TRACY L. BOOKHARD *** Bayberry Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873 973-***-**** acufhl@r.postjobfree.com

Senior Labor & Employment Counsel

** ***** ** *********, ****-efficient solutions for Fortune 500 companies

Contributions

Cross-Disciplinary Risk Management & Legal Counseling

Advise on hiring processes, employee benefits, safety, compliance audits, harassment, discrimination, retaliation,

diversity initiatives, reasonable accommodations, wage and hour issues, leaves of absence, terminations,

performance reviews, malfeasance and misconduct, employee discipline, reductions in force (RIFs),

immigration, drug testing, background checks, union organizing, compliance hotline issues, privacy, and

potential tort claims.

Advise on contracts, benefits, vendor agreements, self-funded insurance plans, ERISA, COBRA, severance, non-

compete covenants, stock-option plans, deferred compensation plans, and more.

Advise on business impact and compliance with whistleblower protections, ADEA, ADA, Title VII, FMLA,

HIPAA, ERISA, FLSA, OFCCP, NLRA, anti-kickback and anti-corruption, record keeping/retention, and more.

Draft employment policies, handbooks, severance agreements, and employment-related contracts/agreements.

Create, review, and give training.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Lead defense strategies, coordination of discovery, and settlement negotiations. Represent clients in federal and

state court, federal appeals, federal and state agency investigations and charges (including NLRB), mediation,

compliance audits, settlements and arbitration. Respond to employee demand letters.

Draft federal and state agency responses, as well as federal and state pleadings, motions, and supporting

affidavits and documentation. Interview corporate witnesses and prepare them for testimony.

Conduct unbiased internal investigations. Identify and interview corporate witnesses. Report on findings, with

recommendations for resolution and systemic improvements.

Work with executive leadership and public relations to create corporate messaging and media statements in high

profile matters potentially impacting corporate image.

Select, retain, and supervise outside counsel. Emphasis on performance and cost containment.

Employment History

Verizon, corporate headquarters in Basking Ridge, NJ, with extensive travel 2007 to 2015

Assistant General Counsel for a Fortune 20 company, with $127 billion in annual revenue and more than 170,000

employees nationwide. One of five lawyers in Employment Law Group, each assigned to corporate headquarters or to

geographic territory. Partnered with executive leadership, divisional leadership, in-house counsel, corporate security, on-

site management, as well as with all business units (i.e., retail, customer service, finance, engineering, marketing, human

resources, legal, and more). Hands-on oversight of outside counsel. Supervised legal staff.

Sample Matters

Led defense of breach of contract claims by terminated employee through jury trial. Won defense verdict.

Resolved potential punitive class actions, minimizing monetary payouts and reputational damage.

Initiated training compliance program for HR personnel, used as model for employees enterprise-wide.

Handpicked to draft proposals for first-ever union contract for Verizon Wireless retail employees and

participated in collective bargaining negotiation process.

Secured injunctions against picketing of lucrative storefronts of non-unionized business unit.

Tracy L. Bookhard, Esq. Somerset, NJ 08873 973-***-**** acufhl@r.postjobfree.com 1 of 3

Promotion History within Verizon

Assistant General Counsel, 2015: Following reorganization, oversaw 15,000 to 20,000 employees in Verizon

Midwest area covering 13 states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,

North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin).

Counsel, 2010 to 2014: Oversaw Verizon Wireless South Area, covering 15,000 to 20,000 employees in 11 states

(Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and

South Carolina). Then oversaw Verizon Wireless Midwest Area.

Senior Attorney, 2007 to 2010: Initially oversaw Verizon Wireless headquarters functions, covering employees

nationwide including California. Then oversaw South Area.

Attorney, 2007: Assigned to Verizon Wireless headquarters. Earned first promotion in six months.

Premier Law Firms, northern New Jersey 1999 to 2007 (with two-year hiatus for federal clerkship)

Associate with increasing autonomy and client contact. Defended Fortune 500 companies, universities, and other

organizations across sectors, including, consumer goods, retail, telecom, automotive, financial services, and

pharmaceuticals. Partnered with executives, heads of business groups, and in-house counsel. Supplemental work on

corporate transactions, commercial contracts, commercial litigation, and non-employment related class action litigation.

Employment Chronology within Law Firms

2005 to 2007: Invited to join former Carpenter Bennett partners at 580+ lawyer Newark, NJ office of Wilson,

Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker LLP to resume exclusively employment law practice.

2004 to 2005: After law firm merger, asked to join departing Carpenter Bennett partners at the 10-lawyer

Newark, NJ office of Pennsylvania-based 200+ attorney firm of Klett, Rooney, Lieber & Schorling, PC (now

part of Buchanan Ingersoll PC). Work included general corporate transactions and commercial litigation.

2003 to 2004: Following federal clerkship (see below), invited to return to Carpenter Bennett, which then

merged to become McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP.

2000 to 2002: Hiatus from private practice for judicial clerkship.

1999 to 2000: After 2L summer, offer extended to join Carpenter Bennett & Morrissey, Newark, NJ, 80-lawyer

firm with prominent Labor & Employment practice.

The Hon. Stephan P. Mickle, U.S.D.J., (N.D. Fla.), Gainesville, FL 2000 to 2002

Law Clerk for civil and criminal cases. Major case involved three-week jury trial and sentencing of former professional

sports agent on charges related to three-year, $12 million fraud scheme against more than 20 NFL players.

Education & Additional Qualifications

Education

JD (1999), Temple University, James E. Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA. Focused on trial advocacy.

BA in Political Science (1993). Rutgers University, Rutgers College, New Brunswick, NJ.

Additional Qualifications

Admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

Contributing Author, WORKPLACE PRIVACY: ANSWERS AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS (Thomson

Publishing Group, 2000).

Tracy L. Bookhard, Esq. Somerset, NJ 08873 973-***-**** acufhl@r.postjobfree.com 2 of 3

Claims Representative at State Farm Insurance, Whitestone, NY (1993 to 1996). Handpicked for high volume

auto group by territory director. Managed 300 to 600 files valued at up to $500,000. Negotiated six-figure

settlements. Targeted suspicious files for fraud units. Conducted scene investigations. Trained new employees.

Tracy L. Bookhard, Esq. Somerset, NJ 08873 973-***-**** acufhl@r.postjobfree.com 3 of 3

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