g{x MIDDLESEX COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION

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1 Middlesex County Court House, circa 1840, New Brunswick, N.J. g{x MIDDLESEX COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION DCCà{ TÇÇ äxüátüç June June 2014 THE HELDRICH NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY JUNE 13, 2014

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3 Message from the Outgoing President Tara Auciello, Esq. (on the Occasion of the Middlesex County Bar Association's 200th Anniversary on June 13, 2114) This evening I am so very humbled to be standing before you as the one hundred ninety-ninth President in celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the Middlesex County Bar Association. To those of you who are here in person, kindly disable your time-travel brain functions in order that we can properly "live in the moment" and consider how far this Association has come since our foreparents celebrated the MCBA's centennial in June (For those of you who are attending in hologram and/or clone form, welcome!) In the last hundred years, the MCBA has continued to be the best bar association in New Jersey, inspired by the legacy left by our first hundred boards of trustees. For example, the work of one of those boards allowed the MCBA to move from a small room in the Courthouse to a stand-alone building owned by the Middlesex County Bar Foundation. It was in that building that the MCBA held thousands of CLE seminars, both before and after CLE became mandatory, propelling our Association to the forefront of legal education in the state. During the first hundred years of the MCBA's existence, membership grew from just a few pioneers to 1420 members at the time of the centennial celebration. Different types of membership were created (law students, legal secretaries, etc.) and a spirit of inclusion and collegiality was cultivated by the many officers and trustees who led the Association. Eventually, the board decided that full-time staff members were needed to help the MCBA realize its potential, and those dedicated professionals enjoyed long tenures with the Association. Toward the end of the MCBA's first hundred years, the Association elected its first African- American officer, a community-minded attorney named Renee Anthony, Esq. Inspired by and impressed with Renee's service, in the years that followed the members continued to elect leaders from a diverse range of ethnicities, practice areas, firm sizes, geographic locations, religions, sexual orientations, and ages. I believe that the biggest achievements during my Presidency have been the creation of the Cryogenics Law committee and the addition of hovercraft parking spaces on our roof. After all, the MCBA accomplished so many important and forward-thinking objectives in its first hundred years that those achievements were hard to beat! On a personal note, I would be remiss if I did not thank my great great grandfather, MCBA and MCBF Past President Dennis Alan Auciello, Esq. My namesake and great aunt Tara, who also served as President of both the Association and Foundation, often regaled me with tales of his tireless dedication to the MCBA and MCBF. On behalf of all MCBA Past Presidents, trustees, members, and employees, congratulations on the first and second hundred years! Long live the mighty Middlesex County Bar Association!

4 The Middlesex County Bar Association would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support: Association Stars Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis LLP Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer PA Senior Partners Paone Zaleski Brown & Murray Provident Bank Partners Rebenack Aronow & Mascolo, LLP Hoagland Longo Moran Dunst & Doukas, LLP Keefe Bartels LLC Archer & Greiner, PC Mandelbaum Salsburg Associates Watson Stevens Rutter & Roy, LLP Levinson Axelrod PA Connell Foley LLP McGovern Legal Services, LLC Couch Braunsdorf Insurance Group The Chalfin Group, Inc. Marcum, LLP Hon. James M. Cahill Jonathan P. Dixon & Associates Document Solutions, LLC Gill & Chamas, LLC Hudson Court Reporting & Digital Media Investors Bank Maraziti Falcon & Healey LLP Friends of the Association WeiserMazars, LLP Wells Fargo Advisors Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP Northfield Bank Ramatowski Spilka & Schwartz Hon. Bob Smith Urbach & Avraham, LLP Troyan, Inc. Venezia & Nolan Volk Insurance Group, LLC

