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Partners  |
Suzanne M. Cerra, Esq. |
Suzanne M. Cerra has devoted her legal career to representing employers in all aspects of employment law, including discrimination, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination matters. She also has extensive experience in matters involving the enforcement of restrictive covenants and the protection of trade secrets and confidential information. Ms. Cerra has represented hundreds of clients in state and federal court proceedings, FINRA (formerly NASD) and arbitration proceedings, and before administrative agencies such as the EEOC, the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights and the New York Human Rights Division. She also has extensive experience providing compliance counseling to her clients regarding all state and federal employment laws and assisting clients with issues relating to discrimination, harassment, leaves of absence, wrongful discharge, wage and hour laws, restrictive covenants and unfair competition. . Ms. Cerra also is called upon regularly by her peers to conduct internal investigations into claims of unlawful harassment, discrimination and other allegations of workplace misconduct.
Professional Activities:
(2003 – Present)
Executive Committee, Labor and Employment Law Section of the New Jersey Bar Association
(June 2010-Present)
Chief Financial Officer, New Jersey Women Lawyers' Association
(July 2008 – June 2010)
Chief Operations Officer, New Jersey Women Lawyers’ Association
(March 2009 – Present)
Board of Directors, Entrepreneur’s Organization, New Jersey Chapter
(2003 – Present)
Editorial Board of the NJSBA Labor and Employment Law Quarterly
Sidney Reitman Employment Law Inn of Court (past member)
Honors and Awards:
Listed in Super Lawyers, Employment & Labor (2012, 2011, 2010, 2009)
Listed in Super Lawyers "Top 100" Lawyers in New Jersey (2012, 2011, 2010)
Listed in Super Lawyers "Top 50 Women" Lawyers in New Jersey (2012, 2011, 2010)
Listed in Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Law Firms, Labor & Employment (2011, 2010)
NJ Biz, "Best 50 Women In Business" (2011)
"Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year", New Jersey, Finalist (June 2009)
Honored by U.S. Small Business Administration as "New Jersey Women in Business Champion of the Year" (2009)
AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Navigating the Social Media Minefield, presented by Nukk-Freeman & Cerra (June 8, 2011)
Successful Law Firm Management: Increasing Firm Profitability, presented by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (April 6, 2011)
Conducting Effective Workplace Investigations, presented to ASIS International, New Jersey Chapter (June 8, 2010)
How Social Media and Networking Websites and Technology Are Changing the Employment Landscape, presented at the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting, Labor & Employment Section (May 21, 2010)
The Costliest Employment Mistakes: What You Must Do to Protect Your Business, Home Health Services Association of New Jersey (March 3, 2010)
The Costliest Mistakes Made by Employers: What You Have to Do to Protect Your Business, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (November 23, 2009)
Hot Topics in Employment Law, Nukk-Freeman & Cerra, P.C. Client Briefing (October 22, 2008)
Hot Tips in Labor & Employment Law, presented by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education
(June 11, 2008)
10 Most Common Mistakes Employers Make and How to Avoid Them, presented by the Women Presidents’ Organization (October 2007)
Ending the Gauntlet: Removing Barriers to Women’s Success in the Law, presented by the New Jersey Women Lawyers’ Association, Seton Hall University Law School (March 22, 2007)
Investigating Sexual Harassment Complaints, presented by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (February 3, 2007 and October 10, 2006)
Labor & Employment Law Summer Institute, presented by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (July 19, 2006)
Publications:
"Monitoring Electronic Communications and Social Media Usage in the Workplace: What are the Limits?", New Jersey Labor and Employment Law Quarterly (volume 32, No. 2), co-authored with Galit Kierkut, Esq.
"COBRA Subsidies Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: How Will They Impact Businesses?", New Jersey Defense (Volume 25, Issue 2; Spring 2009), co-authored with Katherin Nukk-Freeman, Esq.
"We Can Have it All", New Jersey Women Lawyers’ Association Gala Journal (April 2009), co-authored with Katherin Nukk-Freeman, Esq.
"Elements of an Effective Harassment Investigation", New Jersey Labor and Employment Law Quarterly (Winter 2007)
Nukk-Freeman & Cerra, P.C., Short Hills, NJ
Co-founder and Principal (January 2006 – Present)
Law Office of Suzanne M. Cerra, Basking Ridge, NJ
Founder and Principal (October 2003 – January 2006)
Stanton, Hughes, Diana, Cerra, Mariani & Margello, P.C., Morristown, NJ
(now Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stuart)
Partner (April 1997 – October 2003); Associate (September 1995 – April 1997)
Shanley & Fisher, P.C., Morristown, NJ
Associate (September 1993 – September 1995)
Graduate, Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia Law School (1999)
Education:
Boston College Law School (J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, 1993)
Bucknell University (B.S., cum laude,1990)
Admissions:
State of New Jersey, 1993
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1993
Civic/Charitable Activities:
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, “Power of the Promise” Fundraising Committee
Kevin J. Hannaford, Sr. Foundation, Committee Member
Published Decisions:
JEN Electric, Inc. v. County of Essex, -- N.J. --, 2009 WL 529154 (March 4, 2009)
Terrell v. Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc., 352 N.J. Super.109 (App. Div. 2001)
Johnson v. Penske Truck Leasing Co., 949 F. Supp. 1153 (D.N.J. 1996)
Scudder v. Media General, Inc., 1995 WL 495945 (D.N.J. 1995).
