How Lawyer Jeremy Goldstein Serves His Clients in New York City

While Jeremy Goldstein is a recognized attorney who is passionate about protecting his clients’ interests under the letter of the law, he is much more than that. This New York City employment lawyer supports the next generation of lawyers climbing up the ladder after him. He is also committed to making the world a better place by supporting important causes that he is passionate about.

Goldstein’s Path Toward a Career in Law

Jeremy Goldstein values the importance of a quality education and actively seeks out ways to improve his knowledge and understanding. This began early in his life, and it notably continued when he focused his attention on legal studies at the University of Chicago. He was unsatisfied with a single degree, however. His second undergraduate degree was earned with honors at Cornell University.

From there, he attended the New York University School of Law for post-graduate work. While navigating through a rigorous course load, Goldstein obtained an entry-level position at a firm that specialized in corporate law. In that position, he developed his passion for employment law. Some of the many notable clients whose cases he assisted with include Verizon Wireless, Merck and Miller Brewing Company.

A Desire to Serve Corporate Interests

While Goldstein knew that he wanted to be a lawyer and to represent his clients well, he had not decided which law niche he wanted to focus on. This changed after his experiences at his first job at a law firm. Goldstein developed a deep appreciation for the complexities of corporate contracts and other aspects of employment law. Because of this, he was confident in his decision to open his own law firm that specializes in employment law. Shortly after he received his law license, Jeremy L. Goldstein & Associates was established.

Jeremy Goldstein as an attorney was notably interested in a few specific aspects of employment law, and he has devoted his professional career to these niches. These include executive compensation and corporate governance. Through his specialization, Goldstein would serve corporate executives and high-level managers at many large corporations over the course of his career.

While Goldstein is undeniably busy serving his many clients at Jeremy L. Goldstein & Associates, he makes time to serve in other ways as well. For example, he has served as a subcommittee chairperson for the American Bar Association’s Business Section. As a lively speaker with deep knowledge of employment law, Goldstein is periodically engaged to speak at various events. Today, he sits on the Professional Advisory Board for NYU’s respected publication, the Journal of Law and Business. Outside of the realm of law, Jeremy Goldstein lawyer sits on the board of directors for Fountain House. Fountain House is a reputable organization that supports adults with various types of mental illness.

A Passion for Corporate Governance Issues

Jeremy Goldstein recognizes the importance of regulations, laws and established processes in a corporate environment, and these are directly established and enforced through corporate governance. In his legal practice, he has utilized his expertise in corporate law to serve his clients in numerous ways throughout his law firm’s history. This is because corporate governance plays an important role in a business’s policies, power structure and overall operations.

One important aspect of corporate governance is tied to a business’s profit-generating capabilities and the role that high-level executives and managers play in that. For example, individuals who serve in the highest echelons directly impact the shape and structure of the company. Therefore, one aspect of corporate governance is tied to the development and enforcement of the duties and objectives of each job position.

Another aspect of corporate governance is tied to ROI metrics. Investors are important parts of major corporations. They are concerned about ROI as well as about the company’s financial health, reputation, ethical standards and more. Corporate governance lays the foundation for all of these important aspects of investor relations.

In a typical corporation, the board of directors sits at the top rung of the company’s power structure. The decisions made by the board of directors impact the company’s operations on all levels. This spans from investor dividends, executive compensation and social issues to the optimization of operations for financial gain and more. Because of the importance of the board of directors, its structure should be well-designed so that it enables the efficient flow of business. It also must be organized with a clear balance of power and obvious impartiality with external members of the board.

Corporate governance can affect the diversity of the board members. Diversity is beneficial to a company because it brings different perspectives to the table. The members’ different professional experiences, backgrounds and other differences are valuable benefits that can play a critical role in the overall success of the business.

When Corporate Governance Issues Develop

Jeremy Goldstein has witnessed first-hand how devastating ineffective corporate governance can be to a business. Through his law firm, he has worked on corporate governance issues to prevent undesirable ramifications. He has also worked directly with clients who have been dealing with the effects of poor corporate governance.

When a corporation is not governed effectively, numerous problems can besiege the company. This includes poor business ethics, faulty external audits and the mismanagement of funds. Other issues include poor internal controls, a lack of transparency, integrity problems and more. These and other problems related to corporate governance can directly affect the reputation, operations and profitability of the company on many levels. When their effects are severe, the company may not be able to overcome them. Because of this, corporate governance should be given ample attention for the health of the company.

One example of a company’s severe issues with corporate governance is Volkswagen AG. Its issues with false engine emissions data are well-known because the media picked up the story. As a result of corporate governance issues and related bad press, Volkswagen AG’s sales and stock price plummeted. The company had to contend with a public relations nightmare, reduced cash flow and the unexpected devaluation of its stock. These are issues that could have been prevented or minimized by a stronger focus on corporate governance. For optimized success and profitability, a company must have firm corporate governance policies. These directly establish standards for transparence and integrity.

Another aspect of corporate governance is executive and manager compensation. Individuals who work in these high-level positions impact the company from the top down. They must be motivated to serve the best interests of the company and to carry out their job functions to the best of their abilities. Their fair compensation serves as a primary motivating factor.

While some companies can skirt around relatively minor public relations issues, others may be deeply scarred. For example, the issues at Enron and Worldcom were heavily publicized in the media, and those issues are still well-known today. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed to establish corporate standards for recordkeeping, and it established criminal penalties for violations. While this has had an effect on corporate governance, the scandals at these and other companies are a stark reminder that the public has minimal tolerance for scandals related to poor ethics, a lack of integrity and other factors. Through Goldstein’s professional services, he has assisted his clients with the establishment of effective corporate governance.

