About
Sami Asaad works closely with business leaders to develop practical solutions to the broad array of legal challenges employers face in managing a modern workplace.
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Sami provides proactive day-to-day counsel on a host of issues, ranging from familiar challenges, such as wage and hour compliance and sensitive personnel decisions, to emerging workplace concerns. These include remote/flexible work arrangements, arbitration agreements, mobile apps and employee privacy, alternative wage payment methods, state and local paid leaves, medical/recreational marijuana and drug testing, and accommodation of employees’ psychological disabilities and addictions. Sami's clients operate in a variety of industries including health care, staffing, technology, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, financial services, and retail.
Sami counsels home care agencies and provides innovative strategies on the unique issues agencies face, such as managing and compensating live-in aides. He has represented home care agencies in investigations by federal and state labor departments and has presented seminars and webinars to multiple home care franchise systems and industry groups, including the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA).
Sami also defends employers in lawsuits filed by employees in state and federal courts and in arbitration and represents employers in investigations by state and federal administrative agencies such as the EEOC and the U.S. Department of Labor. Sami has defended employers against claims of wrongful discharge, retaliation, discrimination, harassment, wage and hour violations, employee misclassification, breach of contract, and federal and state statutory violations.
Sami is an experienced speaker and trainer, having presented numerous seminars and webinars to managers and in-house counsel on emerging labor and employment issues, harassment prevention, wage and hour compliance, and HR best practices.
Practices
Employment and Labor
Admissions
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Education
Quinnipiac University School of Law J.D., magna cum laude, 2006
Ramapo College B.A. cum laude, 2003
Memberships
Rebuilding Together Hartford, Board Member
Honors and Awards
Best Lawyers in America - Employment Law - Management
"Connecticut Rising Stars," Super Lawyers magazine (2013-2021)
"Connecticut New Leader of the Law," Connecticut Law Tribune (2015)
*Sami was selected to the Rising Stars list issued by Thomson Reuters. The selection methodology is found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
*Sami was selected to the Connecticut New Leader of the Law List by Connecticut Law Tribune. The selection methodology is found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Experience
FordHarrison
McCarter & English, LLP
Representative Experience
Represented a large home care agency in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor and negotiated a settlement that reduced the client’s exposure by over 75%.
Defended a national retailer in a putative class action asserted on behalf of thousands of hourly workers throughout the retailer’s New York stores and obtained a complete dismissal of the class claims on summary judgment.
Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a hospital system, dismissing an employee’s federal and state law claims of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation.
Secured, after full hearing, an arbitration award on behalf of a health care staffing agency for the full amount of its liquidated damages against a former employee, a foreign (H-1B) worker who breached her contract to fulfill a three-year term of employment. The agency had provided the employee with considerable educational and immigration-related services, resulting in her becoming a US-licensed physical therapist, but the employee sought to evade her contractual obligations by accusing the agency of violating federal anti-human-trafficking and anti-slavery laws. The arbitrator ruled in the agency’s favor on all such claims.
Obtained, after a full fact-finding conference, a “no reasonable cause” determination from a state human rights agency, resulting in the complete dismissal of race and national origin discrimination claims leveled against a behavioral health clinic and its owner.
Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a major New York health care system, dismissing Title VII and NYCHRL retaliation claims by a former doctor who alleged that the system prevented her from becoming hired by other hospitals.