Tom McKinney is an experienced NJ Employment Lawyer in all major areas of labor and employment law, including discrimination, harassment, overtime violations, wage and hour claims, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, LAD, FLSA, and all other employment law claims. Tom also has substantive experience in all phases of commercial and general litigation.
In 2019, Tom won a $6,000,000 verdict for his client in a race discrimination case in Bergen County. In 2017, Tom won $1,281,443 for a disability harassment case in Somerset County. In 2014, Tom had the largest sustained employment law jury verdict in New Jersey with a multi-million dollar award. In 2011, Tom had the second largest Discrimination verdict in the State of New Jersey. Tom has won more than $11.4 million in jury verdicts and judgments for his clients in employment law cases. In 2017, Tom won the first jury trial on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act – a case of first impression in the State of New Jersey. Tom was selected by his peers to the Super Lawyer Rising Stars lists and Super Lawyer Lists. Tom was named the Employment Lawyer of the Year in New Jersey by AI Legal, listed as one of the Best Employment Attorneys in New Jersey, a Top 10 attorney in New Jersey by LegalForce.com, and was named as one of the Top 40 under 40 Trial Lawyers in New Jersey by the National Trial Lawyers.
Tom spends a significant amount of time working with clients on their severance packages and other employment agreements. He has reviewed and/or negotiated over 2,000 severance agreements and has worked to improve the severance packages for his clients. He has also worked with clients regarding their offer packages from companies to improve the terms of the offer.
Tom is admitted to practice in the States of New Jersey and New York, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, District of New Jersey, and United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Prior to forming the firm, Tom practiced at Gibbons P.C. in Newark, NJ.
Tom received his juris doctorate from Seton Hall University Law School and a B.A. in Political Science from Union College in Schenectady, NY. Tom was awarded the Frederick B. Hawley, Jr. Memorial Cup by Union College for his “outstanding contributions in the areas of scholarship and activities.” Tom is also a graduate of the Delbarton School in Morristown, NJ.
Tom speaks annually to the entire freshman class of the Delbarton School regarding “The Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination in Schools and the Workplace.” Tom currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Cancer Hope Network, a non-profit that matches cancer patients or family members with trained volunteer cancer survivors who themselves have undergone and recovered from a similar cancer experience. Tom previously served on the Board of Trustees for Employment Horizons, a not-for-profit agency which provides comprehensive employment, training and job placement services to persons with disabilities and other disadvantages in the greater Morris County, NJ area.