Douglas S. Zucker

About Douglas S. Zucker

Douglas S. Zucker focuses his practice primarily representing private and public sector employers, and not-for-profit organizations in all aspects of labor and employment law, and in providing counseling to individuals and executives on employment and post-termination release agreements. Many of Mr. Zucker’s clients are small to mid-sized and closely held businesses, for which he performs a variety of services, involving business contracts, general business and corporate issues, and commercial litigation. Mr. Zucker has a particular focus representing public libraries as both general library counsel and as labor counsel and currently represents more than 40 public libraries throughout New Jersey.

Mr. Zucker has considerable experience counseling employers on all aspects of labor and employment law, including issues involving family and medical leave, disability and reasonable accommodation, discrimination and workplace harassment, compensation and wage and hour compliance, discipline and discharge and documentation, litigation prevention and avoidance, and regularly drafts employee handbooks and policies. Mr. Zucker regularly defends employers against employment discrimination and harassment suits, wage and hour claims, including class action litigation, whistleblower claims, prosecuting and defending restrictive covenant litigation, and litigating commercial disputes before state and federal courts and administrative agencies such as the NJ Division on Civil Rights, the EEOC, and the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law. Mr. Zucker also represents employers in OSHA matters, including challenges to OSHA penalties, and has extensive arbitration experience and represents unionized employers in collective bargaining and contract administration, and in matters before the National Labor Relations Board and the NJ Public Employment Relations Commission, and represents Civil Service employers in matters before the Civil Service Commission and the Office of Administrative Law.

Mr. Zucker also conducts internal workplace investigations, is a dynamic presenter of management and employee training programs, conducts individualized one-on-one workplace harassment and sensitivity workshops, and performs immigration compliance audits. For public libraries, in addition to labor and employment representation and counseling, Mr. Zucker counsels libraries on issues unique to libraries and concerning library law and practices, such patron conduct issues; First Amendment rights including First Amendment audits, and related collection issues, including book challenges; protecting the confidentiality of library records; developing and reviewing policies and procedures and Board Bylaws; library funding issues, and relationship with host municipalities, as well as issues applicable to many public entities, including Open Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act requirements; public contracting, RFP and bidding requirements, and policies and procedures. Mr. Zucker has helped to establish Friends organizations and library foundations, and regularly attends monthly and special Board of Trustees’/Library Commission meetings, including committee meetings as needed, and has developed and presented training programs specifically designed for Library Trustees and Commissioners.

In addition, Mr. Zucker represents both companies and executives in negotiating and drafting executive employment agreements, including compensation, non-disclosure and non-solicitation provisions and exit packages, and supports companies and other business organizations in preparing independent contractor and master services agreements, and many other types of contracts, as well as providing advice regarding intellectual property, business dealings, and related issues.

Before attending law school, Mr. Zucker worked as the Administrative Director of Employee Relations for a northern New Jersey hospital and as Director of Labor Relations for a New York City building maintenance firm.