Protective Non-Compete Agreements and Legal Contracts

Another aspect of employment law that Goldstein focuses on is centered around legal contracts. One of the more common and important types of contracts that he regularly works with on behalf of his clients is an employee non-compete agreement. These contracts are vital to the protection of a company’s rights after employment ceases. These agreements are suitable for all echelons in a company’s employment structure. However, a non-compete agreement is only effective when it has solid protective covenants and when it is enforceable. Generally, Goldstein stresses to his clients that these agreements should be in place on an employee’s first day because of how critical they are to the protection of the business’s rights as an employer.

Contract Enforcement

Goldstein has profound expertise with the preparation of agreements that truly protect a company’s interests. In addition to preparing these agreements, Goldstein is experienced with the enforcement of these agreements. These contracts can be struck down when they are too restrictive, and this eliminates the benefits of a contract’s covenants and restrictions. Therefore, the best non-compete agreements are those that are fully protective as well as enforceable. The skills and services of a reputable employment lawyer like Jeremy Goldstein can be critical to this aspect of a company’s operations.

A Closer Look at Non-Compete Agreements

If a dispute related to a non-compete agreement is taken to court, all aspects of its limitations and restrictions will be carefully reviewed. While the non-compete agreement protects the company’s rights, it cannot violate the employee’s rights in the process. One of the more common reasons why a non-compete agreement is struck down is because its restrictions related to time or geographic area are too confining. A common timeframe for the enforceability of these contracts is 48 months or less. Contracts that have restrictions exceeding 10 years often cannot be enforced. In addition, a non-compete agreement usually specifies a certain geographic area for which its restrictions and covenants apply. When this area is too large, the agreement can be struck down.

A non-compete agreement that is signed by a new employee before or on the first day of employment is generally viewed by the court as a term of employment. The court often see that this condition of employment does not institute the need for additional compensation. On the other hand, if the employer requires the employee to sign this type of agreement after the fact, the court views it as a change in the terms of employment. Because of this, the agreement may not be upheld in court if the employee did not receive adequate compensation at the time the agreement was signed.

These are only some of the many nuances related to contract law and non-compete agreements that must be taken into consideration when the contract is being prepared. Goldstein understands these and other nuances. He has extensive experience with the preparation of contracts that are protective of the company’s rights and enforceable in a courtroom.

Through a Consultation with Jeremy Goldstein

When high-level business professionals are uncertain about how protected their company is or how enforceable their established contracts are, a consultation with Jeremy Goldstein is a reasonable step to take. Goldstein can review established corporate governance regulations, non-compete agreements and other contracts. Through his extensive knowledge of this aspect of the law, the company can learn if contracts should be re-negotiated or if the corporate governance rules should be adjusted. A consultation is a relatively easy step to take, and it can have profound benefits to the company in the long run.

Goldstein’s Advice to New Lawyers

In addition to serving his corporate clients, Jeremy Goldstein actively supports the legal community. One of the many ways that he does this is through his support of new lawyers. As a leading employment lawyer in New York, those who aspire to achieve his level of success themselves often ask for tips and advice. Goldstein recognizes that navigating from a lawyer’s first days out of law school to the point where he is at in his career can be tenuous. After all, law is a competitive industry. This type of career can be brutally stressful and requires a lawyer to always be at the top of his or her game. Goldstein has assembled these helpful tips for young lawyers.

1. Find a Reputable Mentor

Simply reading tips is a good first step to take, but young lawyers will need regular advice from a reputable lawyer who has his or her best interests in mind. This advice may range from strategic moves to navigate along a successful career path to constructive criticism and more. The mentor selected will play a major role in the formation of the lawyer’s career, so this individual should be chosen with care.

2. Network Extensively

Because the legal world is so competitive, many young lawyers may be dissuaded from networking and forming good relationships with peers. However, professional relationships are increasingly important through the progression of a successful career. The time to start forming these relationships is today.

3. Focus on Self-Improvement

Nobody is perfect, and nobody is as well-versed in all areas of the law as they could be. Furthermore, law is a changing landscape that is constantly evolving through new regulations, court rulings and more. The most successful lawyers continuously work on themselves by taking advantage of educational opportunities, reading books and making other efforts.

4. Work on Personal Money Management

Many law students live on a strict budget, so compensation received at a first job out of law school can seem life changing. While some young lawyers will use this money to splurge, Goldstein advises them to conserve these funds for future career growth. For example, using the funds to pay down debts and to buy assets today can make it easier for the lawyer to establish a law firm or to pursue other professional goals down the road.

5. Stay on Top of Technology

Modern technology is constantly evolving, and it holds incredible opportunities for lawyers to improve their efforts, to serve their clients better and to run their firms more intelligently. Because of how rapidly new technology is released and incorporated, professionals must monitor these changes actively.

6. Carve Out Personal Time

When a professional burns out, the internal drive to further a career is halted. The lawyer is therefore his or her own roadblock. The best way to avoid burnout is by allocating a portion of each day to personal time, meaningful relationships and overall relaxation.

About Jeremy Goldstein

Jeremy Goldstein’s professional life is strongly rooted in a focus on personal development and a passion for service. His background in law was established through his first undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and a second degree with honorable distinction from Cornell University. After obtaining these two degrees, he attended the New York University School of Law.

Goldstein attributes his commitment to employment law to his professional experiences he had at his first legal job. He worked at this law firm while he was still a student at the NYU School of Law. Notably, his experiences at that firm were with numerous major corporations. These include Bank of America Corporation, IBM, Cingular Wireless, Duke Energy, AT&T Corp, Miller Brewing Company, Goodrich and others.

Originally published at http://nyctalk.org.