History of the Firm   Labor and Employment Law   Litigation   Commercial Law

History of the Firm

Founded in 1965, Apruzzese, McDermott, Mastro & Murphy, P.C. provides a full range of labor and employment law services, in both the private and public sectors, exclusively to management.  The services provided by the firm include:

• labor and employment litigation covering discrimination, wrongful termination, disability and sexual harassment claims under both federal and state law;

• representation in union organizational campaigns;

• the conduct of collective bargaining and collective negotiations;

• representation before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Public Employment Relations Commission, the Division on Civil Rights and other federal and state agencies, and the state and federal courts;

• acting as counsel in labor arbitration proceedings; and

• general advice with regard to personnel policies and practices, contract management and administration.

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Labor and Employment Law

In the private sector, in addition to the representation of individual corporate clients in all phases of labor and employment law, the firm has represented national and statewide employer organizations such as:  the United States and New Jersey Chambers of Commerce, the Edison Electric Institute and the Associated General Contractors of America before the United States Supreme Court in cases involving anti-trust labor law issues, striker benefits, strike replacements, secondary boycotts and reverse discrimination. 

 The firm's principals and associates include several attorneys who have formerly worked in the legal departments of major corporations and with the National Labor Relations Board and the Public Employment Relations Commission. 

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Litigation

In the area of employment law, the firm is very active in the litigation of wrongful discharge cases, claimed violations of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the Federal Civil Rights Act, sexual harassment cases and cases arising under state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination against the physically and mentally handicapped.  Our law firm's philosophy is to help employers avoid such claims by working closely with management and in-house counsel in adopting and modifying policies to assure compliance with state and federal statutes.  We also provide instruction for all ranks of supervision and management in the complex and changing dictates of employment law.  Principals and associates of the firm have written and lectured extensively in this area of the law and on the subject of alternate dispute resolution as a means of avoiding litigation.

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Commercial Law

In its role as counsel to both profit and non-profit corporations, the firm has developed a broad range of experience in commercial and business transactions.  Such transactions include the organization of various types of business entities; land use zoning and planning; purchase, sale and leasing of businesses, including both assets and capital stock; environmental law, including the Industrial Site Recovery Act (formerly known as the Environmental Cleanup Responsibility Act or ECRA); underground storage tank registration and removal; Community and Worker Right To Know Law, as well as commercial and residential landlord-tenant matters.

In a survey conducted by The American Lawyer magazine, corporate counsel throughout the country were asked to name their top three law firms in eleven different practice areas.  Six hundred firms throughout the United States were selected as being first in their field.  Our firm was one of the firms selected as being best in its area of practice.  Our firm is named in the Martindale-Hubbell publication, "Bar Register of Pre-eminent Lawyers".  Several of the firm's principals, Vincent J. Apruzzese, Francis A. Mastro and Maurice J. Nelligan, were named in the March, 1999 issue of New Jersey Monthly as being among the "Top Lawyers" in the state.  Former principal Melvin L. Gelade, now Commissioner of Labor, was also named.  Mr. Apruzzese and Mr. Mastro are also named in "The Best Lawyers in America".

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