Jarad is a partner in the firm's Employer Defense and Labor Relations Practice Group. In his day-to-day practice, Jarad represents local and state governments, non-profit organizations, public and private educational institutions, health care entities, construction companies, manufacturers and service providers in traditional labor management relations and employment law. A skilled negotiator, Jarad provides proactive counsel and secures positive resolutions for employers in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Department of Labor and the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations. Jarad emphasizes legal representation that goes beyond matter to matter, and focuses on the business needs and goals of each client. This approach, coupled with his extensive experience in labor and employment law, allows Jarad to develop a deep understanding of his clients’ business and provide practical, effective counsel.
In labor matters, Jarad represents clients in collective bargaining, grievance and arbitration proceedings, labor disputes, unfair labor practices litigation, union-organizing efforts, matters related to business disruptions, and certification and decertification elections. Jarad has negotiated favorable contracts for major cities across Connecticut, serving as a lead negotiator during contract negotiations with unions. Recently, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Jarad’s municipal client to affirm an arbitration award upholding the discharge of a police officer who engaged in significant misconduct in connection with a highly sensitive matter.
Jarad understands the complications of the modern workplace, and regularly advises employers on a broad range of personnel-related matters such as disciplinary issues; requests for accommodations; personnel policies, handbooks and manuals; non-compete agreements; wage and hour issues; discrimination; wrongful discharge; harassment; and retaliation. On behalf of a municipality, Jarad secured a successful resolution in an arbitration involving employee misconduct. In light of high-profile cases involving claims of sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace, Jarad also provides a highly effective, interactive and engaging sexual harassment prevention training program to employers, consistent with the Connecticut Time’s Up Act.
Sought-after for his experience assisting employers in crisis-response and risk management matters, Jarad advises clients on employment issues complicated by difficult social and economic developments, such as those presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the #MeToo movement. He assists employers in creating and implementing complicated leave policies to address pandemic-related leave issues, and represents employers at the bargaining table as needed. For higher education institutions, Jarad provides pandemic response counsel on complex employment issues, and continuity of services in a difficult business environment. On matters related to public safety, Jarad secured a favorable contract for a client in connection with its campus public safety employees gaining back valuable management rights and tying wage increases and benefits to those offered to non-union employees.
A frequent speaker and author, both nationally and locally, Jarad is often contacted by the media to comment on labor and employment legal matters. He has appeared in studio on WNPR’s Where We Live, where he offered strategies for preventing sexual harassment in academia, and discussed ways training can be implemented to confront the challenges of sexual harassment in the workplace.