Roxanne Jayne is quoted in Real Estate New Jersey. Roxanne E. Jayne, a director in the firm’s Real Estate/Transactional Practice Group, was quoted in the July/August issue of Real Estate New Jersey. The article titled "Brownfields Cleanup Stagnates" discusses the New Jersey Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) Bill which was recently signed into law. Ms. Jayne’s environmental law expertise was instrumental in revising the LSRP bill to include protections for redevelopers conducting due diligence for contaminated sites. She has participated in two presentations on the new bill as well as authoring several articles on the subject.

Court Denies Intervenor the right of Planning Board to Enter into Settlement Discussions of Action in Lieu of Progative Writ. On May 9, 2008, Judge Linda Feinberg, A.J.S.C. issued an opinion in Ricciardi Family, L.L.C. v. Zoning Board of Adjustment of Princeton Township, Governor’s Lane Condominium Association, and Brian and Leahbeth McDonald, MER-L-1960-07, denying an intervenors’ motion to enjoin settlement discussions between the plaintiff and the Zoning Board of Adjustment to resolve a prerogative writ action.  Citing Whispering Woods at Bamm Hollow, Inc. v. Middletown Township Planning Board, 220 N.J. Super 161 (Law Div. 1987).
To read this Case Summary in its entirety, please click here. For more information, please contact Frank J. Petrino, Esq. at (609) 989-5029 or fpetrino@sternslaw.com or Todd D. Greene, Esq. at (609) 989-5023 or tgreene@sternslaw.com

Three Sterns & Weinroth attorneys are recognized as 2008 Super Lawyers®. Sterns & Weinroth proudly announces that three directors of the firm have been recognized as New Jersey Super Lawyers® for 2008. The attorneys, who are listed in the April 2008 issue of New Jersey Monthly Magazine,are the firm's managing director, William J. Bigham;Chair of the firm's Real Estate/Transactional Practice Group, Frank J. Petrino; and a director with the firm's Litigation Practice Group, Michael A. Spero. Attorneys are selected via an exhaustive peer review sent to 32,000 active lawyers in New Jersey and a verification and selection process through the independent research of Law & Politics. Only five percent of practicing attorneys in New Jersey are selected for the honor. This is the fourth consecutive year Mr. Bigham and Mr. Petrino have been recognized and the third consecutive year for Mr. Spero

Robert D. Bailey has joined the firm as an Associate. Mr. Bailey focuses his practice on general litigation. Prior to joining the firm, he was engaged in a general litigation practice, representing clients with insurance defense, product liability defense, insurance coverage, personal injury, employment and class actions.  He also served as an Adjunct Professor at Warren County Community College, teaching legal research and writing.  During law school, Mr. Bailey served as an Executive Editor for the Uniform Commercial Code Reporter – Digest, and was a winner of the Best Brief Award in the Wendell F. Grimes Moot Court Competition. Prior to entering law school, Mr. Bailey worked with the Massachusetts Cultural Council, where he administered a statewide granting program that funded and supported long-term arts, sciences and humanities partnerships between school districts, cultural organizations, and local organizations

Todd D. Greene has joined the firm as an Associate. Mr. Greene focuses his practice on real estate and transactional matters. Prior to joining the firm, he was engaged in a general practice, representing developers, businesses and individuals in various commercial and residential real estate matters. He also handles all aspects of eminent domain litigation, including serving as first chair in an eminent domain jury trial and a two-time faculty member for CLE International

Craig David Becker has joined the firm as an Associate. Mr. Becker focuses his practice on general civil litigation. Prior to joining the firm, he was engaged in general litigation practice where he represented small business owners and Boards of Education. In addition, he worked as an Assistant Public Defender in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he served as lead counsel in several high profile cases. Mr. Becker earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

In a case tried by Michael A. Spero in Middlesex County in October, 2007, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff and firm client, Nayna Patel, against OM Overseas, L.L.C., d/b/a Tuff Ones and Om Prakash. Ms. Patel, a licensed real estate and mortgage broker, had loaned the defendant $125,000, to be repaid within two months. Mr. Prakash asked that the check be made out to his company, Tuff Ones, but on the memo line of the loan check, Ms. Patel noted "Loan to OP," the defendant's initials. In response to the lawsuit, the defendant, who was in the ready-made garment business, maintained that the check was not a loan, but rather a down payment for 6,000 dozen tee shirts that Ms. Patel had ordered from him. The jury rejected the defendant's claim and awarded Ms. Patel the full $125,000, together with approximately $48,500 in interest.