5 Middlesex County Bar Association 100th Anniversary Gala & Annual Installation of Officers and Trustees Friday, June 13, 2014 The Heldrich, 10 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, New Jersey Welcome - Recognition of Past Presidents & 50-Year Members Dinner Program Outgoing President s Remarks - Recognition of Longtime Sponsors - Couch Braunsdorf Insurance Group - 70 Years - Guaranteed Subpoena Service, Inc Years - Schulman, Wiegmann & Associates, CSR s - 20 Years Remarks from the New Jersey State Bar Association President Installation of Officers & Trustees - Craig M. Aronow - President-Elect - Andrea J. Sullivan - First Vice-President - William P. Isele - Second Vice-President - Brenda Vallecilla - Treasurer - Joanne Vos - Secretary - Trustees: Richard D. Barker, Risa M. Chalfin, Patrick D. Heller, Edward Testino, Eugene Wishnic and Kimberly Yonta Introduction & Swearing-In of President - Ellen F. Schwartz Entertainment by Shore Circus Dinner Presentation of the Hon. Robert N. Wilentz Lifetime Achievement Awards - Frederic K. Becker (in memoriam) - John J. Hoagland - Alan E. Davis - Hon. Marina Corodemus, JSC (Ret.) - E. Ronald Wright Entertainment by Shore Circus Bar History Video Project Presentation Entertainment by Shore Circus Unveiling of the 100th Anniversary Bar Composite Hon. Richard S. Cohen, JAD (Ret.) Hon. John E. Keefe, Sr., PJAD (Ret.) Tara Auciello, Esq. Paris P. Eliades, Esq. Hon. Travis L. Francis, AJSC Hon. Darlene M. Pereksta, JSC Andrea J. Sullivan, Esq. Chair, Events Planning Committee Hon. Barry T. Albin, Associate Justice Supreme Court of New Jersey Andrea J. Sullivan, Esq. Hon. Barnett E. Hoffman, JSC (Ret.) Andrea J. Sullivan, Esq. Hon. Travis L. Francis, AJSC Ellen F. Schwartz, Esq.

6 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR LAW PARTNER ELLEN F. SCHWARTZ on her installation as President and to all of the Officers and Trustees of the Middlesex County Bar Association Best Wishes for a Very Successful Year!! Jean M. Ramatowski & Cheryl M. Spilka RAMATOWSKI, SPILKA & SCHWARTZ 758 ROUTE 18 NORTH SUITE 105 EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ (732)

7 Message from the President Ellen F. Schwartz, Esq. Welcome to our One Hundredth Anniversary Gala Celebration! I want to begin by congratulating all of our award recipients tonight. They are the shining lights of our profession, the individuals who set the standard to which we all aspire. They have shown us, by example, how to be good lawyers, good citizens, and good people. I am proud to be in their company. In crafting her Message from the President, Renèe Anthony wrote about a spark that led to her becoming involved in the Middlesex County Bar Association, and ultimately, becoming the organization s first African-American President in that year. We lost Renèe in October of 2013, but her legacy remains with us. She encouraged us to get out from behind our desks, and from our comfy chairs in the board room, and to get out into the community and do some good. That doing good included working on home rehabilitation projects for the needy in Woodbridge; preparing and serving meals at Elijah s Promise soup kitchen in New Brunswick; and providing a safe Halloween for the kids in New Brunswick with our Trunk or Treat project. Our outgoing President, Tara Auciello, continued the efforts that Renèe began, and added her own initiative to the work of our Board. Tara reminded us that our organization is only as strong and healthy as its individual members, and encouraged us to reach out a hand to our colleagues in transition. That included attorneys who were coming to the profession later in life, attorneys who were transitioning from one area of the law to another, attorneys who were relocating to New Jersey from other jurisdictions and had to become familiar with our practice rules, and last but not least, young attorneys just coming into the profession and trying to find their way. I am proud and humbled to be able to follow these two outstanding leaders, as I become the President of the Middlesex County Bar Association in this, its one hundredth year. Milestone anniversaries such as this one tend to encourage reflection, and I have had an extra month to reflect on my new responsibilities, given the scheduling of tonight s gala event. It is to the benefit of the MCBA that Tara Auciello, who did an outstanding job as President, got to serve an extra month in that capacity. Tara proved herself to be an exceptionally poised, efficient, organized and capable leader, with enviable people skills, and I hope she will remain an active Board member for as long as possible. I am truly fortunate to have an outstanding Executive Board to work with this year; Craig Aronow, Andrea Sullivan, Brenda Vallecilla, Bill Isele, and Joanne Vos are all hard-working and committed individuals who bring a wealth of talent to the MCBA. Rounding out our leadership team is the incomparable Jonathan Cowles, our Executive Director, who is now entering his twenty-fourth year in that capacity, and is superb at his job, and Assistant Director Elaine Miller and LRS Administrator Pattyann Pulda, 25 and 18 years at the bar, respectively. We are also fortunate to have the support of our bench, and our Assignment Judge, the Hon. Travis Francis, AJSC, has set the tone in forging an exemplary bench-bar relationship in this county. I have also had an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that our organization, and our profession as a whole, will face in the upcoming years. The past few years have brought us a turbulent economy, and our profession has certainly felt the impact of the bursting of the tech bubble, of the mortgage foreclosure crisis, and a depressed real estate market. Attorneys who were previously engaged in practices in those related areas now find themselves searching for other ways to utilize their skills. Now, more than ever, the Bar Association is called upon to provide services to our members that can give them real assistance when they need it most. From our cost-effective Continuing Legal Education programs, to our Lawyer Referral Service, to our Mentor Program, to our job search website, the MCBA is there for its members. We recognize and understand our role in the legal community, and we stand ready, willing and able to assist our members in a variety of ways. When people ask me why they should become a member of the MCBA, my answer is simple: we are lawyers helping lawyers, helping the court system function more effectively, and helping our communities. Also, you get to make new friends, as many of the lawyers that I have worked with over the past eight years practice law in an area (See President s Message on page 20)

