The firm is pleased to announce that Thomas G. Aljian and Michael J. Bevacqua have been named Directors of the firm and Damian P. Conforti and Lino J. Sciarretta have been named Members of the firm, effective January 1, 2012. All of the attorneys named are focused on Complex and Commercial Litigation in addition to other areas of litigation and dispute resolution. Please see individual attorney biographies for additional details on practice areas.

Sheldon Finkelstein was appointed to serve as Co-Chair of the American Bar Association Litigation Section’s Continuing Legal Education Coordination Committee for the 2011- 2012 bar year.

An article co-authored by Thomas V. Hildner and Lisa J. Trembly entitled Arbitration: Take Charge by Understanding and Designing the Process, was published in the October 2011 edition of New Jersey Lawyer Magazine. For additional information please contact Tom Hildner by phone or e-mail.

Congratulations to Henry J. Catenacci, J. Barry Cocoziello and Robert L. Podvey, for their selection as "Super Lawyers" for 2012. Bob was named in the field of business/corporate law, Barry in the area of business litigation and Hank in the area of insurance litigation. Congratulations also to Michael Bevacqua who was named a "Rising Star" in the field of business litigation for 2012 and to Damian Conforti, who was named a "Rising Star" in the fields of criminal and civil defense. These names will be published in New Jersey Monthly magazine’s “Super Lawyers” edition for 2012.

Sarah C. Hodge has joined the firm as an associate in the litigation department. Ms. Hodge received her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2010 and her B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross in 2003. She served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Joseph C. Cassini, III, J.S.C., Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex Vicinage. Her practice is focused on commercial litigation. Ms. Hodge is a native of Fair Haven, New Jersey.

An article authored by H. Richard Chattman and Lisa J. Trembly entitled Home Improvement Disputes Under the Consumer Fraud Act: Background, Recent Case Law, and Practice Pointers, was published in the February 2011 edition of New Jersey Lawyer Magazine. If you have any questions or issues or disputes that might implicate the Consumer Fraud Act, please feel free to contact Richard or Lisa.


EVENTS

Marianne Tolomeo will present a program on employment practices for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), North Jersey–Rockland Chapter, on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at the Holiday Inn in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, 5:30 to 7:00 pm. “Avoiding Hiring Pitfalls” will cover a range of topics, including: background and credit checks; drug testing; the use of unpaid interns; the new prohibition on employment status discrimination under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination; the risks of providing ambiguous compensation and benefits information to new employees; and the use of Facebook and other social media in hiring decisions. For additional information contact Mike Jackson at mjackson@podvey.com.

Gregory D. Miller was a panelist at the American Conference Institute's 22nd National Advanced Forum on Bad Faith Litigation (Orlando, FL, Wednesday, November 30 – Thursday, December 1, 2011). The topic was: "Discovery: Limiting Its Scope, Responding Efficiently to Expansive Orders, Protecting Privilege, Preparing Company Witnesses for Depositions, and More.” He was also a panelist for a special session: "Bad Faith Hotbeds Workshop – New Jersey: How to Prepare for What is Coming and How to Avoid Bad Faith Claims/Awards for Damages."

Robert Podvey was on a panel for the "Government Efficiency and Best Practices Forum" at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.

Sheldon Finkelstein spoke to an audience of over 300 attorneys from 38 states and Canada on E-Discovery in Construction Litigation at The DRI Construction Law Seminar on September 30 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Sheldon Finkelstein’s article,“A Tale of Two Witnesses: The Constitution's Two-Witness Rule and the Talmud Sanhedrin,” appears in the latest edition of the American Bar Association’s Litigation. The article analyzes a Supreme Court decision interpreting Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, historical precedent for the provision and its relationship to procedural rights of defendants in criminal cases.