FordHarrison LLP, one of the country’s largest management-side labor and employment law firms, is pleased to announce that Sami Asaad has joined the Hartford, CT office as partner and as Chair of the firm’s Home Healthcare Practice Group. Sami comes to FordHarrison from McCarter & English.
“Sami is an accomplished attorney who puts understanding and meeting his clients’ needs on the forefront.” said Johanna Zelman, Hartford Office Managing Partner. “We are ecstatic to have Sami join our growing Hartford office.”
Sami provides proactive day-to-day counsel on a host of issues, ranging from familiar challenges, such as wage and hour compliance and sensitive personnel decisions, to emerging workplace concerns. These include remote/flexible work arrangements, arbitration agreements, mobile apps and employee privacy, alternative wage payment methods, state and local paid leaves, medical/recreational marijuana and drug testing, and accommodation of employees’ psychological disabilities and addictions. Sami's clients operate in a variety of industries including health care, staffing, technology, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, financial services, and retail.
As Chair of FordHarrison’s Home Healthcare Practice Group, Sami counsels home care agencies and provides innovative strategies on the unique issues agencies face, such as managing and compensating live-in aides. He has represented home care agencies in investigations by federal and state labor departments and has presented seminars and webinars to multiple home care franchise systems and industry groups, including the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA).
Sami also defends employers in lawsuits filed by employees in state and federal courts and in arbitration. He also represents employers in investigations by state and federal administrative agencies such as the EEOC and the U.S. Department of Labor. Sami has defended employers against claims of wrongful discharge, retaliation, discrimination, harassment, wage and hour violations, employee misclassification, breach of contract, and federal and state statutory violations.
Sami is an experienced speaker and trainer, having presented numerous seminars and webinars to managers and in-house counsel on emerging labor and employment issues, harassment prevention, wage and hour compliance, and HR best practices.
“I look forward to this new journey I will be starting with FordHarrison,” said Sami. “I’m thrilled to lead the Home Healthcare Practice Group and implement my prior experience to successfully push the practice group forward.”