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9 MIDDLESEX COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION PROFILES OF OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES PRESIDENT Ellen F. Schwartz, Esq. Ramatowski, Spilka & Schwartz East Brunswick, New Jersey Ellen is a partner in the East Brunswick law firm of Ramatowski, Spilka & Schwartz and has concentrated her law practice in the area of family law and related matters since She graduated from Seton Hall University Law School in 1985, having previously received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Dickinson College. Ellen has served as an Early Settlement Panelist in Middlesex County for the past 20 years, and currently serves as a Trustee on the Middlesex County Bar Foundation. She serves as a volunteer for both Women Aware and Women Helping Women, as well as the Displaced Homemakers Network of New Jersey, for which she was honored as Middlesex County's Volunteer of the Year at the Legislative Awards in Trenton in May of She also served as the President of the Board of Directors of the YM-YWHA of Raritan Valley from Ellen is an active member of the Association s Family Law Section and has served on both the Supreme Court District VIII Fee Arbitration Committee and the District VIII Ethics Committee. PRESIDENT-ELECT Craig M. Aronow, Esq. Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo, LLP New Brunswick, New Jersey Craig Aronow is a partner in the New Brunswick law firm of Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo, LLP and a Certified Civil Trial Attorney. He is licensed in both NJ and NY. He graduated in 1995 from The Pennsylvania State University and earned his JD with honors, Cum Laude, from Quinnipiac University School of Law in Following law school, Craig served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Alan A. Rockoff, Judge of the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in Middlesex County ( ). Craig is actively involved in professional organizations at the local and state levels. Craig is the Middlesex County Trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Association and past chair of the NJSBA Solo and Small Firm Section. He is a barrister in the Joseph Halpern Civil Inn of Court and received the NJSBA Young Lawyer Division s Award for Service to the Bar in Craig serves as Chair of the Association s Civil Practice Committee and Lawyers Referral Service Committee, and as the head coach for the Rutgers University Mock Trial Association, the 2012 National Championship Runners-Up. He is also past chair of the Association s Young Lawyers Committee. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT Andrea J. Sullivan, Esq. Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis, LLP Woodbridge, New Jersey Andrea is a partner with Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis, LLP. Andrea received her AB, cum laude, from Mount Holyoke College and received her JD, with high honors, from Rutgers Law School, Newark, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif. After graduation, she served as Law Secretary to the Hon. Erminie Lane Conley, sitting in the Chancery Division, General Equity part, Middlesex County. Following her clerkship, she immediately joined Greenbaum, Rowe where she has practiced throughout her career. Andrea is named to Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation and to NJ Su per Lawyers, and holds an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell. Andrea has served as a panelist for many continuing legal education programs, speaking at a number of NJSBA programs and as a panelist for the New Jersey In- (Continued on next page)

