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Irene Hsieh
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Irene is an experienced commercial litigator who represents private and public sector clients in a variety of disputes. She provides effective advocacy and legal support to small and mid-sized business owners, hospitals and healthcare providers, institutions of higher education, New Jersey state public entities and related individuals, and other clients in state and federal court actions. 

Irene defends employers against employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation and whistleblower claims. This work includes claims of discrimination in employment practices on the basis of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics. She provides representation in disputes related to restrictive covenants, separation agreements, and other employment-related agreements. Her experience encompasses claims brought under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD), the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and other state and federal laws. 

Irene has played a significant role in defending against Title IX claims on behalf of colleges and universities, including alleged sex-based discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation lawsuits involving both students and faculty members.

For clients operating in the healthcare sector, Irene has litigated the enforceability of restrictive covenants contained in physician employment, shareholder, and LLC operating agreements, as well as asset purchase agreements. Her healthcare litigation experience also includes actions related to the suspension and termination of medical staff privileges in state court. She has experience defending against claims such as tortious interference with contract, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and fraudulent inducement, in the healthcare context.

In addition, Irene’s litigation experience includes construction-related disputes, challenges to municipal redevelopment designations, contractual litigation, trust and estate litigation, and providing support as local counsel for several dozen related environmental tort matters. 

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Bar Admissions

  • New Jersey, 2012
  • New York, 2013
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 2015

Education

  • Columbia Law School, J.D., 2012
  • Rutgers College, Rutgers University, B.A., summa cum laude, 2008

Recognition

  • Listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) in the Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Labor and Employment practice areas (2021 - present)
  • Listed in Super Lawyers – New Jersey Rising Stars (a Thomson Reuters business) in the Business Litigation, Employment Litigation: Defense, Estate & Trust Litigation and General Litigation practice areas (2018 - 2019; 2022 - present)
  • Selected for inclusion by the New Jersey Law Journal on its 2021 "New Leaders of the Bar" list, the publication's annual listing of outstanding attorneys under the age of 40 and practicing in New Jersey
  • Recipient of the Committee Chair Award as Mixed Use Developers Affiliate from the New Jersey Builders Association (2017)

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Please visit our Award Methodology page for a description of the standard or methodology on which these accolades are based. Attorney Advertising: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Representative Matters

  • Successfully defended a public entity and public officials in a high-profile NJLAD challenge to enacted legislation, securing dismissal of all race and gender discrimination claims and eliminating exposure exceeding $5 million. The court affirmed the legislature’s plenary authority and rejected plaintiffs’ core legal theory; the decision was not appealed.
  • Represented a public entity as defense trial counsel in a New Jersey Superior Court NJLAD and CEPA action tried to verdict during a four-week trial, obtaining favorable rulings that narrowed compensatory damages, eliminated punitive damages exposure, and excluded prejudicial evidence prior to verdict, significantly reducing overall risk.
  • Obtained a favorable resolution at summary judgment for a large public entity in a high-stakes NJLAD and CEPA action after managing extensive discovery, preparing multiple fact and corporate witnesses, and advancing a dispositive motion strategy that positioned the matter for dismissal.
  • Greenbaum is acting as New Jersey counsel to a multinational chemical manufacturer in more than two dozen federal and New Jersey state court actions alleging air and groundwater contamination caused by the discharge of PFAS substances. The cases include claims of alleged biomonitoring, personal injury, natural resource damage and contamination of a local water supply.
  • Defending a large public entity against NJLAD and CEPA claims, as well as New Jersey Civil Rights Act claims, successfully narrowing the case at the outset through targeted motion practice while managing discovery, document production, and e-discovery vendor coordination.
  • Assisted lead counsel in representing a major property company and its affiliates in a series of Consumer Fraud Act and construction-defect lawsuits arising from the development and sale of luxury condominium units along Jersey City’s Hudson River “Gold Coast.” The matters involve claims under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act, and related tort and contract theories, including alleged construction defects, loss of New York City views, and unit size disputes. Several cases have been tried to verdict and others resolved through settlement; current litigation involves claims by 19 plaintiffs alleging unit size discrepancies.
  • Assisted in the defense of a large public entity in federal employment litigation asserting constitutional and statutory claims, including alleged violations of the NJLAD, the Equal Protection Clause, and the New Jersey Civil Rights Act. The matter involved multi-forum motion practice, federal discovery and pretrial proceedings, a remand to state court, and dispositive briefing, and ultimately resolved without trial.
  • Helped shape statewide redevelopment and affordable-housing policy through legislative advocacy, testifying before the New Jersey Senate and Urban Affairs Committee on proposed legislation addressing water and sewer connection fees. Irene worked closely with industry stakeholders over multiple years to draft legislation designed to reduce barriers to redevelopment and affordable housing by crediting prior system usage and payments.
  • Represented a major healthcare system in litigation brought by a former physician alleging wrongful termination of privileges and antitrust and Lanham Act violations, resolving the matter through a favorable settlement.
  • Represented a New Jersey healthcare system in defense of antitrust and tort claims brought by a pediatric surgeon following revocation of privileges, securing a negotiated resolution.
  • Represented a New Jersey healthcare system in defense of fraud, breach of contract, age discrimination, and CEPA retaliation claims brought by three physicians and their surgical group seeking more than $9 million.

 

Memberships

  • Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey: Board of Directors (2024-2025; 2023-2024; 2020-2021); Secretary (2021-2023)
  • Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey 
  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)

Committees

  • New Jersey Supreme Court District Ethics Committee for District VIII (Middlesex County), which is charged with investigating and prosecuting alleged violations of attorney ethics rules by members of the New Jersey Bar
  • New Jersey Supreme Court Special Civil Part Practice Committee; designee of the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey (former member)

Personal

  • New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, Legal Intern (2010)
  • While attending law school, was designated a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar in recognition of superior academic achievement
  • The Columbia Journal of European Law (2010-2011)

Announcements

Of Interest