Profile
Michael J. Slocum focuses his practice on labor and employment law, including the defense of discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge, and whistleblower claims, as well as wage and hour and employee misclassification litigation, trade secret disputes, enforcement of restrictive covenants, and ERISA and retirement benefits fiduciary duty disputes. Michael has represented employers in a wide array of industries, including health care and life sciences, pharmaceutical and medical devices, financial and compliance services, and retail. Michael has broad experience defending against both individual employee claims and class actions before state and federal courts across the nation, as well as before various governmental agencies.
Michael has written and spoken numerous times on a multitude of issues facing employers in diverse industries. In addition to many client alerts and online articles, Michael has also authored articles regularly appearing in the New Jersey Law Journal, including “EEOC Proposes Collecting Pay Data to Combat ‘Pay Discrimination’” in March 2016, “Revisiting the Great Joint Employment Debate” in April 2018, “A Year of Significant Changes in NJ Employment Law” in August 2019, “Teleworking: The New Normal?” in July 2020, “NJLAD vs. Federal Arbitration Act: The Future of Employment Arbitration in NJ” in March 2021, and “No LOLing Matter: The Rising Prevalence of Emojis in Employment Litigation” in July 2022.
Prior to joining the firm, Michael practiced in the litigation department of a national firm focused on labor and employment matters in the life sciences industry, where he served as Editor of that firm's "False Claims Act Quarterly."
Concentrations
- Labor and employment litigation, specifically:
- Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FLSA, FMLA, and state and local analogues
- NLRA, ERISA, and “ban-the-box” / “fair chance” laws
- Labor and employment counseling on multiple topics including:
- handbook and policy review
- wage and hour advice
- employee relations
- Whistleblower claims, including NJ CEPA
The attorney is providing legal services through and affiliated with Greenberg Traurig, LLP, a New York Limited Liability Partnership. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Capabilities
Experience
- Representation of a major retailer in case brought by two supervisory-level plaintiffs, each of whom asserted roughly ten various causes of action, including various theories of discrimination, retaliation and defamation. Obtained summary judgement on most claims and negotiated settlement on the eve of trial.
- Representation of a major health care company against claims, brought by executive-level plaintiff, for age discrimination and breach of stock agreements. Obtained a “walk away” victory, where plaintiff dropped all claims shortly after giving a deposition.
- Representation of defendant in a class action brought by employees seeking to recover from ERISA directed trustee retirement funds misappropriated by their employer. Briefed extensively several novel legal issues under ERISA, including full briefs to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, prior to achieving class-wide settlement.
- Representation of a university in lawsuit alleging age and disability discrimination in connection with an institution-wide reduction in force. Obtained summary judgment dismissing all claims.
- Representation of a health management company in claims brought by C-Suite plaintiff. Plaintiff sought to recover seven-figure severance under employment contract following for cause termination. After hotly contested litigation, successfully reached a settlement.
- Representation of client seeking to recover a bonus under claw-back agreement from former employee, who counter- and third-party claimed for breach of contract and civil RICO. Successfully negotiated settlement that recovered bonus.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law - Management, 2024-2025
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, ERISA Litigation, 2023-2024
- Selected, New Jersey Law Journal, "New Leaders of the Bar," 2017
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, New Jersey Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars," 2013
- Team Member, a Law360 "Employment Practice Group of the Year," 2013
- Member, Winning Team, New Jersey Law Journal’s "General Litigation Department of the Year" award, 2013
- Team Member, Lexology’s Client Choice Award USA & Canada, United States: New Jersey, 2013
A description of the selection methodology for the above awards can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- Member, American Bar Association
Credentials
-
J.D., with honors, Rutgers School of Law - Newark, 2003
- Recipient of the Alumni Senior Prize
- Co-Chairperson, Rutgers Moot Court Board
- B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 2000
- Hon. Donald Coburn, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division
- New Jersey
- New York
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit