Ty Hyderally has been named the new president of the National Employment Lawyers Association of New Jersey (NELA). As president, Hyderally's top priority is educating lawyers who only occasionally take on employment law cases about the importance of careful case selection, as employment law can be a "minefield" for inexperienced attorneys. Hyderally also emphasizes the value of NELA membership for lawyers, including access to seminars, advice from other members, and involvement in amicus briefs. Despite legislation against discrimination, Hyderally notes that bias still exists in the workplace and many clients seek legal help due to facing retaliation rather than wanting monetary damages.

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NEW JERSEY LAWYER
Volume 17, Number 36 The Lawyer’s Source September 8, 2008 $5
New chief for employment group
Hyderally: The key is education
By Dana E. Sullivan Considering the lack of respect still
For lawyers considering taking on shown women, minorities and the
an occasional employment law client, aged, “You can’t legislate away the kind
Ty Hyderally has two words of advice: of work I do, because you can’t legislate
“Case selection.” away bias,” he said.
Actually he offers more than two Another aspect of human nature —
words, but that issue is right up there ego — comes into play, he said, when
on his educational agenda for his two corporate officers and even line bosses
years as president of the National come down on someone who’s com-
Employment Lawyers Association of plaining about wages, conditions or
New Jersey. discrimination.
Without the kind of education he Whistleblowers are even more likely
believes NELA can offer, Hyderally sees to find they’re in for tough counterat-
plenty of hazards in what he calls “a tacks, even though they’re technically
minefield” for the inexperienced. protected by legislation and the courts. Ty Hyderally
“I really strongly suggest they join Contrary to what some may think, he
our organization, even if they only do said, those who seek his help don’t do it Friedman Siegelbaum in Roseland,
to see how much money they can make. then with Jackson Lewis in Morris-
one or two cases a year,” he told New
“They don’t want to sue their town.
Jersey Lawyer.
bosses. They don’t want to be seen as But he decided he really wanted to
While officers of all bar groups in
troublemakers. They don’t want to be a plaintiffs attorney, and in 2001
the state make appeals for member- moved to Davis Saperstein & Salomon
become pariahs.”
ship, Hyderally, who heads a small but Hyderally was born in Sri Lanka and in Teaneck, where he helped build its
growing five-lawyer firm in Montclair, spent his childhood in London before employment law practice.
keeps the pitch very specific. his family moved to New Jersey. Two years later, he started the firm
For instance, in addition to attend- An alumnus of Johns Hopkins that bears his name.
ing seminars, members can tap the University, he graduated in 1993 from Hyderally admits to a heady feeling
other 150 or so members for advice the Boalt School of Law at the about his success and the growth of his
through the group’s listserv. University of California at Berkeley. small firm, which has gone from one
NELA also gets involved in amicus After a season as a ski instructor in lawyer to five, and now has 10 staffers.
cases, and Hyderally is particularly Vermont, he joined the Navy as a JAG “Sometimes I look out across the
proud of the organization’s and his officer, doing criminal trial work until room and wonder how all these people
own work on a brief for Cutler v. Dorn. his hitch was over in 1997. While got here,” he said.
In that case, the state Supreme knocking around in Pensacola, Fla., NELA’s other officers for 2008-10
Court ruled in favor of a Jewish police someone suggested an employment are Michael G. Kane, vice president;
officer who felt a co-worker’s comment law firm. Claudia A. Reis, secretary; and Lisa M.
about “dirty Jews” was the last straw. “A week later I was trying a major Curry, treasurer.
Hyderally, who has spent his entire age discrimination case,” he said.
post-Navy JAG career in employment “Employment law found me.”
law, sees it as a growing — and practi- When he returned to New Jersey, he Comments about this story may be
cally guaranteed — area of practice. worked as a defense attorney, first with sent to dana.sullivan@njlnews.com.
Reprinted with the permission of New Jersey Lawyer © September 8, 2008