Thomas B. Wassel is a partner in the firm’s Commercial Litigation department, focusing on labor and employment advice and litigation. He has been advising employers on a wide range of labor and employment law matters since 1983. He has extensive experience providing labor and employment advice for private and public employers, including utilities, municipalities, educational institutions, banks, health care institutions, not-for-profit organizations, and public and private corporations.
Thomas provides advice for ensuring client compliance with federal, New York, New Jersey, and local human rights laws (including issues of racial, sexual, and religious discrimination and harassment) and employment laws. He also assists clients with developing policies and procedures designed to maintain compliance and help minimize employer liability. Should litigation arise, Thomas works closely with other attorneys in the firm's Commercial Litigation department to develop and achieve optimal results.
Thomas serves as labor and employment counsel to a number of the firm's higher education clients, representing these clients in discrimination claims and labor union contract negotiations. He also regularly advises the firm’s clients with regard to student rights and obligations, faculty rights and obligations, harassment claims, and all other employment-related legal matters.
Thomas also has extensive experience advising municipal clients on all aspects of civic and educational affairs. He has served as general and special counsel to municipal zoning, planning, and architectural design review boards, as well as school boards in educational, labor, and real property tax matters. He regularly counsels clients on compliance with all statutes affecting local government, and he also represents clients seeking review of their commercial real property assessments.