Michael S. Hanan

Michael Hanan is a Partner in the Employment practice group of GRSM, where he focuses on the representation of management in all areas of employment law. Michael defends employers against a broad range of employment claims from the inception of a lawsuit through trial, including wrongful discharge, discrimination, whistleblower and retaliation claims, disability accommodation, family leave and unlawful harassment. He has extensive litigation experience representing clients — which include Fortune 500 companies, privately owned companies, insurance companies and public employers — in federal and state courts, as well as arbitral and administrative tribunals. He has successfully defended cases on behalf of his clients through trial in each of these tribunals.

Michael also has successfully litigated contentious post-employment restrictive covenant cases involving confidentiality of trade secrets, non-competition and non-solicitation clauses. He also defends companies against public access disability cases related to both physical premises and websites.  Additionally, Michael regularly provides advice and preventive counseling on all aspects of the employment relationship, including the creation, implementation and enforcement of workplace policies and the investigation of harassment/discrimination claims. He works to help clients navigate through the complexities of federal, state and local laws, and implement prudent, cost-effective strategies that address employment issues as they arise.

Upon graduation from law school, Michael had the privilege of serving for the first four years of his legal career as a New York City Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Civil Rights trial division, where he obtained defense verdicts on behalf of New York City and its agencies in several civil rights trials, including employment discrimination trials.

Admissions

• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
• U.S. District Court, Southern, Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of New York
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Second and Third Circuits

Memberships

• American Bar Association
• New York State Bar Association
• Mercer County Bar Association

• Obtained a decision from the Southern District of New York, Honorable John G. Koeltl, U.S.D.J., granting dismissal of a lawsuit alleging that a firm client-fitness center’s mask requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic, as mandated by New York state, violated the U.S. Constitution and federal statutes prohibiting discrimination
• Served as defense counsel for a company that owns and operates fitness clubs in the Northeast, in obtaining the court’s enforcement of an employment arbitration agreement, requiring litigation of the enforceability of the agreement from a plenary evidentiary hearing at the trial court level, through plaintiff’s appeals to the NJ Supreme Court
• Served as defense counsel in three-day bench trial defending client manufacturer of stainless steel hospital emergency room products, in New Jersey Superior Court, Passaic County lawsuit for employment termination claim alleged to violate New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act (Whistleblower statute), obtaining complete defense verdict in favor of client
• Served as defense counsel for client Fortune 50 company, obtaining summary judgment on employee discriminatory and retaliatory discharge claims, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, through appeal to the 2d Circuit Court of Appeals
• Obtained summary judgment dismissal of employee disability based discriminatory termination and failure-to-accommodate claims, on behalf of client full service Security Service provider, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

• Fradys v. Rondeau et al., 21-CV-7891 (JGK) (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 10, 2022); appeal dismissed 5/5/23 Case 22-3045, Doc 24.  
• Ipsos-Insight, LLC v. Gessel, No. 21-CV-3992 (JMF), 2021 WL 2784634, at *1 (S.D.N.Y. July 2, 2021).
• Brownlee v. Town Sports Int'l Holdings, Inc., 238 N.J. 421 (2019)
• Cain v. Christine Valmy Int'l Sch. of Esthetics, 216 F. Supp. 3d 328, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145583;
• Bell v. McRoberts Protective Agency, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54875
• Fasan v. McRoberts Protective Agency, Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35158, 2015 WL 1285909
• Muhammad v. Walmart Stores E., L.P., 532 Fed. Appx. 21, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 20666, 2013 WL 5540121
• Piccolo v. WalMart Stores E., L.P., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75991, 15 Accom. Disabilities Dec. (CCH) P15-068, 2012 WL 1965440
• Vincent v. WalMart Stores E., L.P., 3420, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 125269, 2012 WL 3800833

Education

J.D., cum laude, New York Law School, 1996

B.A., American University, 1991

Honors

Best Lawyers in America® distinction in Litigation - Labor and Employment (2021-2024)*

*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. A description of the Best Lawyers selection methodologies can be found at:
https://www.bestlawyers.com/
methodology.