the Valley” for Overall Attorney by Lehigh Valley Magazine, selected as a Morning Call Top Workplace, and among the Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania.
Norris McLaughlin also enjoys an international reputation for excellence through its membership in Meritas, the largest worldwide affiliation of high-quality law firms. Through Meritas and the Firm’s multidisciplinary team approach, clients both local and abroad receive the services of counselors, advisors, strategists, and advocates. These dedicated professionals have one mission – to be the firm of choice for clients seeking the most creative, comprehensive, and effective legal services available.
The Marketing and Recruitment Departments of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., participated in the annual, national United WayDay of Action. As part of NM Cares, the group joined the United Way of Northern New Jersey at the Somerset County Ted Blum 4-H Center in Bridgewater to “Take Action for ALICE® Kids.”
Each year on June 21, the first day of summer and longest day of the year, the regional United Ways across the country organize a community-wide day of service. With more daylight hours than any other day, the summer solstice is the ideal time to let actions speak louder than words. By hosting the nationwide volunteer day, United Way fulfills its mission by mobilizing the caring power of thousands of people in each community.
The United Way of Northern New Jersey (UWNNJ) focused their 2018 Day of Action efforts on helping local ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families and their children, who make up the 26 percent of residents who are working, but are unable to afford the basic necessities of housing, food, child care, health care, and transportation. Building on a project initiated in 2009 at UWNNJ, United Ways in several other states have joined the ALICE® Project. Together, this movement aims to stimulate a fresh, nonpartisan, national dialogue about the importance and fragility of this segment of the population. United Ways involved also plan to use the statistical information they gather about the affected families as the framework for their work in improving their residents’ lives and strengthening their communities.
UWNNJ volunteers assembled “ALICE® Healthy Food Action Kits,” an assortment of healthy snacks and easy-access meals, information to promote healthy eating, and a water bottle, and “ALICE® Literacy Action Kits.” The kits, including two books, bookmarks and flashcards handmade by the volunteers, pencils, crayons, activity and coloring books, and reading guides for parents, all in a backpack creatively designed by the volunteers, were distributed to elementary school-age ALICE® children at nonprofit partners within the community. The kits help children from ALICE® families this summer to maintain their reading and literacy skills with new books and activities and maintain their food security through access to healthy food items and snacks, while teaching the families and community members how ALICE® families struggle to make ends meet.
As part of the Norris McLaughlin, P.A. Wellness Program, the NM Cares initiative was created to encourage employees to take an active role in charitable activities that better the community. Under NM Cares, the firm grants each of its employees paid time off equal to one work day each year exclusively for charitable work. The firm and its attorneys have historically been committed to the communities where our clients live and do business – to make them better places to live, work, and play. Attorneys have held prominent leadership positions in various organizations throughout the areas the firm serves and many of them have been honored for the work they do in the community. For example, the firm has been named a “Champion of Good Works” as one of the “Companies that Care” by COMMERCE Magazine.
The law firm of Norris McLaughlin, P.A., has been recognized as one of the “Gold 2018 Healthy Workplaces” by Healthier Somerset, a partnership of over 50 organizations aiming to improve the health and well-being of those who live and work in Somerset County. Charles A. Bruder, a Member of the firm and Co-Chair of its Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits Practice Group, will accept the award on the firm’s behalf at the second annual 2018 Healthy Workplace Recognition Awards.
The event, to take place 8:30-10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 7, at the FairBridge Hotel & Conference Center in Somerset, will feature “Cultivating Your Culture,” a presentation by Dr. Vince Sferra, the founder and Clinic Director of Natural Medicine and Rehabilitation, followed by a panel discussion of best practices for employee wellness. For more information and to register, visit healthiersomerset.org.
Norris McLaughlin, P.A. has been recognized for its firm-wide wellness program, Legally Fit!, which, sponsors and promotes such health-conscious initiatives as Fresh Fruit Fridays, a Fresh Farm Box Delivery Program, the Weight Watchers at Work program, chair massages, yoga classes, weekly inspirational quotes, and a Lunch & Learn Series of educational seminars on topics such as healthy eating and exercise habits.
“The firm started Legally Fit! to promote a workplace culture that supports and encourages employees to develop and maintain a lifelong commitment to their health; encourage habits of wellness; increase awareness; provide activities, information, and services; and recognize employees for participating in the wellness program that supports healthy lifestyle choices,” said Sharon Taggert, the firm’s Senior Benefits Administrator.
Also part of Legally Fit! is the NM Cares initiative. The program encourages its employees to take an active role in charitable activities that better the community. Under NM Cares, the firm is granting each of its employees paid time off equal to one work day each year exclusively for charitable work. An employee who seeks to participate in NM Cares must complete a participation form to be approved by the Marketing Department, tell the story of why they chose the charity, explain how they became involved, and provide photos of their experience. The pictures and writings will be shared with clients and friends on the new NM Cares website, on social media, and in the press to demonstrate to the community our employees’ involvement in charitable endeavors.