10 (Continued from previous page) stitute of Continuing Legal Education. Andrea received the Robert J. Cirafesi Chancery Practice Award and was named as one of New Jersey's Best 50 Women in Business in Since 1991, Andrea has served on the Board of Central Jersey Legal Services Inc. and she is the Immediate Past President of the Board. She is also a past president ( ) of the Middlesex County Bar Foundation, where she continues to serve on that Board. She also served for six years as a Trustee of the Bar Association, as Chair of the Women Lawyers Section and Chancery Practice Committee, and as Chair of the Chancery Practice Committee s Early Settlement Program. Andrea is also active in the New Jersey State Bar Association. She is a Trustee of the Women in the Profession Section, a past Vice Chair of the Equity Jurisprudence Committee, and a member of the Family Law Section. Andrea is married to Thomas Salomone and has three children: Briana, Thomas and Alexandra. SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT William P. Isele, Esq. Archer & Greiner, P.C. Princeton, New Jersey Bill Isele is Of Counsel in the Princeton office of Archer & Greiner, P.C. Admitted to the bar of New Jersey in 1976, Bill s practice is focused on Healthcare Law, Elder Law, and Government Agency Appeals. He is a graduate of The Catholic University of America (B.A. and M.A.) and Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.), and holds a Certificate in Gerontology from Rutgers University. He served as New Jersey s Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly from October 1999 to October 2007 under five governors (Whitman, Di- Francesco, McGreevey, Codey and Corzine) and has served as an officer of the National Association of State Ombudsman Programs. Bill is a member of the American Bar Association and New Jersey State Bar Association, is the incoming President of the Middlesex County Bar Foundation, and has served as the Secretary of the New Jersey Supreme Court s District VIII Fee Arbitration Committee since He was the Chair of the NJSBA Elder & Disability Law Section, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the NJSBA Health Law Section, which he chaired from He was honored by the Health Law Section with its Distinguished Service Award for He is a recipient of the 2009 NJSBA Distinguished Legislative Service Award. Bill and Linda Jean, his wife of 38 years, have three grown sons: William N., a Master Sergeant (E-8) in the United States Marine Corps; Christopher, who works for a NGO in Kenya, Africa; and David, who is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. TREASURER Brenda Vallecilla, Esq. Law Offices of Brenda Vallecilla, LLC South Plainfield, New Jersey Brenda is a sole practitioner in South Plainfield. She is a graduate of Seton Hall University, where she attended as a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar. After a brief career in sales and marketing she attended Rutgers University School of Law-Camden and upon graduation became an associate of the now defunct Tomar, Simonoff, Adourian, O Brien, Graziano et al. in Haddonfield, focusing primarily on plaintiffs personal injury, and later becoming an associate with the criminal defense firm of Baker and Kahn in Voorhees. Prior to opening her own practice Brenda was a Regional Vice President at Live Nation, Inc. in New York City. Brenda opened her own office to be closer to home while her daughter, Maricela Gonzalez, attended high school. Her daughter is now a graduate of Columbia University. In her general practice, Brenda primarily counsels in the areas of family law/domestic violence, immigration law, real estate transactions -- residential and commercial, and personal injury. She is on the board of Central Jersey Legal Services, and the Executive Board of the Middlesex County Bar Foundation where she has spearheaded the Middlesex County Mock Trial Program for the past three years, she was as a Trustee of the Middlesex County Bar Association and has served as an Officers since She was awarded the Pro-Bono of the Year Award by the Middlesex County Bar Association in She regularly volunteers as a pro-bono attorney for various organizations. She is married to Robert A. Billhardt, III.

11 SECRETARY Joanne Vos, Esq. Maraziti, Falcon & Healey, LLP Short Hills, New Jersey Joanne graduated from Seton Hall Law School in She clerked for the Hon. Stephen E. Mochary in Essex County before she went on to become a top litigator in the insurance defense industry. She has a distinguished history with the New Jersey Defense Association, having served as President from 2009 to Joanne is a partner at Maraziti, Falcon & Healey, LLP and focuses her practice in environmental law. She represents property owners, public entities and private companies in complex environmental litigation, compliance, and transactional matters. Previously, Joanne practiced at two of the largest law firms in Middlesex County: Hoagland, Longo, Moran, Dunst & Doukas, LLP and Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis, LLP. She is an avid speaker and writer on the topics of environmental law, litigation, and women in the law. Trustee 2015 Joshua Altman, Esq. Benedict & Altman New Brunswick, New Jersey Josh was admitted to the New Jersey and Federal Bar in 2000 and is an associate in the law firm of Benedict & Altman in New Brunswick. His practice is concentrated primarily in the area of criminal defense in State and Federal Courts. Josh graduated from the University of Vermont in 1997 and received his JD from Seton Hall University Law School in During law school he clerked for the law firm of Gill & Chamas in Woodbridge and after his admission to the NJ Bar, he clerked for Hon. Bryan Garruto, JSC during the court term. Josh is a very active member of the bar. He serves as Co-Chair of the Association s Young Lawyers Committee, is a Trustee of the Middlesex County Bar Foundation and was President of the New Brunswick Bar Association. He is also a member of the NJ State Bar Association and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and was recently named a Rising Star by New Jersey Monthly Magazine. Trustee 2015 Kim M. Connor, Esq. Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, LLP Florham Park, New Jersey Kim M. Connor is a graduate of New York Law School, and is a member of the New Jersey State Bar, the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, and the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. Kim is Of Counsel in the New Jersey Office of Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP. She practices primarily in the areas of professional liability defense, and insurance coverage. Kim is a member of the American Bar Association, the New Jersey Bar Association, and the Middlesex County Bar Association. Kim was Chair of the Insurance Coverage Division of New Jersey Bar Association for the term, and the District VIII Ethics Committee Chair for the and terms. Trustee 2015 Megha Thakkar, Esq. Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, PA Bridgewater, New Jersey Megha was admitted to the state bar of New Jersey in 2008 and the state bar of New York in She is an associate at Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A. in Bridgewater. She represents clients in all aspects of matrimonial and family law, including divorce litigation and mediation, post-judgment litigation, custody and parenting time issues, alimony and child support, pre-nuptial agreements, and domestic violence matters. Prior to her current position, Megha was a senior associate at the Law Offices of Edward R. Weinstein, (Continued on next page)

