Who We Are
Zak Hammond primarily focuses his practice on employment matters. He litigates discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and whistleblower matters as well as violations of the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PMFLA), the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Massachusetts Wage Act. He also negotiates employment separations and advises on severance, non-competition, and non-solicitation agreements.
Zak practices in Massachusetts state courts, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit as well as before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission.
From 2021 to the present, SuperLawyers has named Zak as a “Rising Star” in the field of Employment Law.
Education/Background
Zak earned his law degree at the University of Miami School of Law where he graduated cum laude in 2013. In law school, he was a research assistant for Professor Kunal Parker, aiding in the publication of Making Foreigners: Immigration and Citizenship Law in America. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in French History from Bard College in 2010.
Zak grew up in the Pioneer Valley, and he now lives outside of Boston with his wife, daughter, and dog.
Professional Affiliations and Community Involvement
Zak is an active member of the Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Association (MELA), the Massachusetts Bar Foundation (MBF), and the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA). He is co-Chair of MELA’s Development Committee and sits on its Executive Board. He is currently a foundation fellow for the MBF and serves on its grant review committee. In 2022 and in 2023, he was a fellow in the MBA’s Leadership Academy. From 2017 to 2022, he was a director in the MBA’s Young Lawyers Division, and in 2020, he was the YLD’s delegate to the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division annual meeting.
Professional Affiliations and Community Involvement
Zak is an active member of the Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Association (MELA), the Massachusetts Bar Foundation (MBF), and the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA). He is co-Chair of MELA’s Development Committee and sits on its Executive Board. He is currently a foundation fellow for the MBF and serves on its grant review committee. In 2022 and in 2023, he was a fellow in the MBA’s Leadership Academy. From 2017 to 2022, he was a director in the MBA’s Young Lawyers Division, and in 2020, he was the YLD’s delegate to the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division annual meeting.
Experience
Prior to joining Bennett & Belfort, P.C., Zak practiced employment law and civil litigation at two other Boston-area law firms. He also practiced complex commercial and personal injury litigation in South Florida before returning to Massachusetts. His legal counsel and litigation experience includes:
*Negotiated a favorable separation of employment with continuation of salary and benefits for university athletic coach.
*Obtained sizeable settlement for a staffer subjected to disability discrimination and retaliation by her municipal employer.
*Successfully arbitrated claim for unpaid commissions for sales representative against large construction company.
*Defeated university’s summary judgment motion in superior court action on behalf of a professor subjected to race and national origin discrimination.
*Successfully opposed summary judgment in whistleblower retaliation case against state agency.
*Served as trial counsel in Wage Act retaliation case in superior court.
*Won injunctive relief for landlord to enforce noise restrictions against a commercial tenant.
*Defeated summary judgment in breach of contract suit for hedge fund against its Fortune 500 insurers.
Speaking Engagements
*Transition Into Practice: Oral Advocacy Tips, Massachusetts Bar Association, 2023 (panelist).
*Small and Midsize Law Firm Practices, Massachusetts Law School Consortium Legal Landscape Series, 2022 (panelist).
*The Realities of Working in a Small/Medium-Sized Law Firm, New England School of Law Legal Landscape Series, 2021 (panelist).
*Survive & Thrive During the First Few Years of Practice, Massachusetts Bar Association, 2020 (moderator).
*What Can You Do with a Law Degree, Bard College Alumni Association, 2020 (moderator).
*Cybersecurity for Lawyers, Massachusetts Bar Association Continuing Legal Education, 2018 (moderator).
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