Roxanne E. Jayne has joined the firm as a Director in the Real Estate/Transactional Practice Group. Ms. Jayne focuses her practice in real estate, concentrating in environmental and land use law.  She has over 25 years experience as an environmental attorney, advising Fortune 500 and other companies, redevelopers and investors on due diligence, liability protection, insurance, fixed price remediation and financial incentives in connection with purchases, sales, leases, redevelopment and cleanups of contaminated real property and Brownfield sites.  She has served as outside and in-house counsel, representing a broad range of clients in environmental litigation and regulatory matters.  Ms. Jayne is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Sterns & Weinroth Welcomes Summer Associates. David C. Dziengowski and Christine A. Shaw have joined the firm as Summer Associates.  Mr. Dziengowski attends Rutgers University School of Law in Camden, and expects to receive his J.D. in May, 2008.  He is a 2005 cum laude graduate of The College of New Jersey, where he received a B.A. in History with a minor in Philosophy.   Ms. Shaw attends Rutgers University School of Law in Newark, and expects to receive her J.D. in October, 2007.  She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she earned a Bachelors in Civil Engineering in 1997, and Pennsylvania State University, where she earned a Masters in Civil Engineering in 1998. To read more, please click here.

Grace E. Strom joins the firm as an Associate. Grace E. Strom has joined the firm's Administrative/Governmental Practice Group as an Associate. Ms. Strom focuses on legislative and regulatory affairs and general civil litigation. Prior to entering private practice, she worked with the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association as a Government Affairs Associate and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities as the Legislative Liaison between the Governor's Office and Legislature on matters involving electric and gas, clean energy, water, and telecommunications. Ms. Strom earned her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law in Newark. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Four Sterns & Weinroth attorneys are recognized as 2007 Super Lawyers. Sterns & Weinroth proudly announces thatfour directors of the firm have been recognized as New Jersey Super Lawyers for 2007. The attorneys, who appear in the April 2007 issue of New Jersey Monthly Magazine, are the firm's managing director, William J. Bigham;Chair of the firm's Real Estate/Transactional Practice Group, Frank J. Petrino; director, Michael A. Spero; and Chair of the firm's Litigation Practice Group, Robert P. Zoller. Attorneys are selected via an exhaustive peer review sent to 32,000 active lawyers in New Jersey and a verification and selection process through the independent research of Law & Politics. Only five percent of practicing attorneys in New Jersey are selected for the honor. For more information, click here.

Michelle Lebovitz Lamar has joined the firm as Counsel in the Real Estate/Transactional Practice Group. Ms. Lamar focuses her practice in real estate, concentrating in land use law, commercial law and litigation. She has served as Zoning Board Attorney for Hamilton Township, Housing Board Attorney for Washington Township, and has worked for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. Ms. Lamar also has served as an Assistant Professor, Adjunct Faculty, in the Liberal Arts and Business Divisions of Mercer County Community College. Ms. Lamar is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including the District of New Jersey and Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Michael A. Spero has joined the firm as a Director in the Litigation Practice Group. Mr. Spero has practiced general civil litigation for over 30 years and is authorized by the New Jersey Supreme Court to be designated as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney. He has handled cases in every county of New Jersey and also tried cases in all three Federal District Courts in the State. In addition to his litigation and trial practice, Mr. Spero has been a Certified Arbitrator since 1985 and a Certified Mediator since 1994 for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and a designated Mediator for the New Jersey Statewide Mediation Program since August 1995.

Sterns & Weinroth expands its Administrative/Governmental and Litigation Practice Groups. Doreen J. Piligian has joined the firm's Administrative/Governmental Practice Group as Counsel, focusing on Insurance Regulatory Law. Ms. Piligian has more than 10 years experience providing legal advice and representation to various State agencies on behalf of the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, where she served as Assistant Section Chief for the Banking and Insurance Section and later, the Civil Service, Pensions and Community Affairs Section. Ms. Piligian is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York and is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Mitchell Livingston has joined the Home Office of New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Companies, effective August 21, 2006. The firm congratulates Mitch on his new position as Counsel and looks forward to continuing to work with him at NJM.

