Amelia T. Taylor is a Senior Associate at Wong Fleming. Ms. Taylor’s practice emphasizes business litigation and labor and employment law matters. Ms. Taylor’s employment law experience includes representing clients in a wide variety of employment matters including matters involving the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), the New Jersey Family Leave Act (FLA), the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); the Federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), and the New York State Human Rights Act. She has also drafted employment contracts, severance agreements, and employee handbooks. She has practiced in state and federal courts in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Prior to joining Wong Fleming, Ms. Taylor worked in both the government and private sectors. She previously served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Frauds Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office. As an Assistant Attorney General, she litigated consumer fraud cases involving violations of the General Business Law, including, false advertising, and unfair and deceptive acts, and monitored compliance with state and federal consumer protection laws, including, the Federal Truth In Lending Act, the Truth in Leasing Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Motor Vehicle Sales Act, the Motor Vehicle Retail Leasing Act, the Used Car Lemon Law Bill of Rights, the New Car Lemon Law Bill of Rights, the General Business Law, the General Obligations Law, the Retail Installment Sales Act, the Uniform Commercial Code, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and the Telephone Sales Protection Act.

She also previously worked as a consultant in the Securitized Products Group at Morgan Stanley, where she gained valuable experience on the securitization of franchise loans.

Ms. Taylor served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Madaline Palladino, Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

Employment-Defense Matters:

  • Represented an individual Plaintiff in a case involving: (1) Violation of the New Jersey Family Leave Act; and (2) Discrimination based on Age in violation of the LAD.
  • Represented an individual Plaintiff in a case involving: (1) Hostile Work Environment/Sexual Harassment in Violation of New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”); (2) Disparate Treatment Based on Sex in Violation of the LAD; (3) Retaliation in Violation of the LAD;  (4) Aiding and Abetting under the LAD; and (5) Retaliation in Violation of the Conscientious Employee Protection Act.
  • Represented individual Plaintiffs in a case involving: (1) Hostile Work Environment/Sexual Harassment in Violation of New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”); (2) Race Discrimination in Violation of the LAD; (3) Disability Discrimination in Violation of the LAD; 4) Retaliation in Violation of the LAD; (5) Aiding and Abetting under the LAD; (6) Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress; (7) Assault and Battery; and (8) Breach of Public Policy.
  • Represented a former employee in a whistleblower action alleging: (1) Violations of the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA); (2) Defamation; (3) Intentional interference with prospective economic advantage; (4) Intentional infliction of emotional distress; (5) Malicious prosecution; and (6) Violation of New Jersey State Constitutional rights.
  • Represented a former employee in a case involving: (1) Age discrimination in violation of LAD; (2) Race discrimination in violation of LAD; (3) Retaliation in violation of the LAD; (4) Aiding and abetting under the LAD; (5) Intentional infliction of emotional distress; and (6) Breach of contract.
  • Represented an employee in a case involving: (1) Retaliation in Violation of New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”); (2) Disability Discrimination in Violation of the LAD; (3) Aiding, Abetting, Inciting, Compelling and/or Coercing in Violation of the LAD; (4) Deprivation of and Interference or Attempted Interference with First Amendment Rights in violation of the New Jersey Civil Rights Act (“NJCRA”); (5) Deprivation of and Interference or Attempted Interference with Due Process Rights in violation of the NJCRA; (6) Violation of New Jersey State Constitutional Rights; (7) Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress; and (8) Breach of Public Policy.
  • Represented former employees in an action alleging causes of action for: (1) Hostile work environment based on sex, marital status, and familial status in violation of the Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”); (2) Disparate treatment based upon sex, marital status, and familial status in violation of the LAD; (3) Failure to contract in violation of the LAD;  (4) Retaliation in violation of LAD; (5) Aiding, abetting, inciting, compelling and/or coercing in violation of the LAD; (6) Fraudulent inducement; (7) Breach of contract; (8) Breach of the implied covenant of good faith and dealing; (9) Violation of public policy; (10) Violation of Section 1983; (11) Intentional infliction of emotional distress; (12) Intentional interference with prospective economic advantage; (13) New Jersey Wage & Hour violations; and (14) Discrimination based upon age in violation of the LAD.

