Kelly Ann Bird

Kelly Ann Bird

Director, Employment & Labor Law
Administrative Director of the Red Bank Office

This attorney has been selected for the recognitions mentioned herein, which have been conferred by the corresponding publications and/or organizations noted. An overview of the award selection methodologies for these recognitions can be found at https://www.gibbonslaw.com/awards. Links to certain specific methodologies are embedded in individual entries. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Ms. Bird counsels employers on employment and human resources issues, presents workplace training programs, conducts and assists in investigations, and litigates as necessary in these areas. Her clients range from hospitals, higher education institutions, and small, family-owned businesses, to regional based companies with thousands of employees. She represents her clients in proceedings in federal and state courts and civil rights agencies, as well as arbitrations and mediations.

Her practice includes:

  • Developing, drafting, and assisting in implementation of employment policies, procedures, handbooks, and contracts
  • Providing advice on equal employment, hiring, performance management, termination, and leave issues
  • Presenting workplace training on a variety of topics
  • Conducting and advising on workplace and Title IX investigations and responses to employee and student complaints
  • Responding to government agency charges, investigations and audits, including by the EEOC, state civil rights agencies, and the OFCCP
  • Defending management in litigation relating to discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, wrongful discharge, tort, and contract claims
  • Representing individual officers, directors, and employees who have been sued personally for discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, and related tort and contract claims
  • Advising clients on labor matters and supporting clients in defending labor arbitrations, unfair labor practice charges, and union organizing campaigns

Areas of Focus

Employment Counseling and Training

As leader of the Gibbons Workplace Training Academy, Ms. Bird provides counseling services to help every client create a legally compliant workplace and a more productive and efficient workforce. She advises employers on employment and human resources issues and also trains employees on topics essential to the workplace or their particular positions. For example, Ms. Bird’s recent training sessions included a management program for a company’s supervisory employees, as well as company-wide respectful workplace training, using our national conversation about race, politics, and COVID as a means to engage employees in scrutiny of their own interactions.

Investigations

Ms. Bird conducts investigations into allegations of misconduct involving Title VII, Title IX, and state laws, as well as workplace and student codes of conduct and policies. Over the past year, she has investigated bullying and discrimination allegations and human resources compliance issues.

Credentials

Education

Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D.)

College of the Holy Cross (B.A.)

University of Virginia (M.A.T.)

Professional Admissions

State of New Jersey

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Professional Activities

New Jersey State Bar Association
Labor and Employment Law Section

New Jersey State Bar Foundation
Member, Board of Trustees, July 2019-present

Chair, Part VI of the State of New Jersey, Committee on Character, Appointment by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, July 2014-present
State of New Jersey, Committee on Character, Appointment by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, July 2006-July 2014