Photo of Tony S. Martinez

Tony Seda Martinez is an associate in the Labor & Employment Law Department and a member of the Labor-Management Relations and Employment Litigation practice groups.

Tony advises clients on a range of labor and employment matters. As part of his employment law practice, Tony has represented clients in lawsuits alleging breach of contract, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. He also assists employers with complex investigations matters and provides day-to-day counseling on employment law matters. Tony focuses his labor practice on representing public and private employers in grievance arbitrations and collective bargaining negotiations. He counsels clients across a number of industries including financial services, health care, sports leagues, transportation, and media.

Tony earned his J.D. from Rutgers Law School in 2018 where he was a member of the Rutgers Law Review. From 2022 to 2023, Tony served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable José R. Almonte in the District of New Jersey.

2019 was a busy year for lawmakers across the nation, underscoring the need for employers to remain apprised of all the new laws that will be taking effect in 2020. Below we summarize some of the significant developments employers should be on the lookout for in the new year.

Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Laws

On

On July 2, 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act (the “Act”), which amends the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (“CUMMA”) to provide greater clarity on the legal protections for both employers and employees. CUMMA, which was signed into law on January 18

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently signed into law the Time’s Up Act (the “Act”), which amends existing state law to impose greater sexual harassment training and notice requirements on employers.

Training Requirements

Currently, Connecticut law requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide two hours of sexual harassment training to all supervisory employees. While

On April 22, 2019, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in three cases that raise the question of whether Title VII prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.  In two of the cases, Altitude Express v. Zarda and Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, the Court will consider whether Title VII’s prohibition

States across the country have passed new laws addressing sexual harassment, paid family leave, and other labor and employment law issues. As many of these laws will soon become effective, employers should be prepared for the following changes in the legal landscape.

Sexual Harassment Laws

New York City’s Stop Sexual Harassment Act, effective April

The Philadelphia City Council recently passed the Fair Workweek Employment Standards Ordinance (the “Ordinance”), which will impose new restrictions on retail, fast food and hospitality employers with regard to employee scheduling and pay practices. The Ordinance was signed by Mayor Jim Kenney on December 20, 2018, and will take effect on January 1, 2020.

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