Caroline Jacobsen Berdzik

Caroline J. Berdzik, chair of the firm’s Employment and Labor and Health Care Practice Groups, devotes her practice to helping businesses, organizations, and management navigate the panoply of employment law issues, from proactive counseling through alternative dispute resolution and trial. She represents companies in diverse industries such as health care, transportation, retail, construction, insurance, and finance, as well as non-profit organizations and educational and religious institutions.

In every matter, Caroline draws upon her previous experience as an in-house counsel to bring a deep understanding of and sensitivity to the daily challenges and cost considerations companies face. Accordingly, in her role as advisor and advocate, she functions as a virtual extension of clients’ in-house legal and human resources teams, working in integrated partnership with them to protect the company’s best interests and bottom line.

She regularly provides employers with strategic business advice on critical human resources issues that arise out of the employment relationship, from hiring to termination, with an emphasis on preventing future disputes and minimizing risk. Toward this end, she frequently provides practical in-house training on a multitude of human resources topics for employers and insurance companies. When needed, Caroline brings a proven track record to the defense of self-insured and insured companies in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, family medical leave, whistleblower, and wage/hour actions in federal and state courts, alternative dispute resolution forums, and state and federal administrative agencies. She also routinely advises businesses in the critical areas of wage and hour compliance and in drafting and enforcing restrictive covenants.

Some of her representative matters include:

Obtaining summary judgment for a national fast food company on claims of national origin discrimination
Successfully defending sexual harassment and related claims against a health care practice through vigorous discovery practice which resulted in the abandonment of the lawsuit by the plaintiff
Prevailing at a bench trial on an appeal from the New Jersey Division of Wage and Hour Compliance confirming independent contractor status for an insurance sales representative
Additionally, Caroline has significant experience handling Title III ADA accessibility compliance concerns and litigation for financial institutions, shopping centers, transportation companies, medical providers, retailers, and other places of public accommodation.

Clients and industry insiders frequently call upon Caroline for her intimate knowledge of the health care industry and, in particular, the post-acute care industry. Caroline often defends skilled nursing facilities and related entities in professional liability claims and provides risk management solutions to help avoid or mitigate future claims.

Recent successes include:

Obtaining dismissal of a lawsuit against a skilled nursing facility for plaintiff failing to provide a timely affidavit of merit
Securing a favorable early resolution with the assistance of targeted expert review for an assisted living community facing allegations of negligence due to multiple falls of a resident
Obtaining a dismissal of all claims against a predecessor owner of an assisted living facility
Prior to joining Goldberg Segalla, Caroline was the assistant general counsel for New Jersey’s largest privately held long-term-care company. Among her many duties, she successfully managed a diverse litigation portfolio in the areas of professional and general liability, employment, and commercial law. In this role, she supervised legal counsel nationwide, established risk management strategies, and reduced legal spend.

Caroline is a prolific speaker and writer in the areas of employment law, social media, risk management, and legal and operational issues confronting employers and long-term care providers. She has earned numerous honors that recognize the value of her legal services and her dedication to the community, including her recognition as one of the “Best 50 Women in Business” by NJBIZ and her regular appearance among the rankings of top legal practitioners in New Jersey and the New York Metro area. Caroline is also chair of the firm's Women's Initiative.