Overview
Ellen O’Connell is Of Counsel to the firm. She has been practicing law in New Jersey since 1983, and has wide experience advising employers and individuals in labor and employment matters. Ms. O’Connell represents clients before State and federal courts, governmental agencies and in private arbitration.
Ms. O’Connell provides day-to-day human resource counseling to a variety of private and public employers concerning all aspects of State and federal employment laws. She advises clients with regard to issues relating to discrimination, harassment, leaves of absence, wrongful discharge, wage and hour laws, restrictive covenants and unfair competition, and assists employers with drafting and revising employment policies and personnel policy manuals.
Ms. O’Connell has advised colleges, churches, seminaries, non-profit agencies and several New Jersey municipalities on labor and employment matters and has represented them in actions in State and federal court and before the National Labor Relations Board. Her practice includes representation of religious organizations in matters involving employment and resolution of disputes concerning polity and governance. She also counsels executives about employment agreements, compensation, severance and non-compete agreements. Ms. O’Connell regularly conducts internal investigations for employers into claims of unlawful harassment, discrimination and other allegations of workplace misconduct.
Ellen has lectured for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), Employers Association of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. She has been appointed to three New Jersey Supreme Court Committees in matters related to attorney advertising, employment law and pro bono court assignments.
Ms. O’Connell has served as pro bono counsel to non-profit organizations that support employment and residences to the developmentally disabled; served as trustee, officer, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Community Health Law Project, and as a trustee of the Girl Scouts of Rolling Hills Council.
Ms. O’Connell has been a trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Association where she served in numerous leadership positions, including the office of Chairman of the Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments Committee and the Professional Responsibility Committee and a founder of the State Bar Pro Bono Committee. She also served as an officer and trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. Additionally, she served as a Trustee of the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey at Drew University.
A cum laude graduate in Philosophy from Boston College, she received her Juris Doctorate from the Seton Hall University of Law. Ellen is involved with the sport of pure-bred dogs and is the Secretary of the Somerset Hills Kennel Club. She is also an Elder of the Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church in Liberty Corner, Bernards Township, New Jersey.