Four Sterns & Weinroth attorneys named as 2006 Super Lawyers and one in the Top 100 Super Lawyers. Sterns & Weinroth takes great pleasure in announcing that, once again, four directors of the firm have been named "New Jersey Super Lawyers." The attorneys appearing in the April 2006 issue of New Jersey Monthly Magazine and New Jersey Super Lawyers Magazine are: Sterns & Weinroth founding director Joel H. Sterns; managing director William J. Bigham; chair of the firm's Real Estate/Transactional practice, Frank J. Petrino; and chair of the firm's Bankruptcy/Creditors' Rights practice, Simon Kimmelman. Mr. Kimmelman also was named in the Top 100 New Jersey Super Lawyers. Attorneys are selected via an exhaustive peer review sent to 35,000 active lawyers in New Jersey and a verification and selection process through the independent research of Law & Politics. Only five percent of practicing attorneys in New Jersey are selected for the honor. For more information, click here.

Vincent J. Paluzzi has been selected to receive the New Jersey Builders Association Associates Committee Chairmans Award. The award is presented by the NJBA's Associates Committee to deserving Associate Members to recognize their hard work, significant contributions to their respective committee, and their commitment to the building industry over the past year. Mr. Paluzzi is being honored for his work on the Codes Committee.

Sterns & Weinroth expands its Litigation and Gaming Practices. Honorable Lawrence Bilder, widely recognized for his extensive experience with Alternative Dispute Resolution, has joined the firm's Litigation Practice group as Of Counsel. Judge Bilder served on the Superior Court of New Jersey, first in the Law Division and then in the Appellate Division, for over 36 years. He is approved by the Superior Court of New Jersey as an Arbitrator and Mediator. Dennis Daly, former General Counsel for the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, has joined the firm's Gaming Practice Group as Of Counsel. Mr. Daly is admitted to practice in New Jersey and is a member of the Casino Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Simon Kimmelman, Chair of the firm's Bankruptcy/Creditors' Rights Practice group, and Paul O'Gara, Chair of the firm's Gaming Practice group, have been selected once again by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2006. Mr. Kimmelman has been recognized for inclusion in the publication in the area of Bankruptcy Law for every year since 2003. Mr.O'Gara was recognized for inclusion in Best Lawyers in the area of Gaming Law for the second consecutive year. Inclusion is based on an exhaustive peer review survey of over 16,000 attorneys throughout the country.

Nancy Axilrod accepted the position of Vice President and General Counsel for the Sands Casino Hotel in Atlantic City The firm congratulates Nancy, and looks forward to working with her in her new position.

Jennifer L. Cordes joined the firm on February 22, as an associate in the Real Estate/Transactional Practice Group. Prior to joining Sterns & Weinroth, she was a Deputy Attorney General with the State of New Jersey, Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Law, Cost Recovery/Natural Resource Damages section. Ms. Cordes earned her law degree in 1997 from the Rutgers University School of Law at Camden, where she was recognized by Who's Who Among American Law Students. Following law school, she was a law clerk to the Honorable Joseph P. Testa, J.S.C., Chancery Division, Family Part, in Cumberland County. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Elmira College.

Simon Kimmelman, Chair of Sterns & Weinroth's Bankruptcy/Creditors' Rights Practice group, and Paul O'Gara, Chair of the firm's Gaming Practice group, were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2005-2006 (copyright 2004 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.). Mr. Kimmelman was recognized in the area of Bankruptcy Law, and Mr. O'Gara was recognized in the area of Gaming Law. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which 16,000 leading attorneys throughout the country cast more than a half million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their specialties.

Sandra M. Iammatteo accepted a position with the residential construction company, Kara Homes, Inc., in the capacity of Associate General Counsel, effective January 10, 2005. Kara Homes is based in East Brunswick and was ranked #38 in INC Magazine's 2004 "INC 500 of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies." Sandy will be greatly missed and we wish her much success and happiness in her new endeavor.

Sterns & Weinroth marked its 35th anniversary with a gala reception on September 30, 2004. More than 200 people, including clients, colleagues and friends of the firm, gathered at our Trenton offices to join in and celebrate the occasion. To view photos from the celebratory event, click here.

Edgar Alden Dunham, IV tried a significant construction law case to successful conclusion in state court. Mr. Dunham represented a smaller subcontractor against a major New Jersey general contractor. At issue were extra work charges performed at the general contractor's verbal request, which he then refused to pay. When the general contractor refused to settle the case, it went to trial. After only two hours of deliberation the jury threw out all of the general contractor's back charges and awarded our client all 71 of its claims.

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