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Patricia A. Cullen is Counsel in the Labor and Employment Team of the firm’s HR Law Practice Group. Pat brings to her legal practice an extensive background in accounting and management, enabling her to have a better understanding of the issues and problems facing her clients. Pat’s experience includes jury and bench trials, as well as hearings before administrative agencies and labor arbitrations.
Labor and Employment. Pat’s labor and employment practice concentrates on the representation of employers in all types of employment matters, including litigation, counseling and training. She has litigated matters involving claims of wrongful termination; violation of wage and hour laws; breach of contract based upon handbooks and oral employment agreements; discrimination based upon race, gender, age, national origin, disability and sexual orientation; retaliation; and sexual harassment. She has defended employers in ERISA class actions, and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Pat’s labor experience includes representing employers before the National Labor Relations Board, and negotiating and drafting collective bargaining agreements.
Commercial Litigation. Pat has extensive experience litigating complex commercial matters on behalf of large corporations and financial institutions, including claims of breach of contract, shareholder disputes and violation of the consumer fraud act. She litigated to a successful conclusion a complex matter on behalf of a global consumer products company, resulting in dismissal of various contract, statutory and consumer fraud claims on summary judgment, and a no cause jury verdict on a claim of common law fraud.
In General. Pat received her J.D. from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, graduating with highest honors and becoming a member of the Order of the Coif. During law school, she served as editor-in-chief of the Rutgers Law Review from 1993-94, and was a Saul Tischler Scholar in 1992-93 and again in 1993-94. Pat earned an M.B.A. in accounting from DePaul University, and a bachelor's degree in economics from Fordham University. Following law school, Pat clerked for the Honorable Robert N. Wilentz, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Since its inception in 1998, Pat has participated in the Mercer County American Inn of Court, currently serving as a barrister. She is a frequent lecturer on employment law topics for the Council on Education in Management, and serves as a member of Fordham’s Cornerstone Committee, whose mission is to promote women’s athletics and provide career counseling for female student athletes. | 