Overview
Kerri Wright is a principal of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. and a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group, where she co-chairs the Education and Employment Team. She focuses her practice in the areas of education law and employment law, specifically in representation of management in both employment counseling and employment litigation.
Kerri handles a variety of employment law matters for the firm’s public and private sector clients in state and federal courts as well as before administrative agencies, including the EEOC and the New Jersey Department of Labor. She has litigation and counseling experience in numerous areas of employment law, including issues involving wage and hour claims, restrictive covenants, harassment, discrimination, and whistleblowing. She has successfully defended management in class-action wage and hour lawsuits and has handled numerous investigations by management into allegations of employee wrongdoing.
Kerri has significant experience representing and counseling school boards, charter schools, private schools and colleges in a variety of areas. She is one of the leading attorneys in the field of reconfiguring school districts, including the creation and dissolution of regional school districts and the creation and termination of sending-receiving relationships.
Kerri previously served on the Chester Board of Education in Morris County for five terms. Most recently serving as the President of the Board, and Chair of the Board’s negotiation committee. She has successfully negotiated employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements with each one of the Board’s labor groups. Kerri received the New Jersey Board Member of the Year from New Jersey School Boards Association for 2021-2022.
Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America® – Litigation - Labor and Employment (2025)
- New Jersey Law Journal - Women Lawyers of the Year honoree (2022)
- New Jersey School Boards Association - New Jersey Board Member of the Year (2021-2022)
- New Jersey Super Lawyers® (2017-2024)
- New Jersey Rising Stars® (2012-2015)
- New Jersey Law Journal - New Leaders of the Bar (2016)
Memberships
- Fellow, LeadNJ, 2014 - Present
- Chester Board of Education, Member, 2007 - 2022, Vice President, 2010 - 2012; President, 2013 - 2015, 2022
- Member of the New Jersey Association of School Attorneys
- Morris County Bar Association
- New Jersey Women Lawyers Association
News
- Porzio Successfully Represents Borough of Sea Bright in School Regionalization Case, 12/09/2024
- 26 Porzio Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Edition; 6 Listed as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®, 8/15/2024
- Kerri A. Wright Recognized for Outstanding Contributions to Calais School Community, 4/09/2024
- 18 Porzio Attorneys Named to 2024 New Jersey Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars® Lists, 3/25/2024
- Kerri Wright Discusses Forced Arbitration of Race Claims in Bloomberg Law Article, 6/09/2023
- Twenty Porzio Attorneys Recognized in 2023 New Jersey Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists, 5/11/2023
- Congratulations to Principal Kerri A. Wright for Being Named by New Jersey Law Journal as a "Women Lawyers of the Year" Honoree, 11/07/2022
- 22 Porzio Attorneys Selected for Inclusion on 2022 New Jersey Super Lawyers List, 4/06/2022
- Porzio Presents Details on Feasibility Study Unifying Salem County School Districts, 2/09/2022
- Porzio Attorney Kerri Wright Named New Jersey School Board Association 2021-2022 Board Member of the Year, 10/21/2021
- Vito A. Gagliardi, Jr. and Kerri A. Wright Discuss Salem County School Consolidation Study on NJ 101.5, 12/11/2020
- Porzio Selected by Salem County to Conduct School District Consolidation Study, 11/20/2020
- Kerri Wright quoted in Law360 Article, "NJ's Novel Severance Law Ruins Small Biz Growth, Attys Say", 2/28/2020
- Principal Kerri Wright Quoted in Article on Woodcliff Lake School Funding Matter, 8/14/2017
- Porzio Assists Pittsgrove Board of Education in District Merger Negotiations, 8/06/2017
- Porzio's Litigation Department Volunteers for Homeless Solutions, 8/02/2017
- Appellate Court Rules in Favor of Porzio Client Woodcliff Lake, 7/21/2017
- Principal Kerri Wright Named in Article on Sea Bright Borough's Challenge to School Formula, 3/03/2017
- Porzio Principals Vito A. Gagliardi, Jr. and Kerri Wright to Co-Chair the Firm's Education and Employment Team, 1/01/2017
- 8th Annual Porzio Employment Law Forum, 11/15/2016
- Porzio's Litigation Practice Profiled by New Jersey Law Journal, 11/15/2016
- Porzio's Education Team Participated in the New Jersey School Boards Association Workshop 2016, 10/26/2016
- Porzio Business Owners Symposium Series: What Happens When You No Longer "Like" Your Employees, 10/21/2016