12 We are proud to support the Middlesex County Bar Association and we offer congratulations and best wishes for a successful year to ELLEN F. SCHWARTZ Incoming President and the rest of the Officers and Trustees Craig M. Aronow -President Elect Andrea J. Sullivan -1st Vice President William P. Isele -2nd Vice President Brenda Vallecilla -Treasurer Joanne Vos -Secretary Richard D. Barker Risa M. Chalfin Patrick D. Heller Edward Testino Eugene Wishnic Kimberly Yonta Couch Braunsdorf Insurance Group Gary L. Pinckney, Esq. 701 Martinsville Road Liberty Corner, NJ Phone: Fax: gpinckney@couchbraunsdorf.com

13 (Continued from previous page) L.L.C. in East Brunswick where she also exclusively practiced matrimonial and family law. She also served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Andrea G. Carter, J.S.C., Superior Court of New Jersey, Family Part, Middlesex County. In 2014, Megha was selected for inclusion on the list of New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars. Megha graduated from New York University in 2005 and from St. John's University School of Law in In law school, Ms. Thakkar was a recipient of the St. Thomas More Academic Scholarship, was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society, served as President of the South Asian Law Students Association, and was named to the Dean's List. Trustee 2015 Hon. Rosemarie R. Williams, JSC (Ret.) Hopewell, New Jersey Rosemarie Ruggiero Williams is a retired Superior Court Judge with a state-wide Mediation/Arbitration and legal consulting practice. She makes her home base Middlesex County with an office located on Centennial Avenue in Piscataway. While on the bench she sat in every division and was the designated Environmental Judge for Vicinage 13. She also served as the Presiding General Equity and Probate Judge. Although assigned to several vicinages her last assignment was to Middlesex County and she has been a member of our bar association since that time. She was recently elected as a fellow of the American Bar Association. Prior to going on the bench she was a litigator for many years, handling all types of civil litigation including Civil Rights, Employment, and Environmental and Personal Injury cases. Her last assignment was Section Chief of the Tort Litigation Unit in the Attorney General's office. Judge Williams graduated from Villanova School of Law and the College of New Jersey, Summa Cum Laude. In addition to her other legal activities she enjoys teaching and has taught continuing legal education courses in various subjects for both the bench and bar. Currently she also serves as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School teaching trial skills and dispute resolution courses. Trustee 2015 Eugene Wishnic, Esq. New Brunswick, New Jersey New Jersey native Eugene Wishnic earned his JD in 1992 from the Rutgers School of Law in Camden. In 1997 he opened his practice on Bayard Street in New Brunswick. His practice is primarily focused on representing accident victims in Superior Court and defendants in both municipal and Superior Court. Since becoming an attorney in 1992, Eugene has developed a fluency in Spanish which has allowed him to better serve his client base among the local Latin community. Eugene is a member of the Middlesex County Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association, Middlesex County Trial Lawyers Association, New Brunswick Bar Association, American Association for Justice, New Jersey Association for Justice, is a contributor to NJ-PAC and presently serves as co-chairman of the MCBA s Municipal Court Practice Committee. He is looking forward to serving as Trustee to the Middlesex County Bar Association and continuing to promote the strength and growth of the Association and the members it serves. Trustee 2016 John F. Gillick, Esq. Martin, Kane & Kuper East Brunswick, New Jersey Jack is a partner in the East Brunswick law firm of Martin, Kane & Kuper and concentrates his practice on the litigation of employment discrimination, civil rights, and personal injury matters. He received his Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University in 2001 and thereafter served as Law Clerk to the Hon. Jack L. Lintner, former Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, Appellate Division. As the current Immediate Past President of the Middlesex County Bar Foundation, Jack spearheaded several projects including Casino Night, the Project Law essay contest and a holiday toy drive for Catholic Charities. He was recently named a "Super Lawyer by New Jersey Monthly maga- (Continued on next page)

