Introducing the 2024 NJBIZ Leaders in Law honorees

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NJBIZ is proud to unveil the 2024 Leaders in Law honorees – legal professionals and firms whose dedication to the industry and to their communities is outstanding. 

Following an open nomination period, honorees were chosen by a panel of independent judges with experience in the justice system. New to the awards program this year are two additional categories: Rising Star and Pro Bono Firm. 

The Rising Star honorees are individuals with seven years or less of legal experience who show extreme potential to be an industry leader in the next few years. The Pro Bono honorees are the law firms that are doing good things through their free offerings. 

A celebration recognizing these individuals and firms will take place from 8-10:30 a.m. May 14 at The Palace at Somerset Park, 333 Davidson Ave. in Somerset. Tickets for the celebration are on sale now on the event page. 

Congratulations to the 2024 NJBIZ Leaders in Law honorees!

Listed alphabetically:

Bethany Abele, partner
Riker Danzig LLP 

Edward Ahart, partner and co-chair, Corporate and Business Practice Group and Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group
Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP 

Alba Aviles, partner
Fisher Phillips LLP

Elizabeth Bair, general counsel, Labor Relations; senior vice president, Human Resources Operations
Hackensack Meridian Health 

Bethany Barrese, partner
Saxe Doernberger & Vita PC 

Levi Barrett, co-managing partner, New Jersey
Peckar & Abramson PC 

Grace Bertone, managing partner
Bertone Piccini LLP 

Anthony Bianco, partner
Bertone Piccini LLP

E. Drew Britcher, senior partner
Britcher, Leone & Sergio LLC

Edward Capozzi, chair, Personal Injury
Brach Eichler LLC 

Sharon Carmeli, chief compliance officer and general counsel
Bluevine 

Hozaifa Cassubhai, partner
Bailey Duquette PC 

Edvie Castro, general counsel and chief operating officer
DOWC 

Melinda Colon Cox, general counsel and chief compliance officer
Community Loan Fund of New Jersey Inc. dba New Jersey Community Capital 

Lisa Colone, chair, Securities Enforcement Group
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC (CSG Law) 

Jason Daly, senior vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary
Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc. 

Maria DeLoughry, senior vice president, deputy general counsel and chief operating officer (legal)
Hackensack Meridian Health 

Daniel Epstein, partner
Epstein Ostrove LLC 

Steven Feder, general counsel
CompoSecure 

Kevin Fox, senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary
Sharp Electronics Corp. 

Sylvia-Rebecca Gutiérrez, assistant general counsel
The Stevens Institute of Technology 

Gary Herschman, health care transactions attorney
Epstein Becker & Green PC 

Robert Johnson, director, Corporate Group, and chief diversity officer
Gibbons PC 

Brett Kahn, partner
Barnes & Thornburg LLP 

Christopher Karounos, trial attorney
Law Office of Brandon J. Broderick 

Kevin Kocun, partner
Lerner David LLP

Jay Kooper, vice president, general counsel and secretary
Middlesex Water Co. 

Kersten Kortbawi, partner
Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP 

Jonathan Kukin, principal
Winne Banta Basralian & Kahn PC 

Cristal Lambert, assistant general counsel
ETS 

Ursula Leo, partner
Laddey Clark & Ryan LLP 

James Lewis, chief diversity equity and inclusion officer and of counsel
Cole Schotz PC 

Adam Malamut, managing member
Malamut Law 

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

David Mebane, executive vice president and general counsel
RWJBarnabas Health 

Vincenzo Mogavero, shareholder and chief strategy officer
Becker & Poliakoff 

Jill O’Keeffe, vice president general counsel
AtlantiCare Health System 

Franklin Paez, partner
O’Toole Scrivo LLC 

Jacqueline Peña, senior counsel
Bowman and Brooke LLP 

Melissa Reardon Henry, general counsel to the university and board of trustees
William Paterson University of New Jersey 

Edward Rebenack, partner and co-founder
RAM Law (Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo LLP) 

Keith Roberts, chair, Litigation
Brach Eichler LLC 

Bruce Rosenberg, principal
Winne Banta Basralian & Kahn PC 

Mario Russo, partner
McCarter & English LLP 

David Scott, partner
Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP 

Andrew Sherman, chair, Creditor Rights/Bankruptcy
Sills Cummis 

Tony Solimine, shareholder and co-chair, Public Finance Team
Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer PA 

Kristin Sostowski, director, Employment & Labor Law Group
Gibbons PC 

Peter Tanella, partner and co-chair, Corporate Law Practice Group
Mandelbaum Barrett PC 

Lester Taylor III, partner
Taylor Law Group LLC 

Thomas Trautner, chair, Redevelopment, Land Use & Zoning Group
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC (CSG Law) 

Anthony Vindigni, attorney
Brandon J. Broderick LLC 

Lori Waldron, co-chair, Life Sciences Practice Group
Sills Cummis & Gross PC 

Terry Webb, attorney
Law Offices of Terry Webb 

McKenzie Wilson, chief legal officer and corporate secretary
University Hospital 

Rising Stars

Ross Fox, partner, Business and Commercial Litigation
A.Y. Strauss LLC 

Rachel Holt, associate attorney
RAM Law 

Melissa Libutti, tax associate
Lowenstein Sandler LLP 

Maggie McHugh, partner
Malamut Law 

Paola Toro, associate
Bressler, Amery & Ross PC 

Pro Bono Firms

Nukk-Freeman & Cerra PC 

Riker Danzig LLP 

Scura Wigfield Heyer Stevens & Cammarota LLP