Christopher Porrino

Is there a better lawyer in New Jersey than Porrino? Arguably, no.

The former state attorney general is now plying his craft at Lowenstein Sandler, and doing a remarkable job. Over the past couple of years, he has lured a former chief counsel to the governor, a state Supreme Court justice and New Jersey’s retired chief federal judge to the firm. While Matt Platkin, Gov. Phil Murphy’s former chief counsel, has since left Lowenstein to fill Porrino’s old job atop the Department of Law and Public Safety, former Justice Barry Albin remains at the firm. And former Chief Judge Freda Wolfson just joined the Roseland office after retiring from the federal bench.

But hiring is only part of Porrino’s role at Lowenstein. He is also still regarded as a top flight litigator — one with connections on both sides of the political aisle, making him the man to see in New Jersey. In a real sense, he is New Jersey’s Edward Bennett Williams, the ultimate insider with a brilliant legal mind. If you have a legal problem in New Jersey, Porrino is the person you want on your side.

Porrino has also continued to advocate for bipartisan criminal justice reform around the country and is leading the Newark Police Foundation, making good on his promise to provide opportunities for friendly interactions between police and Newark’s young people. The effort is proceeding apace, recently concluding its first contest among precincts to design a program that will enhance community policing. Porrino reports that the department and the community have both responded enthusiastically.