For employers in health care, life sciences, and other industries, attorney Joanita Gakami’s informed perspective on workforce management issues is invaluable.
Joanita counsels her clients on numerous employment law issues and represents them in related litigation. She litigates claims of discrimination, unfair trade practices, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and whistleblowing. Employers also rely on Joanita to represent them in workplace unfair competition claims, including theft of trade secrets, employee raiding, breach of fiduciary duty, and alleged violations of state unfair competition laws in federal and state courts, in arbitrations, and in administrative charges before federal, state, and city agencies.
Joanita’s advice and counsel extend to workplace disputes arising under Title VII, FLSA, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, NJCEPA, NJLAD, NYSHRL, breach of contract and non-compete/restrictive covenant claims, as well as to traditional labor matters, such as union representation campaigns, collective bargaining negotiations, and strike preparations.
Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Joanita worked at a labor and employment law firm where, among other work, she advised clients on the legal implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on workplace safety, discrimination, telework, staff reductions, leaves of absence, and travel. While in law school, she served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Steven C. Mannion, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey, and a student attorney for the Southern District of New York Mediation Program for pro se employment discrimination cases. Before that, Joanita worked as a public policy and research fellow at an advocacy nonprofit and as an ethics and compliance fellow at a pharmaceutical company.