- Constituent Members of Regional School Districts Must Pay Critical Attention To Tax Notices Every October, 8/02/2016
- Porzio Congratulates Kerri Wright on her Selection to New Jersey Law Journal's "2016 New Leaders of the Bar" List, 4/26/2016
- Kerri Wright Selected General Legal Counsel to Hopatcong Board of Education, 3/03/2016
- Porzio Promotes Four Attorneys to Principal and One Attorney to Counsel, 7/01/2014
Articles
- New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Announces Additional Funds for Feasibility Study Grants, 2/21/2024
- Porzio's 2023 Employment Law Year in Review, 12/29/2023
- Porzio's 2022 Employment Law Year in Review, 12/28/2022
- Uber New Rule: DOL Proposed Guidelines on Classifying Independent Contractors, October 2022
- Why Am I Being Sued Now? The Increase In Sexual Abuse Lawsuits, 3/22/2022
- The Supreme Court Has Blocked Vaccine and Testing Mandate for Large Businesses but Allows Health Care Worker Vaccine Mandate., 1/14/2022
- Porzio's Employment Law Year in Review, 1/10/2022
- New Jersey Prohibits Employers From Tracking Employees' Vehicles Without Warning, January 2022
- OSHA's Emergency Temporary Standard Goes Into Effect January 10, 2022, 1/03/2022
- Employees Mandated to Provide Proof of Vaccination – Now What?, 10/28/2021
- State of New Jersey Issues Guidance for K-12 Schools, 9/01/2021
- State of New Jersey Mandates Vaccinations/Testing for Certain Workplaces, 8/02/2021
- Compulsory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies in the Employment Context, 6/02/2021
- The First Significant School Regionalization Legislation in Nearly Three Decades, 3/05/2021
- Employers Contemplating Compulsory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies: Choice or Mandate, 10/27/2020
- DOL Releases New Back-to-School FFCRA Guidance, 9/11/2020
- Emergency Planning for Students with Disabilities, 6/22/2020
- Planning for Reopening: Considerations for Schools, 5/21/2020
- Challenges for New Jersey Employers Facing COVID-19 Related Workforce Reductions, 3/31/2020
- The Legal Impact of the Coronavirus On Your NJ and NY Business, 3/24/2020
- Leave Entitlements Arising from COVID-19, 3/20/2020
- The NLRB Sets the Stage for a Sea of Change in Employment Practices for 2020, 2/26/2020
- Overruled: the NLRB Restores Employers' Rights, 1/23/2020
- Equal Pay for Equal Work? Employers Should Prepare for NJ's Equal Pay Act, 3/12/2019
- The Details of the Regionalization, 5/17/2018
- IRS says #TIMES UP: Companies Can No Longer Keep Sexual Harassment Settlements Confidential, 3/22/2018
- New Jersey Municipalities Catch Paid Sick Leave Fever, 4/17/2017
- Liability Available by the Case at Costco, 1/19/2017
- A Sigh of Relief for Employers: Federal Judge Halts Implementation of New Overtime Regulations, 11/23/2016
- To Be Continued: Do Salary Increments Continue During Public Employer-Union Negotiations?, 4/28/2016
Events
- Porzio's Women's Initiative Network's Ethics & Eggs Seminar 2022, 12/01/2022
- Breaking Through the Fog: Navigating the Haze of Cannabis in the Workplace, 1/19/2022
- Porzio's Women's Initiative Network's Ethics & Eggs Seminar 2021, 12/09/2021
- NJ Business And Employment Issues During COVID-19: What Business Leaders Must Know, 4/13/2020
- Porzio Principals to Present at the NJCPA Bergen and Hudson Chapters' Annual Tax Seminar, 11/04/2017
- Principal Kerri Wright to Present at the Network of Trial Law Firms' Litigation Management Conference, 10/27/2017
- Porzio Presented at ASAH's 4th Annual Symposium for Business Office and Human Resources Personnel, 5/19/2017
- Porzio Business Owners Symposium Series: Managing Strategic Partnerships/Joint Ventures, 4/07/2017
- Porzio Attorneys To Present During ASAH Workshop, 12/15/2016
- Porzio Attorneys to Present at NBI's Advanced Employment Law Seminar, 12/07/2016
- Deirdre Wheatley-Liss and Kerri Wright to present at NJCPA Annual Tax Seminar, 11/19/2016
- Porzio Principal Kerri Wright Speaks on the Obstacles & Opportunities of School District Consolidation, 6/15/2016
- Porzio to Present at ASAH's 3rd Annual Symposium for Business Office and Human Resources Personnel, 5/13/2016
- Porzio Business Owners Symposium Series: Changes Affecting Business Utilization of Independent Contractors, 4/15/2016
Speaking Engagements
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"Employment Law Updates from All Three Branches of Government," 45th Annual ASAH Conference , 11/15/2024
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"Workforce Solutions," NJMEP 'Made in New Jersey' Manufacturing Day, 10/04/2024
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"WPBN Legal Update," 16th Annual Porzio Employment Law Forum, 10/01/2024
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"DEI: Invisible Disabilities and Practice Management ," New Jersey State Bar Association, 2024 Elder and Disability Law Symposium, 9/10/2024
