Steven F. Ritardi is a Member of Carmagnola & Ritardi, LLC, defends companies and management in employment litigation matters and advises corporate human resources departments on employment and labor matters. Steve also conducts and guides companies performing internal investigations. In addition to the organizations and committees focused on his practice, he is also a public member and Secretary to the State of New Jersey's Government Records Council (GRC).
In both the private and public sectors, Mr. Ritardi litigates discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, whistle blowing, breach of contract and business tort claims, including violations of state and federal statutes such as New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination (LAD), the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) and federal Title VII. Mr. Ritardi litigates at both the trial and appellate levels, and within NLRB, EEOC, NJ Department of Labor, and NJ Division on Civil Rights. He counsels executives on employment agreements and represents corporate bodies and individuals in general equity matters such as restrictive covenants, trade secrets, corporate raiding, business torts, and shareholder disputes. He also represents clients in complex commercial litigation matters and was trained as a New Jersey Court Approved Mediator.
He is a former chairman of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation's Employment and Labor Relations Law Committee, an editor for the Institute of Continuing Education's publication on Labor and Employment Law and has lectured for New Jersey's Institute of Continuing Legal Education. He is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association's Labor and Employment Executive Committee, a member of the State Bar Association's Chancery Practice Committee, and a co-chair of the Morris County Bar Association's Chancery Practice Committee. He serves on the Executive Committee and is acting Recruitment Chair of the Worklaw® Network, a network of independent law firms that focus their practices exclusively in the area of labor and employment law.
He had the privilege of clerking for the Hon. Reginald Stanton, A.J.S.C., and has served as a member of the Supreme Court of New Jersey District X Ethics Committee, special counsel on ethics issues to local boards, a Trustee to the Morris County Bar Association, the Morris County Bar Foundation and a Barrister in the Seton Hall Inn of Court. He is a member the New Jersey Bar Associations' Litigation and Labor and Employment Sections, and Federal Bar Association. Steve has lectured and participated in association with the New Jersey State Bar Association and Morris County Bar Association's programs for CLE regarding trends in employment and general equity practice.
Mr. Ritardi is rated by Chambers USA as a Leader in employment and labor. In his field of expertise, he is and has been included on the list of Best Lawyers in America, Top 100 New Jersey Super Lawyers, American Registry's Top Attorneys in the Metropolitan area, and other professional publications. He is rated as AV Preeminent in Martindale Hubbell.
Areas Of Practice
- Specialized Representation in Labor
- Employment Law
- General Equity
- Commercial Litigation Matters
- Employment Mediation
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey, 1987
- U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
- U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey
- J.D.
- Muhlenberg College
- B.A.
- Honors: With Honors
Honors And Awards
- Chambers, USA
- AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale Hubbell
- Best Lawyers in America
- Included in the Super Lawyers list, including a Top 100 Rating
- American Registry’s Top Attorneys in the Metropolitan Area
Professional Associations And Memberships
- American Bar Association Section of Litigation, former Co-Chair, Litigation's Employment and Labor Relations Law Committee
- Morris County Bar Association, Prior Trustee
- Supreme Court of New Jersey District X Ethics Committee, Prior Member
- American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment, Prior Member
- New Jersey Bar Association Section of Civil Trial, Member
- New Jersey Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment, Member, Labor and Employment Executive Committee, General Equity and MAPS
- Seton Hall Inn of Court, Prior Barrister