14 (Continued from previous page) zine in the area of employment law. Jack has won appeals before both the New Jersey Supreme Court and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and has been counsel of record on numerous published opinions. A former Trustee for the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Jack has taught continuing legal education courses on behalf of the Middlesex County Bar Association and is a Volunteer Lawyer for Justice for the Legal Services Foundation of Essex County. He is also a committee member for the Good Scout Award Dinner for the Boy Scouts of America s Central New Jersey Council and is an Assistant Troop Leader for his daughters Girl Scout troops. Trustee 2016 Meryl A.G. Gonchar, Esq. Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis, LLP Woodbridge, New Jersey Meryl is a partner at Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis LLP and co-chair of the firm s Real Estate Department. Her practice encompasses all aspects of land use, zoning and land use litigation. She appears before planning and zoning boards throughout the state on behalf of property owners and developer clients in connection with residential, commercial, industrial and mixed use projects. She also represents clients in land use, condemnation and related litigation before the Superior Court of New Jersey in connection with prerogative writs litigation, challenging denials of land use approvals and defending approvals against challenges. Her diversified experience and extensive knowledge of the complexities of land use law enables her to assist clients throughout the various stages of a project s development, from acquisition through approvals and permitting, due diligence, financing, leasing or sales. Meryl is an active member of the NJ Builders Association, serving on the Legislative Committee and speaking regularly at the Association s events. She is the Vice President of Associate Affairs of NAIOP New Jersey and has previously served as a member of NAIOP s Board of Trustees and as co-chair of its Education Committee. She is a past president of CREW NJ and a former delegate to CREW Network. She is a past chair and member of the Board of Directors of the Land Use Law Section of the NJ State Bar Association as well as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Bar Association s Women in the Profession Section. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Middlesex County Bar Association. Meryl is a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL). She is also a founder of the firm s Women s Leadership Forum. Meryl is recognized in the Chambers USA Guide and Best Lawyers in America. She is listed in New Jersey Super Lawyers as a Top 100 Lawyer and among the Top 50 Women Lawyers in the state. Meryl is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors and a past President of Women's Philanthropy of Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County and a member of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Association of Jewish Federations. She has served on the Board of Directors of Executive Women of New Jersey and the Board of Trustees of the George Street Playhouse. She is a graduate of Rutgers College and Rutgers University School of Law, Newark. Meryl resides in East Brunswick with her husband, Wayne. They have two children, Daniel, a pilot and flight instructor, and Jillian, who will be a freshman at Ithaca College in the fall. Trustee 2016 Louis J. Seminski, Jr., Esq. Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, PA Woodbridge, New Jersey Lou is a Creditors' Rights Associate on the Banking & Creditors' Rights Team at the law firm of Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer. He has experience in litigating a variety of banking and complex commercial matters involving financial institutions and other entities. He also has significant experience in real estate related disputes, professional malfeasance, enforcement of restrictive covenants, governmental affairs and intellectual property issues. Lou is a Trustee of the Middlesex County Bar Association, a member of the Federal and Chancery Practice Committees of the Burlington and Atlantic County Bar Associations, the New Jersey State Bar Association, and the Association of the Federal Bar. In addition to his positions in the Bar Association, Lou is a Barrister of the John C. Lifland American Inn of Court, an association dedicated to the practice of civil litigation and intellectual property law in both Federal and State Court. Lou is active in the community, serving as Treasurer and Trustee of the Raritan Bay YMCA, and as a volunteer (Continued on next page)