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"The Intersection of FMLA, FLA, & Expanded Sick Leave," New Jersey Association for School Business Officials (NJASBO), 6/05/2024
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"Hot Topics and Case Studies – School Safety and Security – Year in Review," New Jersey Association for School Business Officials (NJASBO), 6/05/2024
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"Teamwork Makes the Litigation Dream Work: The Partnership in Litigation ManagementTeamwork Makes the Litigation Dream Work: The Partnership in Litigation Management," The Trial Network Sun, Surf , and Strategies, 5/04/2024
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"2024 HR Legal Update," Morris County Chamber of Commerce, 1/30/2024
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"Keeping Up with the Rapidly Changing Employment Landscape Under Federal & Northeast State Laws," The Pool & Spa Show, 1/23/2024
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"Workforce Solutions - What Are They, Where Are They, & How to Implement," NJMEP 'MADE in New Jersey' Manufacturing Day, 10/06/2023
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"Help! My Employee Is on Leave. What About Pay and Benefits?," Presenter, Porzio Employment Law Forum, Morristown, NJ, 10/04/2023
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"Legal Updates and Recent Compliance Issues," Morris County Chamber of Commerce HR and Talent Forum, 7/11/2023
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"Porzio's 2023 School Safety Symposium", 6/01/2023
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"Keeping Up with the Rapidly Changing Employment Landscape in New Jersey," ASAH's Annual Human Resources Symposium, 5/19/2023
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"The Front Lines of the Culture War," ICLE Annual School Law Conference at the New Jersey Law Center, 2/01/2023
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"Wage Issues in the Modern Economy," Porzio Employment Law Forum, 11/02/2022
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" Legal Mandates in Special Education," NJSBA Workshop 2022, 10/26/2022
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"Key Relationships that Make a Board Member Effective," NJSBA's Workshop 2022, 10/25/2022
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"Keeping Up With the Rapidly Changing Employment Landscape in New Jersey," ASAH's Annual Symposium for Business Office and Human Resources Personnel, May 13, 2022.
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"What Do the Regulations Mean for Workplace Drug Policies?," Your Business & Cannabis: It's Complicated, NJBIA Hybrid Event, 5/04/2022
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"Employment and Legal Update With Porzio," Quarterly Presentation to ASAH School Members, April 8, 2022.
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"Breaking Through the Fog: Navigating the Haze of Cannabis in the Workplace," Morris County Chamber of Commerce, 1/19/2022
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"Do you see what I see? Invisible Disabilities," Porzio's Ethics & Eggs 2021, 12/09/2021
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"Examining the Importance of Leave Laws in the Final Months of FFCRA and Beyond," Porzio Employment Law Forum, 10/20/2020
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"The Old School and the New - Considerations for School Re-Opening," Porzio Webinar, 7/07/2020
- "New Jersey Schools Update: Considerations for Graduation and Other Commencement Ceremonies," Porzio Webinar, June 4, 2020.
- "NJ Business and Employment Issues During COVID-19: What Business Leaders Must Know," NJMEP Webinar, April 13, 2020.
- "NJ Business and Employment Issues during COVID-19: What CEOs and Business Leaders Must Know," Young President's Organization – NJ Chapter Webinar, April 9, 2020.
- "One Year Later: Advanced Topics in Paid Leave," Porzio Employment Law Forum, October 2019.
- Moderator, "Planning and Developing a School Safety Plan: Do's and Don'ts," New Jersey School Safety Symposium, Porzio Compliance Services, Morristown, NJ, March 29, 2019.
- "Roundtable: How to Choose the Right Security Professional for Your District: A Guide to Selection, Addressing Administrative and Legal Issues," New Jersey School Safety Symposium, Porzio Compliance Services, Morristown, NJ, March 29, 2019.
- "Sexual Harassment: Lessons Learned Following #MeToo," Porzio Employment Law Forum, Morristown, NJ, October 3, 2018.
- "Hot Topics: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace," NJCPA, Webinar, July 12, 2018.
- "Sexual Harassment," Morris County Chamber of Commerce Not For Profit Roundtable, Florham Park, NJ, June 21, 2018.
- "Current Trends and Best Practices in Human Resources," ASAH's 5th Annual Symposium for Business Office and Human Resources Personnel, South Iselin, NJ, May 18, 2018.