Employment Defense Matters:

  • Represented a large insurance company in an action brought by an employee who alleged that he was injured on the job and was subjected to discrimination on the basis of gender, disability, and retaliation.  With fourteen causes of action alleging various violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 (Title VII), and the New York State Human Rights Law and fifty million dollars in compensatory damages sought on each count, plus attorney’s fees and injunctive relief, Ms. Taylor was able to achieve a favorable resolution for the client.
  • Represented a Global Fortune 500 Company in an action brought by a former employee in United States District Court alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act (“ADA”), ultimately resulting in a complete dismissal of the action with prejudice.
  • Represented a financial services corporation in an action brought by a former employee in United States District Court alleging failure to accommodate disabilities in violation of the New Jersey Law against Discrimination (“LAD”), failure to consider accommodations prior to termination in violation of the LAD; and wrongful termination in violation of the LAD.
  • Represented a check cashing and financial services company in defense of an action brought by a customer in United States District Court alleging disability discrimination due to existing architectural barriers in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the New York State Human Rights Law.
  • Represented a large retailer in a case alleging failure to have accessible facilities for persons with disabilities in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“LAD”).

Commercial Matters:

  • Represented a third party collection agency and creditor in an action in United States District Court alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Pennsylvania Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act, and the Pennsylvania Consumer Protection Law.
  • As an Assistant Attorney General litigated a case against a major automobile dealership that resulted in the dealership being ordered to pay over $177,000 in refunds and civil penalties.  The case involved violations, including: false and misleading advertising; failure to return deposits; failure to return the customer’s vehicle; misrepresentations as to the consumer’s right not to go forward with the purchase; increasing the price of the vehicle or the finance rate without advising the consumer; adding unwanted options, such as rust-proofing and extended service contracts; failing to include the odometer reading on documents; misrepresenting odometer readings; removing federally-required manufacturer’s suggested retail price labels; charging more than the stated price; and failure to honor repair claims and warranties.

PRACTICE AREAS

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Corporate Asset Recovery
  • Creditors Rights and Bankruptcy
  • Employment and Labor Law
  • Entertainment, Arts and Sports
  • Intellectual Property
  • Products Liability and Mass tort Litigation
  • Tax Lien Enforcement
  • Trial Insurance Defense and Coverage

ADMISSIONS

  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • District of Columbia
  • D.N.J., E.D.N.Y., S.D.N.Y., E.D. Pa.

PROFESSIONAL HONORS, AWARDS, AND ACTIVITIES

  • President, Princeton Bar Association
  • Member, Mercer County Bar Association
  • Board of Trustees, Princeton Bar Association (2009-Present)

PUBLICATIONS

  • “Hot Topics in Employment Law 2005-2006” (Co-Author, National Employment Lawyers Association of New Jersey, April 2006).
  • “Hot Topics in Employment Law: Employee vs. Independent Contractor” (Co-Author, National Employment Lawyers Association of New Jersey, April 2006).
  • “Litigating Claims Against Public Entities” (Co-Author, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, April 2006).
  • “The Glass Ceiling Has Finally Been Broken (Or Has It?)” (Co-Author, The New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting, April 2007).
  • “Case Law Involving Hidden Biases Based Upon Sex, Race, Motherhood, Disability, Age & Sexual Orientation” (Co-Author, NELA Fall Seminar: Beyond Stereotypes, November 2006).
  • “New York Benefits Corporation Law Goes Into Effect” (Wong Fleming, P.C., The Gavel: Diverse Viewpoints on the Law, February 2012).
  • “Defending ADA Title III Claims” (Wong Fleming, P.C., The Gavel: Diverse Viewpoints on the Law, April 2013).
  • Reporter, National Law Journal VerdictSearch (April-June 2002).

EDUCATION

  • J.D., The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University (1987)
  • B.A., Colgate University (1984)