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16 (Continued from previous page) with the Raritan Bay Medical Center Foundation. He serves as a mentor for students at his alma mater, St. Joseph's High School in Metuchen, N.J., St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, PA and Rutgers Law School where he serves on a career services advisory panel. Upon entering the practice of law, Lou served a one year clerkship for the Hon. Yolanda Ciccone, J.S.C. after earning his JD degree at Rutgers Law School in While attending Rutgers Law School, he served as Articles Editor of the Rutgers Law Journal. Lou enjoys writing about the emerging legal issues of the day as they pertain to his practice, as well as those matters involving small closely held businesses. Trustee 2016 Daria Anne Venezia, Esq. Venezia & Nolan Woodbridge, New Jersey Daria was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1986 and is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bar and Massachusetts Bar. She is a partner in the law firm of Venezia & Nolan, P.C. in Woodbridge. Daria's practice is concentrated on representation of government bodies, tax appeals and estates and guardianships. Daria graduated from Boston College and received her JD from Boston College Law School. She also received an L.L.M. in Taxation from Boston University. Daria formerly taught Business Law as an adjunct professor at Middlesex County College. She was also formerly a volunteer attorney coach for the Mt. St. Mary Academy mock trial team. Daria is a volunteer mediator in the Chancery Division Vounteer Mediation Program. Daria is married to James Todd and has a son William. Trustee 2016 Charles D. Whelan III New Brunswick, New Jersey After graduating from Rutgers Newark School of Law in 1981, Chuck clerked for the Hon. Samuel Allcorn, P.J.A.D. He has been a sole practitioner since 1987, specializing in commercial and real estate litigation and bankruptcy, with an emphasis on title litigation. Chuck is admitted to the New Jersey and New York Bars. He has been recognized by Who s Who in American Law, and has been rated preeminent by Martindale Hubbell. He has been accepted as an expert witness in the fields of real estate law and professional negligence by the New Jersey courts. Chuck served as a volunteer mediator in the Superior Court of New Jersey for five years, and was pro bono general counsel for Plainfield Habitat for Humanity for 22 years. He served for two years as Chairman of the Board of the Central Jersey Chamber of Commerce, and was a youth sports coach for eleven years. He is also a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and the Commercial Law League of America. In his free time, Chuck enjoys mountain hiking. Trustee 2017 Richard D. Red Barker, Esq. New Brunswick, New Jersey "Red" recently retired as the Deputy Public Defender in the Middlesex Region of the Office of the Public Defender. His path to the Public Defender's Office was the result of a career dedicated to public service. A self-labeled "child of the 60's," he was a volunteer at William Kunstler's Center for Constitutional Rights while in law school at Rutgers-Camden. He first made a name for himself as the Program Director for Hunterdon County Legal Services. He continued his quest to provide access to equal justice to all citizens by forming the Budget Barrister law firm in Woodbridge in 1979 (this was a full service solo practice that was the first in NJ to advertise in the Yellow Pages and in newspapers low cost legal fees for specified services and to file computer generated pleadings). In 1989, Hon. Bradley Ferencz, J.S.C., who was then Deputy Public Defender for the Middlesex Region, persuaded Mr. Barker to join the office as a staff attorney. It was a perfect fit, as the position suited his appetite for (Continued on next page)

17 Congratulations to the Middlesex County Bar Association on its 100th Anniversary! Congratulations to the Hon. Robert N. Wilentz Lifetime Achievement Award Winners Frederic K. Becker, Esq. (in memoriam) Alan E. Davis, Esq. Hon. Marina Corodemus, JSC (Ret.) John J. Hoagland, Esq. E. Ronald Wright, Esq. Congratulations to the Officers & Trustees 2 Lincoln Highway Edison, NJ Route 31 Flemington, NJ Route 206 South Hillsborough, NJ Church Street Belford, NJ US Hwy Route 9N Howell, NJ Lacey Road Forked River, NJ Forsgate Drive Jamesburg, NJ 08831

18 (Continued from previous page) both trial work and social justice. Ever since, he has cemented his status as one of the premier criminal defense attorneys in the county. Trustee 2017 Risa M. Chalfin, Esq. Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, PA Woodbridge, New Jersey Risa Chalfin is an associate at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer practicing in the area of Commercial Litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Risa was the law clerk for the Hon. Glenn Berman, Chancery Division of the New Jersey Superior Court. During her term as a law clerk, Judge Berman presided over the State v. Ravi trial. While in law school, she interned for the Hon. Barry T. Albin, Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court and the National Football League. Risa is a Trustee of the Middlesex County Bar Association and the Middlesex County Bar Foundation. She serves on the Young Lawyers Committee for the Middlesex County Bar Association and the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association. She is also a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Risa is actively involved with the University of Pennsylvania, acting as Co-Administrative Vice President of her class and interviewing prospective students. She is active in the Anti-Defamation League. In her free time she enjoys following the New York Yankees and running. Trustee 2017 Patrick D. Heller, Esq. Terkowitz & Hermesmann Somerset, New Jersey Patrick was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 2001 and is an associate with the law firm of Terkowitz and Hermesmann in Somerset. His practice primarily involves insurance defense including automobile liability, PIP arbitrations, worker's compensation defense and coverage matters. Patrick graduated from High Point University in 1997 and from Penn State Law- Dickinson in Patrick also clerked with the Hon. J. Wesley Oler, Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas. Patrick is active in the legal community and the bar association. In that regard, he serves on the MCBA Civil Practice Committee, helped put together and present a seminar on the Verbal Threshold and PIP law. He is also a frequent contributor to the MCBA's newsletter. Patrick has also been published in the New Jersey Law Journal and Rutgers Law Review-Commentaries wherein he has written articles dealing with emerging tort law issues and their impact on the legal community. Further, Patrick was selected by the New Jersey Board of Law Examiners and has served as a bar grader/reader for New Jersey Bar Exam. Trustee 2017 Edward Testino, Esq. Matawan, New Jersey Edward Testino is a solo-practitioner in the Township of Old Bridge and concentrates his practice on trial, personal injury, matrimonial and municipal work. He received his JD from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1984 and he received an LLM in Securities Regulation in May 1985 from Georgetown University School of Law. Ed is an alum of the University of Delaware where he received his BA degree. He is also admitted to the New York and D.C. Bars. Ed serves as a member of the Middlesex County Bar Foundation Board of Trustees and currently serves as Treasurer. He is also a member of the Casino Night Committee. In addition to the MCBA, Ed is a member of the New Jersey State Bar, Family Law Section and American Inns of Court. He has taught continuing legal education courses and lectured at trade associations on legal topics. Ed has served in many capacities in his community, including serving sixteen years on the Old Bridge Town (Continued on next page)

