The former New Jersey attorney general currently serves as a partner and chair of the Litigation Department at Lowenstein Sandler LLP. No stranger to controversial topics, Porrino was also chief counsel to Gov. Chris Christie, including during “Bridgegate.”

But Porrino can move comfortably among leaders of both parties, to the point that he is involved in nearly every major legal dispute in the state and ends up on the short list for most important jobs. Most recently, he was named by Gov. Phil Murphy as chair of the Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission, tasked with examining racial and ethnic disparities in the local criminal justice system. Murphy said Porrino “is exactly the right person to build consensus for reforms that will make our sentencing laws fairer and more equitable.”

Porrino has a habit of attracting high-profile clients thanks to his real-world prowess, problem-solving skills and experience across the public and private sectors. Case in point: Orsted. Though the company said Porrino was on the team well before it decided to back out of its Atlantic coastline offshore wind projects, having his name associated with the defense created quite the buzz.

The list of prominent clients and cases goes on. When MSO Curaleaf faced the loss of its approvals to grow and sell cannabis in N.J., Porrino was on the case. He also represents Kyocera in its suit against the state Treasury Department over economic sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The company contends the state’s rules exceed federal sanctions, barring government entities from contracting with a company whose parent has operations in Russia. And he is defending former Seton Hall University board of regents Chairman Kevin Marino against a harassment suit filed by the school’s ex-president, Joseph Nyre.

Few lawyers – in fact, few public figures – can say they are at the center of New Jersey’s political and economic universe. Porrino can and is.