Christopher Leddy Email & Phone Number

New Jersey, United States

As part of Becker's Business Services Group and Trucking and Logistics Group, and as former in-house counsel at a staffing firm, I have extensive experience handling complex employment law and contractual issues. I primarily focus on clients within staffing and transportation industries, where I regularly provide counsel on employer/employee relationships, including state and federal discrimination laws, leave laws, wage/hour laws, and Department of Labor audits. Additionally, I have significant experience drafting, maintaining, and negotiating employee, severance, restrictive covenant, executive compensation, contractor, MSAs, broker, warehouse, and carrier agreements, as well as leases and purchase agreements (from small businesses to large corporations, warehousing to office space, industrial to commercial); creating and implementing employee compensation and benefit plans; ensuring compliance with federal and state labor laws and regulations as it pertains to services delivered in all applicable states and due diligence in M&A transactions; and drafting, maintaining, and negotiating legal content in private and public contracts (vendor, supplier, client, and contractor) in the U.S., Canada, and E.U.

Greater New York City Area

• Litigation, Transactions & Legal Research: Employment and Labor law and Corporate law• Transactions & Litigation: Counsel clients in the drafting, maintaining, and negotiating of legal content in various agreements/contracts throughout the U.S. and E.U. in a wide range of industries, including IT, engineering, science, healthcare, real estate, transportation, and industrial; Serve as outside general counsel providing services in all phases of contract drafting, reviewing, and negotiating, including, but not limited to, employment agreements, purchase/sale agreements, operating agreements, resolutions, dissolutions, MSAs, indemnifications, and settlement agreements; Conduct due diligence for M&A engagements relating to commercial and employment law compliance; Advise clients in all aspects of employment related matters, including, but not limited to, restrictive covenants, harassment/discrimination compliance and prevention, wage compliance, ACA, paid sick leave laws, predictive scheduling, marijuana use, unemployment, and whistleblower laws; Tailor profit sharing plans, executive compensation plans, employee handbooks/corporate policy manuals, non-compete agreements, non-solicitation agreements, confidentiality agreements, separation agreements, and operating agreements.• Engage in litigation regarding employment related disputes (i.e. restrictive covenants, discrimination, harassment, FLSA, whistleblowing, unemployment), and Department of Labor audits.

Manalapan, New Jersey

• Provided guidance to and participated on executive management committee; Drafted, maintained, and negotiated legal content in all private and public contracts in the U.S., Canada, and E.U., including, but not limited to, vendor management agreements, outsourcing agreements, licensing agreements, employee and contractor agreements, SaaS agreements, software and technology agreements, and financial related agreements; Created and implemented employee commission plans; Provided legal support to management, sales and recruiting; Reviewed, created, and implemented policies and procedures; Provided legal related training to sustain existing licenses; Ensured compliance with federal and state laws and regulations as it pertains to services delivered and contracts in all applicable states/countries; Directed the work of multiple employees; Responsible for budgetary constraints of company; Provided litigation support when necessary; Ensured internal compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including FAR; Conducted HR investigations; Analyzed costs, profit margins, tax incentives, etc., and implemented policies/programs accordingly; Prepared financial reports for management committee at least on a monthly basis; Responsible for providing guidance and oversight on all matters financial.• Accomplishments: Revised all vendor management contracts and MSAs; Updated onboarding procedure to ensure legal compliance; Completely overhauled employee and contractor agreements to better protect Encode and to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations; Drafted and implemented employee handbook, job descriptions, internal evaluation procedure, and HIPAA compliant policies; Lobbied Congress for H-1B revisions; Reduced expenses by 6% in the first year.

• Transactions & Legal Research: Employment and Labor law, Contract law, Corporate law, Compliance• Counseled clients in all employment related matters, including the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the New Jersey Family Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, Title VII, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the New Jersey Wage and Hour Laws, the New Jersey Wage Payment Laws, New Jersey Paid Family Leave Insurance, Unemployment, Department of Labor audits, and union grievances; Drafted employment agreements, employee handbooks/corporate policy manuals, non-compete agreements, non-solicitation agreements, confidentiality agreements, and separation agreements.

Freehold, New Jersey

• Litigation, Transactions & Legal Research: Employment and Labor law, Contract law, Compliance, Corporate Law• Transactions & Litigation: Negotiated contracts between public and private employers and employees; Advised clients in all aspects of employment related matters, including the Affordable Care Act; Tailored profit sharing plans, executive compensation plans, employee handbooks/corporate policy manuals, non-compete agreements, non-solicitation agreements, confidentiality agreements, separation agreements, and operating agreements; Participated in all phases of discovery and litigation regarding shareholder disputes, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (discrimination/harassment/hostile work environments/retaliation), the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the New Jersey Family Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, Title VII, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the New Jersey Wage and Hour Laws, the New Jersey Wage Payment Laws, New Jersey Paid Family Leave Insurance, Unemployment, Department of Labor audits, and union grievances.• Served as general counsel to many clients, providing services in all phases of contract drafting, reviewing, and negotiating, including, but not limited to, operating agreements, dissolutions, vendor management, VoIP, SaS, MSAs, settlement agreements, etc.• Represented a wide range of businesses - from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.• Appeared regularly before the Superior Court, District Court, Office of Administrative Law, and Department of Labor.

•Litigation, Transactions & Legal Research: Corporate law, Employment and Labor law, Real Estate law, Business law, Contract law, Compliance, Trusts & Estates Law•Transactions & Litigation: Prepared contracts for vendors as well employment contracts; Ensured clients were in compliance with applicable federal and state laws; Drafted, analyzed, and reviewed insurance contracts; Drafted corporate contracts for start-ups as well as mergers; Prepared specifically tailored wills; Regularly prepared inheritance tax returns and accountings.•Appeared regularly before the Superior Court, Office of Administrative Law and municipal bodies including school boards, planning boards and zoning boards.

Prepared tax returns for corporations and individuals as well as performing audits and bookkeeping functions.

•Legal Research & Writing: Performed extensive legal research; reviewed, analyzed and prepared legal memoranda regarding complex legal and equitable issues concerning prerogative writs, corporate disputes, land use and zoning, foreclosures and constitutional law.•Mediation: Mediated settlement conferences for small claims and landlord-tenant cases.

•Legal Research & Writing: Performed extensive legal research; reviewed, analyzed and prepared legal memoranda regarding post-conviction relief motions and appeals.•Argued post-conviction relief motions in Court.

•Prosecuted arraignments upon indictments and hearings for setting bail.•Prosecuted bail and probation violators, as well as breathalyzer refusals.•Argued motions relating to discovery.

•Legal Research & Writing: Performed extensive legal research; reviewed, analyzed and prepared legal memoranda regarding motions on summary judgment and various related discovery issues.•Observed trials and mediation conferences.

Master Of Laws (Ll.M.), Taxation, 3.51

Jd, Law

Bachelors, Accounting