19 Ilan Hirshfeld and Sharon Maggio congratulate the Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients and newly installed Officers and Trustees 3443 State Road 66 Neptune, NJ (732) Eisenhower Parkway Roseland, NJ (973)

20 (Continued from previous page) Council and over 20 years on his local Rotary. As a member of the Old Bridge/Sayreville Rotary Club, Ed helped support various local charities and he is a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Award for his service. Trustee 2017 Kimberly Yonta, Esq. New Brunswick, New Jersey Since establishing YONTA LAW, LLC in New Brunswick in 2012, Kimberly concentrates her practice on criminal and municipal defense cases. A former Assistant Hudson County Prosecutor in Jersey City, she served as both appellate unit and trial team supervisors, serving the people of Hudson County for over ten years. Admitted to practice in New Jersey and Connecticut, Kimberly isa trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA). She serves as Chair-Elect of the Criminal Law Section, Chair of the Committee on Lawyers in Transition, Past Chair of the Women in the Profession Section, and Past Chair of the Young Lawyers Division. In the NJSBA, she is a member of the Amicus Committee, Government and Public Sector Lawyers Committee, and the NJSBA representative to the Supreme Court Committee on Criminal Jury Charges. With the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, Kimberly is a member of the "Legal Eagle" editorial advisory board. Past appointments include: New Jersey Commission on Professionalism and the Law, Membership and Public Relations Committee, Judicial Administration Committee, Legal Education Committee and Hudson Vicinage Advisory Committee on Minority Concerns. Serving her local community, Kimberly is an assistant coach of the Rutgers University Mock Trial Association, the National Runner-Up Champion in She also volunteers some of her time to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Bartholomew Church in East Brunswick, ministering to those in need through the client services program. Past achievements include Certification by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney and Middlesex County Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year. Kimberly served as the law clerk to the Hon. N. Peter Conforti in Morris County in She received her B.A., cum laude, from Providence College, attended Washington College of Law at American University, and received her J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law. Kimberly lives in East Brunswick with her husband Craig Aronow, Esq., and their beautiful daughters, Abigail (7) and Madeline (4). (President s Message continued from page 7) different from mine, and if not for our work with the Bar Association, we probably would not have met at all. What could be better than all of that? In another four years, if all goes according to plan, we will celebrate the installation of our first Latina President, when Brenda Vallecilla takes the reins in We encourage and celebrate the diversity of our membership, and our Executive Board, and there is a seat at the Board table for anyone who has the desire to assume a leadership role in the organization. So, after much reflection, I have reached a few conclusions. There is a great deal to be proud of, in terms of the work the MCBA has done in its first century, and the work it continues to do each and every day. There are new challenges to be met, and conquered, and we have in place a leadership team that is more than capable of meeting those challenges. What we need, in a word, is YOU. Take pride in our profession; the right to put Esq. after our names is earned, not given. Take pride in your ability to reach a hand out and provide assistance to those who need it most, either by volunteering your time through Central Jersey Legal Services as a pro bono attorney, or by participating in a Bar Association project. The lawyers that I know, and work with every day, are intelligent, compassionate, motivated individuals who have interests far beyond the courtroom, and skills that they can use to great effect. If you have an idea for a project, let us know. If you have a topic that you would like to see addressed in a CLE seminar, or you would like to share your expertise by presenting a CLE seminar yourself, let us know. In conclusion, I hope that you enjoy this evening, our 100th Anniversary Gala Celebration. A lot of people have worked very hard for more than a year to put this event together, and we are very pleased that you could join us this evening. Congratulations to our incoming Executive Board; congratulations to Tara on a job well done; and again, congratulations and thanks to our Wilentz Lifetime Award winners, the best of the best in our profession.