Mark J. Blunda
More than 35 years of high-stakes experience have made Mark Blunda the trusted counsel and sought-after confidante of industry presidents, business executives, mayors and other organization leaders. His goals are to work with management to anticipate dangers and avoid them, to minimize risk, and to resolve conflicts quickly and quietly, before they disrupt the business organization and drain its valuable resources. His reputation has earned him the highest rating in Legal Knowledge and Ethical Standards (AV) by Martindale-Hubbell for 25 consecutive years, as well as annual selection in U.S. News and World Reports Best Lawyers in America and New Jersey and New York’s SuperLawyers, a recognition given to less than 5% of lawyers. His recognition as a leader in his field has led to Mark Blunda’s induction as a Fellow in the National College of Labor and Employment Lawyers as early as 2000, and his invitation to be a Charter Member of the Academy of New Jersey Management Attorneys, comprising the most prominent management-side labor and employment attorneys and law firms in New Jersey.
When legal conflict has been unavoidable, Mr. Blunda has aggressively and successfully defended clients in federal and state courts, administrative agencies and arbitration, qualifying for the New Jersey Supreme Court designation of Certified Civil Trial Attorney in 1995 and repeatedly earning recognition in Best Lawyers in America in Employment Litigation. He has successfully represented health care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, medical device makers, utility companies, banks, manufacturers, transportation companies, builders, television stations, governmental entities, colleges, counties, municipalities and school boards, to name just a few.
In addition to representing employers in discrimination, whistleblower, wage and hour and contract claims, Mark is often retained by businesses to conduct internal investigations, to present training sessions to their executives and managers on employment laws and regulations governing the workplace, and to negotiate executive contracts, severance and restrictive covenants.
Education
- Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D.
- The Johns Hopkins University, M.A.
- Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, BSFS International Affairs
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey
- District of Columbia
- Third Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States District Court of New Jersey
- District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Practice Areas
- Labor and Employment Law
- Employment Litigation
- Civil Litigation
- Government Law
- Education Law
- Appellate Practice
- Administrative Law
Honors and Recognitions
- Selected for inclusion in U.S News & World Report Best Lawyers in America in 3 separate practice areas: Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor & Employment; Labor Law – Management, ten consecutive years, 2008 – 2018
- New Jersey SuperLawyers selection, Employment Law & Labor Law, 2005 – 2018
- 25 consecutive years – Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating for highest Legal Knowledge and Ethical Standards
- Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Washington, D.C., inducted 2000
- Charter Member, The Academy of New Jersey Management Attorneys
- Individually rated by Chambers and Partner U.S. among top 40 Labor & Employment Lawyers in New Jersey 2018
- Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, New Jersey Labor & Employment Quarterly
- Executive Committee, New Jersey State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
- Co-Chair of Disability Discrimination Committee 2003-2007,
- New Jersey State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
- Master of the Bench, Sidney Reitman International Inn of Court, 1995
- Co-Editor-in-Chief, Res Ipsa Loquitur, Seton Hall University Law School
- New Jersey County Judges’ Award, Academic Excellence in New Jersey Practice
- Certified Civil Trial Attorney, 1995
- Law Director, City of Perth Amboy 2008-2015
Professional Memberships
- American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
- New Jersey State Bar Association, Executive Committee, Labor & Employment Section
- District of Columbia Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
Outside Awards
- Former Trustee, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
- Historic Preservation Award, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders
- John Augustus Award, Probation Association of New Jersey
- Stuart Stiller Fiction Award, Washington Lawyer
Recent Publications and Seminars
- Assault on Restrictive Covenants, New Jersey Labor & Employment Law Quarterly, Vol. 39, No. 3, June 2018.
- Longo v. Pleasure Productions, Emphasizing Upper Management’s Role in Punitive Damages Under CEPA, New Jersey Labor and Employment Law Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 2, February 2014
- Requiring Accommodation Through Extended Leave, New Jersey Labor and Employment Law Quarterly, Timothy D. Cedrone and Mark J. Blunda, Vol. 32, No. 3, March 2012
Featured Presenter
- Academy of New Jersey Management Attorneys’ 2017 Annual Seminar: Deposition of Experts
- New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE); 2015 Hot Tips in Labor & Employment Law
- New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE); 2012 Labor and Employment Forum
- Academy of New Jersey Management Attorneys; The Cat’s Paw Theory of Liability – June 2011
- New Jersey Television Network – Due Process; Sexual Harassment in Employment and Education
- New Jersey Conference of Mayors; News 12 New Jersey; Legal Implications of Electronic Government
- New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE); Trying the Disability Discrimination Case
- New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE); The Intersection of the FMLA and ADA
- California State University Institute of Business Law; Latest Developments in Employment Regulations
- N.J. League of Municipalities Convention; Employment Discrimination: Prevention & Litigation
- N.J. School Boards Association Annual Convention; Legal Developments in Employee Discharge Cases
- Subcontracting of Public School Services
- N.J. State Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Conference; Scope of Permissible Negotiations; Arbitration of Discipline Cases