- "HIPAA Update," ASAH's 5th Annual Symposium for Business Office and Human Resources Personnel, South Iselin, NJ, May 18, 2018.
- "Data Privacy & CyberSecurity: Practical Steps to Protect Your School," New Jersey Association of School Administrators, Monroe Township, NJ, May 23, 2018.
- "Data Privacy & CyberSecurity: Practical Steps to Protect Your School," New Jersey Association of School Administrators' TECHSPO '18, Atlantic City, NJ, January 25, 2018.
Media Mentions
- "Justices' Harm Edict Tops 2024's Biggest Bias Rulings So Far," Law360, 6/14/2024
- "FTC Approves Final Rule to Ban All New Non-Compete Agreements in 3-2 Vote," IPWatchdog, 4/23/2024
- "Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Claims is New Diversity Focus," Bloomberg Law, 6/06/2023
- "Voters Will Decide School Regionalization," The Two Rivers Times, 5/23/2023
Opinions, Decisions and Cases
- Matter of Ridgefield Park Bd. of Educ., 244 N.J. 1, (2020)
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Mardis, et al. v. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, Inc., et al. 2:16-CV-02115-JMV-JAD (D.N.J. 2016)
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C.M., on behalf of Minor Children, J.M., E.M., and E.M. v. Board of Education of the Township of Springfield, Union County, OAL Dkt No. EDU 06664-18, aff'd by Comm'r Agency Dkt No. 89-4/18 (September 2018)
- Township of Berkeley v. Toms River Regional Schools Board of Education, et al., N.J. App. Div., Dkt No. A-2678-12T3, A-2826-12T3, A-1943-13T3 and A-1968-13T3 (August 2017)
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In Re Petition for Authorization to Conduct a Referendum on the Withdrawal of the Borough of Woodcliff Lake from the Pascack Valley Regional School District, N.J. App. Div., Dkt No. A-4084-13T2 (July 2017)
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Board of Education of Merchantville v. Board of Education of Pennsauken, OAL Dkt No. EDU 1927-12, aff'd by Comm'r, Agency Dkt No. 10-1/12 (April 2015)
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A.K. & D.K. o/b/o B.K. v. Springfield Township Bd. of Ed., OAL Dkt No. EDS 05970-14, Agency Dkt No. 2009-14115 (Oct. 2015)
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In the Matter of December 9, 2014 Special School Election, 439 N.J. Super. 416 (App. Div. 2015)
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In the Matter of The Petition for Authorization to Conduct a Referendum on the Withdrawal of North Haledon School District from the Passaic County Manchester Regional High School District, State of New Jersey, 2015 WL 6181332 (App. Div. 2015)
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Edmondson v. Elmer, et al., 424 N.J. Super. 256 (App. Div. 2012)
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Securitas Security Services, U.S.A., Inc., v. New Jersey Department of Treasury, Division of Purchase and Property, et al., N.J. App. Div., Dkt No. A-2608-10T4, A 5965-10T4 and A-0894-11T4
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J.K., on behalf of minor child, P.B., v. Board of Education of the Township of Springfield, Union County, OAL Dkt No. EDU 09972-09, aff'd by Comm'r, Agency Dkt No. 219-8/09
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Maureen Miller v. Board of Education of the Township of Clinton, Hunterdon County, OAL Dkt No. EDU 11444-10, aff'd by Comm'r, Agency Dkt No. 555-9/10
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Betsy Carey v. Bd. of Educ. of Twp. of Springfield, Union County, 2010 OAL Docket No. EDU 11994-09, aff'd by Comm'r, Agency Dkt No. 222-9/09
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Michael C. Matthews, Jr. v. The New Jersey Institute of Technology, et al., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59171, Civil Action No. 09-2840
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Michael C. Matthews, Jr. v. The New Jersey Institute of Technology, et al., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27182, Civil Action No. 09-2840
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KVL Audio Visual Services, Inc. v. Hackworth, 2010 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 107, (App. Div. 2010)(unpublished)
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N.J. Ass'n of School Business Officials v. Davy, 409 N.J. Super. 467 (App. Div. 2009)
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Bd. of Educ. of Borough of Newfield v. Bd. of Educ. of Buena Reg'l Schl. Dist., 2009 N.J. AGEN LEXIS 728, aff'd by Comm'r, Agency Dkt No. 50-2/07
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Jennifer Wallace v. Bd. of Educ. of Twp. of Franklin, 2008 N.J. AGEN LEXIS 804, aff'd by Comm'r, Agency Dkt No. 250-7/06
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Donald Sloan v. Bd. of Educ. of Twp. of Clinton, 2007 N.J. AGEN LEXIS 641, aff'd by Comm'r, Agency Dkt No. 956-07