Bennett Pine is a shareholder in both the Newark and New York offices of Anderson Kill. Bennett is chair of the firm's employment and labor group, and has broad-based labor and employment law experience advising and representing management in all aspects of the employment relationship. He is also a member of the firm's Financial Services and Restaurant, Retail and Hospitality Industry Groups.
Bennett's extensive experience includes negotiating and drafting employment and separation agreements, defending employment discrimination claims, compliance with current legislation such as ADA and FMLA, sexual harassment, organizational restructuring and reductions in force, employee discipline and discharge, restrictive covenants, mergers & acquisitions, wage and hour compliance, union relations and union avoidance.
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Bennett regularly plays a hands-on role offering "preventive maintenance" advice and counseling to employers in the full range of legal issues affecting the workplace.
He also has arbitrated extensively on behalf of management, and has represented employers in collective bargaining and before federal and state courts and administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board.
Bennett has extensive experience advising and counseling foreign entities on the nuances of employment law and conducting business in the United States in the full range of workplace issues for foreign employers.
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Professional Memberships
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York; New York State Bar Association (Member, Labor and Employment Law Section); New York County Lawyers Association (Member, Committee on Labor Relations and Employment Law)
Association Memberships
Member, Labor Issues Committee, New Jersey Food Council
Married to Rhonda Pine, a Registered Dietitian employed in the Renal and Geriatric practice area. Has two children and resides in Rockland County, New York.
Bennett's experiences in representing employers in labor and employment law matters include the following:
Manufacturing
Dawson Cashmere LLC - served as general employment law counsel
Movie Star/Frederick's of Hollywood - served as general employment law counsel
Kimberly-Clark Corporation - represented paper mills in collective bargaining and prevailed in a number of labor arbitration and employment discrimination matters. Negotiated concessionary work rule changes enabling significant company investment. Successfully defeated union organizing campaigns.
Colgate-Palmolive - provided general employment law counsel and oversaw large scale reductions-in-force. Successfully defended employment discrimination claims.
Kings Electronics Co. - general employment counsel. Successfully negotiated relocation of manufacturing operations from New York to South Carolina. Successfully defended employment discrimination actions and arbitration matters.
Hercules Cement Co. - successfully represented employer in collective bargaining and numerous labor arbitrations.
LePages, Inc. - represented employer in collective bargaining, sale of business and attendant NLRB proceedings.
Sleepmaster, LLC - represented and advised employer on labor and employment aspects of business sale in bankruptcy.
Standard Automotive - represented and advised employer on labor and employment aspects of business sale in bankruptcy.
Vitra, Inc. - provided general employment law advice, negotiated employment and separation agreements for international furniture company.
Tai Ping Carpets - provided general employment law representation.
Publishing
Random House Inc - provided ongoing preventive employment counseling and represented employer in defense of discrimination claims; successfully negotiated closure and consolidation of distribution facilities.
Bantam Doubleday Dell - handled general employment law matters and claims and provided ongoing advice concerning acquisitions, attendant merger of operations and reductions in force. Prevailed in numerous claims of employment discrimination.
Service
Savin Corporation - provided general employment law advice and counsel and successfully defended claims of employment discrimination. Advised employer regarding acquisition matters.
Coinmach Corporation - provided ongoing preventive employment law advice; represented employer in collective bargaining negotiations, in acquisition matters and successfully defended claims of employment discrimination.
Kirlin Securities - provided employment law representation with emphasis on matters peculiar to brokerage and financial services.
Liberty Maritime, Inc. - served as general employment counsel.
Banca Monte dei Paschi - provided general employment law representation.
Reserve Bank of Australia - Provide general employment law advice.
Doubleday Books Shops Inc. - provided general labor and employment representation; successfully handled collective bargaining, labor arbitrations and facility consolidation and closings. Defended and resolved claims of employment discrimination.
ECCO Staffing Services - provided general employment law advice and successfully resolved multiple-employee sexual harassment complaints.
MeritDirect LLC - Serve as general employment counsel.
Automated Concepts Incorporated/Sharp Decisions, Inc. -- provided general employment law advice and representation and defense of employment discrimination claims for information technology firm.
Broadcasting, Communications and Sports
National Broadcasting Company - represented NBC and its owned and operated stations in collective bargaining. Successfully handled large volume of labor arbitrations with unions representing talent and technical employees.
BMG Music/RCA Records - Provided general labor and employment counsel. Successfully completed acquisition, restructuring and relocation and/or closing of manufacturing/distribution facilities and recording studio operations. Defended claims of employment discrimination.
National Football League - provided advice and representation regarding arbitration matters and substance abuse policies.
Not-for-Profit
Seamen's Society for Children & Families - Serve as general employment counsel; defend employment discrimination and wage-hour claims.
Federation of Protestant Welfare Organizations - provided general employment law advice and counsel.
Anti-Defamation League - served as general labor and employment law counsel. Represent employer in collective bargaining and arbitrations, including discipline and discharge matters.
Jewish National Fund - labor and employment counsel; successfully handled a number of claims arising from employment terminations.
Police Athletic League - provided general employment law advice and successfully defeated union organizing campaign.
Fresh Air Fund - provided general employment law advice and defended claims of employment discrimination.