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  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Distinctions
  • News & Media
  • Events
  • Affiliations

Overview

Nick Zaino is a partner and co-practice group leader of the firm’s Business Services Group. He practices primarily in the area of labor and employment law and has extensive experience counseling, representing, and training employers on all aspects of the employment relationship. Nick’s clients range from small to large companies in various industries such as banking, medical, education, manufacturing, engineering, retail, construction, and non-profit.

Working closely with C-level executives, in-house counsel, human resource professionals and business owners, Nick assists in managing risk by counseling on compliance and preventative strategies related to: managing employees with medical issues; workplace investigations; discrimination and harassment; hiring, disciplining and terminating employees; retaliation/whistleblower issues; employment, retention, separation, non-competition, confidentiality, change in control, and independent contractor agreements; wage and hour and labor law. Nick conducts training on these issues, tailoring the programs to address the employer’s needs.

Nick also dedicates a portion of his practice to representing clients in the education sector, including independent schools. He works closely with heads of schools, deans, and financial officers on student and employee disciplinary matters, investigations of wrongdoing, employment contracts, enrollment agreements, child abuse and neglect allegations, and a myriad of other day-to-day compliance and risk management issues.

Experience

  • Counseled a large, regional employer on planning and implementation of all aspects of a company-wide reduction in force, including conducting a disparate impact analysis, WARN Act obligations, severance agreements, and notices to employees
  • Conducted extensive reviews and audits of wage and hour practices and coordinated large-scale reclassification of exempt positions
  • Conducted extensive revision of employer policies and practices relating to FMLA, criminal background checks, hiring forms, and paid time off policies
  • Obtained numerous dismissal of discrimination, harassment and retaliation complaints
  • Successfully represented an employer in a Department of Labor audit on the issue of whether certain works are independent contractors or employees

Distinctions

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, in the area of Employment Law: Management, 2021-2023
  • Listed in the 2022 Chambers USA Guide in the area of Labor & Employment
  • Listed in Who’s Who Legal: Labour and Employment 2017 (Copyright by Law Business Research Ltd)
  • Highlighted in the 2017 edition of Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for placing in the Top Tier of Lawyers in Connecticut.
  • Selected for inclusion in New England Super Lawyers® in the area of Employment & Labor, 2011
  • Selected for inclusion in Connecticut Super Lawyers® in the area of Employment & Labor, 2010-2021
  • Selected for inclusion in Who’s Who Legal, International and USA, Management Labor & Employment Lawyers, 2015

Awards

  • Leadership Award, Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce, 2022

News

Alerts

Publications

Blogs

Affiliations

  • Connecticut Bar Association
    • Board of Governors, 2015-2016
    • Past Chair, Labor & Employment Law Section and Ex-Officio Executive Committee Member
  • American Bar Association
    • Labor and Employment Section

Community

  • Board of Directors, Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce
  • Board Member, Naugatuck Valley Community College Foundation
  • Personnel Committee, United Way of Greater Waterbury

 

Testimonials

Nick is an amazing attorney.

Chambers USA, 2021

Events