Rachel A. Gonzalez

Partner

F: (973) 206 6524
F: (212) 916 2940
Overview Experience Insights News Education and Credentials Recognition and Community

Overview

Rachel Gonzalez represents management in traditional labor law, employment counseling and litigation.

Rachel regularly partners with clients and serves a strategic advisor on labor and employee relations issues. Rachel represents employers during union election campaigns, collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations and before the National Labor Relations Board. She leads employer bargaining committees during collective bargaining negotiations. Rachel provides clients with advice on strike preparations and during strike injunction proceedings. Rachel also advises corporations on workforce planning during business changes including business sales, acquisitions, stock and asset purchases, and plant closings and relocations. She has represented management in matters involving the IBEW, CWA, UAW, IBT, IAM, SEIU, AFSCME, RWDSU, UFCW, USW, IATSE, Amalgamated Lithographers, Hotel Workers, IUOE, AFM and NOITU unions.

Rachel regularly counsels and trains employers on wage and hour issues, workplace investigations, the FMLA, the ADA accommodation process and compliance with other federal and state employment laws. She has represented employers in claims involving discrimination and retaliation under Title VII, ADA, NJLAD NYHRL, Section 1981 and USERRA; breach of contract; workers' compensation retaliation; wrongful discharge; negligent hiring and Section 301 claims, in state and federal courts and agencies. She also regularly advises foreign corporations establishing U.S. operations on federal, state and local employment and labor laws.

Prior to entering the legal profession, Rachel worked as a human resources professional in unionized and non-unionized facilities in the United States and Sweden. While in law school, Rachel worked with the National Labor Relations Board in Hartford, Connecticut.

Rachel serves in a leadership role with the Day Pitney Diverse Attorneys Network and is a member of the firm's Diversity Committee. She is also the co-chair of Day Pitney's Hiring Committee.

Experience

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Represented buyer in conducting due diligence on labor and employment matters in conjunction with the multi-billion dollar acquisition of public infrastructure

Represented buyer in conducting due diligence on labor and employment matters, involving 13 separate unions, in conjunction with the multi-million dollar acquisition of utility company assets

Represented lender in conducting due diligence on labor and employment matters in connection with multi-million dollar hotel acquisition

Led team negotiating the effects of the closure and relocation of a parts manufacturing business

Lead negotiator or legal advisor at several collective bargaining negotiations achieving significant client objectives

Obtained injunctions during strikes occurring at Fortune 100 company

Obtained a jury verdict in New Jersey federal court dismissing plaintiff's disability discrimination and workers' compensation retaliation claims

Obtained a directed verdict in New Jersey federal court in favor of the employer on hostile work environment and failure to promote claims a former employee brought against the company and a jury verdict in favor of employer on its counter-claim against the former employee for conversion and unjust enrichment

Obtained dismissal of sex discrimination claim following lengthy bench trial before an administrative law judge of the New York State Division of Human Rights

Obtained summary judgment for employer on age, race, and public policy claims in New Jersey federal court

Obtained summary judgment for employer on battery/offensive physical conduct, bias crime, failure to render assistance, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and constructive discharge claims in New Jersey state court

Obtained summary judgment for employer on Section 301 claim in New Jersey federal court

Defended employers in over 100 unfair labor practice charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board resulting in dismissal or withdrawal

News

Education and Credentials

Education
Cornell University, B.S., School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Dean's List
University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D., with Honors, Articles Editor, Connecticut Journal of International Law
Admissions
State of New Jersey
State of New York
U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
Affiliations
Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), Law Student Division, former Region I Co-President
New Jersey Hispanic Bar Association, Press Secretary, 2017-2018
New Jersey State Bar Association, General Council, Delegate

Recognition and Community

Recognition

Selected to the Lawyers of Color's Inaugural Nation's Best list (2019)

Selected to the list of New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars (Thomson Reuters), 2014-2018

Selected to "Forty under 40" by NJBIZ (BridgeTower Media) for "commitment to business growth, professional excellence and to the community," 2017

Chosen as one of the New Leaders of the Bar by the New Jersey Law Journal (ALM Media Properties, LLC), 2016

Recipient of a Day Pitney Coleman Award for her commitment to pro bono and public service for her work supporting refugees seeking asylum in the United States, 2009

No aspect of these advertisements has been approved by the highest court of any state. See Awards Methodology.

Community

American Dream Pipeline Mentoring Program at Union City High School, 2015-2018

Human Rights First, 2007-2010

Asylum and Human Rights Legal Clinic, while at the University of Connecticut School of Law