Gibbons names leaders in top practice area

Alworth will serve as chair of the practice and Hradil and Valen will serve as vice chairs. The attorneys will oversee the work of others in their respective practice groups and manage group activities and workload. Their responsibilities include fees and billings, matter management, case staffing, associate training and broader professional development, client relations and business development.

“These longtime firm Directors possess the deep institutional knowledge necessary to be effective leaders of their practice group, and they are exceptionally equipped to position the firm for even greater things,” said Patrick Dunican, chairman and managing director of Gibbons in a Dec. 14 announcement. “But more importantly, they are dedicated to the great Gibbons law firm, its clients and employees, its communities, and its future.”

Incoming Managing Director Peter Torcicollo also begins his tenure in February.

Alworth has spent three decades at Gibbons and currently leads the firm’s general equity practice. He has extensive trial experience in all aspects of civil litigation, appearing regularly as trial counsel before state and federal courts and the American Arbitration Association. Alworth has served as lead counsel in business and real estate litigation throughout New Jersey, as well as in trials in New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Arizona, Wisconsin, Nevada, Virginia, and Florida.

Patrick C. Dunican

Hradil leads the firm’s appellate team. She led the Gibbons appellate attorneys responsible for the U.S. Supreme Court decision making way for legal sports betting throughout the country, a decision with major economic ramifications for New Jersey and the entire American sports and gaming industries. She has argued appeals before the New Jersey Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, and Ninth Circuits. Hradil represents clients in a wide range of complex commercial disputes, including business torts, professional malpractice, breach of contract, antitrust, securities, restrictive covenant and unfair competition matters. Ms. Hradil is also Co-Chair of the firm’s E-Discovery Task Force.

Valen has spent his entire 25 years in private practice at Gibbons and has a range of experience, serving corporations and individuals in civil and criminal litigation. He’s handled governmental or private claims, including commercial litigation, white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and shareholder disputes. He’s worked on the legalization of sports betting and the representation of the founder of an asset management firm regarding the wide range of legal issues surrounding the collapse of that company; and he regularly provides business and compliance counseling to domestic and international clients.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]