The successful practice of Administrative/Governmental law requires knowledge of the legislature as well as each administrative agency. Each agency is different, and each governmental problem is unique. Armed with knowledge of the agencies and their governing laws and personnel, our attorneys know when to negotiate, when to settle and, as a last resort, when to litigate.

Sterns & Weinroth has over 35 years of experience representing clients before the executive and legislative branches of New Jersey government. The firm's attorneys who concentrate in Administrative/Governmental law have broad familiarity with state and local government decision-making processes, as well as the relationship-building skills necessary for mobilizing the many political forces in Trenton. The group has significant experience in employment law, equine law, insurance regulatory law, lobbying and governmental affairs, and public contracts law, as well as securities law and professional and corporate licensing. The agencies before which the firm has practiced extensively include the Departments of Environmental Protection, Banking and Insurance, Health and Senior Services, Transportation, Labor and Community Affairs, the Casino Control Commission, the New Jersey Racing Commission, the Divisions of Taxation, Purchase and Property, Alcoholic Beverage Control, and Consumer Affairs, and the Bureau of Securities.

Sterns & Weinroth's attorneys also have an impressive record of service to government. They have served as Counsel to the Governor, Cabinet Member, and Deputy Attorneys General, and in other senior government posts. The late Richard J. Hughes, the only person in New Jersey history to serve as Governor and Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court, was for many years counsel and advisor to the firm. Several of the firm's attorneys are Registered Legislative Agents and appear regularly before the Office of the Governor and the New Jersey Legislature and its committees on a broad range of issues.

Two trends underscore the importance of the firm's practice, which combines a unique understanding of the law with an appreciation of the legislative process. The first trend is the reliance of the Legislature and executive agencies on administrative regulations. For instance, under New Jersey's Constitution, the Legislature possesses a veto mechanism over certain rulemaking activities, enabling the Legislature to nullify rules adopted by state agencies. With its many years experience in the area, Sterns & Weinroth's Administrative/Governmental Practice Group is well-positioned to take advantage of this and similar mechanisms to avoid litigation.

The second trend is the growing significance of administrative law. As states enact more substantive and increasingly complex regulations, the ability of lawyers to deal with administrative agencies becomes increasingly important. A client's goal may be to persuade an agency to adopt an administrative regulation, to not adopt a regulation, to obtain a favorable interpretation of a regulation or to bring a legal challenge. Sterns & Weinroth’s ability to understand the agency process provides its clients with a substantial edge.

The practice of administrative law demands the ability to identify the individual who is responsible for making decisions and exercising governmental discretion. It further requires a skill for making a case before that individual as persuasively as possible in order to arrive at a common ground between public and private interests. With this approach, Sterns & Weinroth's attorneys assist clients in finding practical solutions to difficult problems.

The attorneys practicing in this area in our Administrative/Governmental group include: Richard J. Van Wagner, Chair, Karen A. Confoy,  Bernadette Fallows Davidson,  Erica S. Helms,  Doreen J. Piligian,  Grace Strom Power,  Joel H. Sterns  and Richard K. Weinroth.

To review Sterns & Weinroth's Administrative/Governmental Updates, click here.