NJBIZ announces 2021 Leaders in Law honorees

NJBIZ is proud to reveal the 2021 Leaders in Law honorees. A virtual event showcasing these professionals will be presented on May 13 at 8:30 a.m.

Following an open nomination period, honorees were chosen by a panel of independent judges with experience in the justice system. The selections were based on legal professionals – lawyers and general counsels – whose dedication to their occupation and to their communities is outstanding.

You can find more information about this year’s celebration here, on our Events Page.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees, listed alphabetically below:

Joseph Boccassini, firmwide managing partner
McCarter & English LLP

Gary R. Botwinick, co-managing partner
Einhorn Barbarito Frost & Botwinick PC

Michael Clarke, vice president, global chief compliance officer
ConvaTec

Orville Cockings, partner
Lerner David

Max Crane, managing partner
Sills Cummis & Gross PC

John D. Cromie, chair, Corporate and Business Law Group
Connell Foley LLP

Danielle DeFilippis, co-chair, Intellectual Property Practice Group
Norris McLaughlin PA

Paul DiMaio, senior vice present and general counsel
Delta Dental of New Jersey

Robert DiPisa, member
Cole Schotz PC

Michael G. Donahue, managing shareholder
Stark & Stark

Sandra Fava, partner, Family Law Practice Group
Fox Rothschild LLP

Robert Gabrielski, chair, International Business and Tax Planning Practice Group
Norris McLaughlin PA

Lisa Gorab, president and managing director
Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer PA

Stephen Hehl, partner
Javerbaum Wurgaft Hicks Kahn Wikstrom & Sinins PC

William Holzapfel, city attorney and director of the Law Department
City of Elizabeth

Jill Kelley, vice president of legal affairs
New York Jets

Yasmeen S. Khaleel, executive committee member; chair, Business & Tax and Trusts & Estates Groups; shareholder, Health Care group
Capehart Scatchard

Galit Kierkut, shareholder
Greenberg Traurig

Robert Klausner, partner and co-chair, Real Estate Department
Fox Rothschild LLP

Justin Klein, attorney
Marks & Klein LLP

Sandra Lascari, principal/ owner
Law Offices of Sandra L. Lascari LLC

Jeralyn Lawrence, founder and managing partner
Lawrence Law – Divorce and Family Lawyers

Julia López, partner
Reed Smith

Barry Mandelbaum, chairman
Mandelbaum Salsburg PC

Diana C. Manning, firm managing principal
Bressler, Amery & Ross PC

Philip F. McGovern Jr., managing partner
Connell Foley LLP

Michael McKenna, partner
Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC

Greg Meese, principal
Price Meese Shulman & D’Arminio PC

Denise Merna Dadika, member of the firm
Epstein Becker Green

Anne Mohan, counsel
Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP

Chris Murphy, partner
Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP

Nandini Nair, partner
Greenspoon Marder LLP

Peter Nussbaum, co-chair, Intellectual Property Group
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC

Sheilah O’Halloran, senior vice president, Legal Affairs
Atlantic Health System

Gerard Onorata, partner
Peckar & Abramson PC

Karen Painter Randall, chair, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy and Incident Response Group
Connell Foley LLP

Lillian Plata, co-founder and member
Nee Plata Law LLC

Eric S. Poe, chief operating officer (CURE) / principal and chief complex claims litigation officer (NJ PURE)
CURE Auto Insurance / NJ PURE

Thomas Prol, member
Sills Cummis & Gross PC

Loryn Riggiola, partner
Zetlin & DeChiara LLP

Thomas N. Ryan, managing partner
Laddey Clark & Ryan LLP

Angela M. Scafuri, partner
Cadicina Law

Michelle Schaap, team leader, Privacy & Data Security Group
Chiesa Shahinian Giantomasi PC

David Sorin, partner; chair, Venture Capital & Emerging Growth Companies Practice
McCarter & English LLP

David Stern, partner
Williams, Graffeo & Stern LLC

Anthony Sylvester, partner
Sherman Atlas Sylvester & Stamelman LLP

Dennis Toft, chair, Environmental Law Group
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC

Camelia M. Valdes, Passaic County prosecutor
Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office

Maria Vallejo, partner
Chasan Lamparello Mallon & Cappuzzo PC

Peter Verniero, member of the firm; chair, Corporate Internal Investigations and Appellate Practice Groups
Sills Cummis & Gross PC

Michael Zogby, partner; deputy leader of Product Liability & Mass Tort Group; co-chair of Health & Life Sciences Litigation Team
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP