Vito Gagliardi Jr.

As co-chair of the Education Law Practice Group at Porzio, Vito is nationally known for his astute counsel to educators, boards of education, public schools (K-6, K-8, K-12) and educational institutions including colleges and universities, Approved Private Schools for Students with Disabilities (APSSDs), charter schools, and both private/independent and public entities. The Education Law Practice Group works with a large number of public sector schools, several universities and also serves as general counsel for the ASAH organization which serves its member APSSDs.

In addition to leading Porzio’s annual Employment Law Forum, where the firm’s lawyers and professionals from PorzioCS and PGA provide legislative updates, Vito frequently speaks at education conferences for the private special education schools and agencies within ASAH. He is regularly asked to speak to industry organizations on legal updates and Department of Education policies of importance to educators and administrators.

Vito is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Trial Certification as a Civil Trial Attorney and is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Public School Regionalization & Redistricting

As the lead counsel on several precedent-setting matters in the areas of regionalization and redistricting, including the creation and dissolution of regional school districts and the creation and termination of sending-receiving relationships, Vito is highly regarded throughout the education industry in New Jersey for his diligent investigations and studies regarding the reconfiguration or dissolution of school districts. 

Vito was counsel for the only three regional school district dissolutions in New Jersey history (Union County Regional, Lower Camden County Regional, South Hunterdon Regional), resolving hundreds of employment issues successfully, and defeating all litigations challenging any aspect of the dissolution. Additionally, Vito pioneered a dual sending-receiving agreement between two small school districts in order to keep them both cost-effective and viable, one as a K-4 district for the two towns and the other as a grade 5-8 district for the two towns.

APSSD Advocacy and Counsel

Porzio’s education lawyers serve as outside general counsel to ASAH, the trade organization for Approved Private Schools for Students with Disabilities (APSSD) throughout New Jersey. Vito and the PGA team provide strategic guidance on shaping and advocating for laws and regulations that support ASAH’s mission. Moreover, Vito advises ASAH member schools on sensitive interactions with the Department of Education, championing the ASAH’s objective of providing education to students in need who may have developmental disabilities, behavioral issues, and other situations that cannot be adequately addressed in the public school system. The APSSDs rely on Vito for counsel on DOE rules, notification of non-allowances, and representation on audits.

Physical & Informational Security

As president and CEO of PorzioCS, Vito assists schools in creating and maintaining the most secure learning environment for students and staff. Providing counsel in all matters of security and safety, Vito and the PorzioCS team support schools with incident response plans, physical threat assessments, information compliance and security, and employee training. PorzioCS’s on-site risk assessments identify possible threats and vulnerabilities, to which Vito recommends custom solutions to mitigate risk. In addition, Vito and the PorzioCS team are brought in to discretely investigate and report on school misconduct, employee background due diligence, cyber-crime, and regulatory reporting compliance.

Outside General Counsel & Litigation 

Vito serves as day-to-day general counsel for public and private schools and universities, providing advice on issues and disputes involving employment, commercial contracts, construction and bids, OPRA and OPMA, and insurance, as well as compliance with all applicable laws and industry standards. Additionally, he counsels and does trainings for education clients on student and staff discipline, allegations of bullying and tenure matters.

Please be advised that Porzio, Bromberg & Newman represent the South Brunswick School District and is an exceptional legal firm that has been instrumental in assisting our school district
with personnel matters, negotiations, and all contract work for the past 6 years.

Our experience with them has been nothing short of outstanding, and we are confident that they can provide the same level of expertise and service to your district. Porzio, Bromberg & Newman has consistently demonstrated their reliability and dedication to our school district. They are a firm that delivers on their promises and have shown a deep commitment to meeting our needs promptly and effectively. Whether it is a pressing matter that requires immediate attention or a long-term project, the team at Porzio, Bromberg & Newman has always been available to provide insightful guidance and support. Their insight and expertise in personnel matters have been invaluable to us.

Their legal team possess a deep understanding of the complexities of personnel issues in the education sector. They have successfully navigated us through challenging situations with their strategic advice and deep knowledge of employment law. Further, Porzio, Bromberg & Newman represented my former district, Millstone Township, in the successful defense of a significant send/receive matter.

I wholeheartedly recommend Porzio, Bromberg & Newman to assist your school district. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or require further information about our experiences with Porzio, Bromberg & Newman. I am more than happy to discuss in more detail.

I write about Porzio, Bromberg & Newman and your consideration of their provision of legal services.

At the outset, in my 50+ years in public education, I have never met a more professional and competent team of attorneys. I became a client for educational legal services during my first year in the Springfield Public Schools in 2004. I began our collaboration with Mr. Vito Gagliardi, a principal of the firm. From the beginning, I was aware of the skill and professionalism of the PB&N Law Firm.

During my 16+ years working with PB&N, I was always confident about legal, regulatory, or contractual situations. Mr. Gagliardi and his team offered clear and direct guidance, differentiated solutions, and support as necessary. Additionally, Mr. Gagliardi’s addition of complementary non-legal services to PB&N’s portfolio was helpful in fulfilling state requirements in a variety of other areas. Our success in dealing with contractual, legal, and regulatory issues was unprecedented. Should you wish more clarification, I am willing to discuss specifics to the extent I can, and I am reachable at mad415@aol.com or my cell phone at 973-224-0708.

In closing, despite the professionalism and expertise, this law firm is one of the most cordial and hospitable. Phone calls are returned, messages are delivered, and urgency is appreciated and responded to accordingly. I offer my unconditional recommendation of PB&N Law firm for your consideration.

I have partnered with many professionals during my career as School Business Administrator/Board Secretary in Springfield, Union County, and in particular the law firm of Porzio Bromberg and Newman (PBN). I am pleased to write this referral on their behalf.

During my tenure, PBN’s successes in the courtroom had directly impacted the district’s ability to offer cutting edge learning centers for our students. For example, the district
had the good fortune to prevail in suits pertaining to parental challenges of special education placement, which in turn frees-up local funds for our learning environments.

In addition to successes in special education, PBN was instrumental for construction issues including bid challenges, change order request, and contract language disputes.

Considering the amount of funds allocated for such projects, PBN had limited the Board’s exposure for such challenges. In one particular case, PBN negotiated with a contractor a fair settlement, which in reality was favorable for the Board and saved thousands of dollars.
PBN, was also instrumental in the district’s success at the bargaining table with the local education association union. As lead counsel for the Board, a settlement with the
education association union yielded below county compensation averages, contributions to healthcare premiums (which was a novelty at the time), additional teacher scheduled work time and givebacks on FMLA. 

It’s my opinion; PBN is the epitome of “Professionalism”. They work hard, with ethical and moral compass in place, to partner with its client allowing the district to keep the focus on student learning and engagement. 

It is also my opinion that the district benefited for many years having a partner of this magnitude by its side providing good quality guidance in the public-school legal arena.

In my tenure, I can’t think of another firm that could produce such gains for its client.