Rainone Coughlin Minchello is one of the State’s preeminent Municipal law firms. RCM’s partners have served as general counsel and special counsel to the largest and most diverse Cities, Townships, Boroughs and Towns in New Jersey for more than three decades. They bring a wealth of not only legal experience, but, hands on government experience, to all of their municipal clients. The firm advises clients on all aspects of municipal governance including The Local Public Contracts Law, The Open Public Records Act, The Open Public Meetings Act, The Local Lands and Building Law, the Municipal Land Use Law, the Local Budget Law and the Local Fiscal Affairs Law. In addition to their considerable experience in attending and representing municipal governing bodies at their public meeting, the firm has assisted our clients in the preparation of resolutions, ordinances, policies, procedures, rules and procurement documents. Our attorneys have negotiated the acquisition of hundreds of acres of property through Open Space, Green Acres and Farmland preservation programs.
The firm’s attorneys have prosecuted and defended the actions of municipal clients in both the federal and state courts including the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division and the New Jersey Supreme Court. A list of report decision involving our attorneys can be found here.
Employment litigation is a highly specialized field requiring a unique skillset and experience in order to deliver positive results. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing and counseling management and we understand the complexities of defending a claim brought by an employee. We represent employers in all aspects of an employment claim, from the counseling phase to the pre-suit negotiations and finally through the course of a lawsuit, if necessary. We work hand-in-hand with our clients to achieve the best possible outcome.
This office has successfully defended employers against allegations brought under New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”), the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (“CEPA”), the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, as well as allegations of employment discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, restrictive covenant enforcement, unfair competition proceedings, wage and hour matters, safety and health matters, employee benefits litigation and litigation of workers’ compensation claims. Our attorneys also handle Equal Employment Opportunity investigations.
Our litigation practice is well versed at developing an early litigation strategy and aggressively defending our clients in all aspects of a claim from pre-suit negotiations through trial and appeals. Our litigators are engaged in varied civil litigation in both Federal and State courts, as well as before Federal and State administrative agencies. We have extensive experience representing governmental entities in cases involving alleged constitutional and civil rights violations brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1981, §1983 and the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, as well as allegations of police or government official misconduct. We defend claims of unlawful search and seizure, excessive force, due process violations, false arrest and imprisonment, assault and battery, failure to provide medical care, wrongful death, malicious prosecution, failure to train and Monell policy claims, to name a few. We also have decades of experience successfully defending municipalities in tort claims brought under Title 59.
Our litigators are also involved in contract disputes, insurance litigation, dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, premises liability, indemnification and insurance coverage disputes and personal injury defense including automobile and negligence litigation.
The law firm of Rainone Coughlin Minchello excels in the representation of independent authorities and agencies on both the county and local level. They include improvement authorities, utility authorities and redevelopment agencies. These independent entities require the full range of legal services including contract review, public procurement, labor and employment issues, and land use. Due to our extensive experience and expertise, Rainone Coughlin Minchello is uniquely qualified to represent independent authorities and agencies in all their legal needs.
Rainone Coughlin Minchello has considerable experience as labor counsel for Local and County governments and agencies. Our experience includes the negotiation and settlement of Civilian, Police and Fire Collective Bargaining agreements in some of the largest and most contested public settings. We routinely handle grievance and disciplinary matters, hostile work environment and harassment claims, as well as arbitrations before PERC and Board of Mediation appointed Arbitrators and contested matters before the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The Firm has considerable experience in handling scope of negotiation and arbitration petitions, and the defense of representation petitions and unfair practice charges before the Public Employment Relations Commission and in the courts.
On a day to day basis we counsel our public-sector clients on all aspects of labor employment practices including the Employer- Employee Relations Act, Civil Service Regulations, the Family Medical Leave Act, NJLAD, CEPA, ADA, and all other state and federal laws and regulations affecting public employment. We have assisted in the drafting of employment and personnel policies.
Our Land Use experience includes counseling our municipal, county and private clients regarding the drafting, adoption and defense of land use regulation, including the presentations of application before zoning and planning agencies. The firm’s attorneys have argued significant Land Use case in both the Appellate Division and Supreme Court, including important precedent setting cases concerning the constitutionality of regulations involving digital billboards, adult entertainment regulations and land use procedures.
The firm’s attorneys have extension and decades long experience in the representation of municipalities in affordable housing, builders remedy and declaratory judgement actions all across the state at the trial and appellate level.