GIORDANO - Key Persons
Adam, a shareholder in the firm's Real Estate and Litigation groups, devotes his practice to complex litigations arising from the development of real estate with particular focus in the areas of land use and zoning, regulatory permitting and compliance, and construction. He regularly represents developers, investors, landowners, and other businesses interests in all stages of land development - from acquisition, entitlements, construction and occupancy. In addition to handling major litigation before state and federal trial courts and the Office of Administrative Law, he has extensive appellate experience having argued several cases before the Appellate Division.
Practice Areas
Real Estate
Ammad is an associate in our Intellectual Property and Technology practice area.
Ammad advises clients with regard to state, federal and international trademark matters such as availability searches, registrations and maintenance of trademarks. He also counsels clients with regard to domain name disputes, privacy and use policies and other Internet related matters.
Practice Areas
Intellectual Property & Technology
Professional Activities
Member, New Jersey State Bar Association
Member, New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association
Member, Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey
Anthony is an Associate in the firm's Real Estate Practice Group, with experience in all phases of land development. He regularly counsels clients through diligence, acquisition, redevelopment, financing, project approval, and disposition of various types of real estate assets.
Practice Areas
Real Estate
Professional Activities
Member, New Jersey State Bar Association
Other Professional and Personal Information
Prior to and during law school, Anthony worked as a law clerk and summer associate with our firm. During law school, Anthony achieved the Alternate Dispute Resolution Skills Program Certificate and competed as an oralist in the 28th annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. Furthermore, Anthony was a research assistant, a LexisNexis student representative, and also served as a Student Attorney in the Conservation Law and Policy Clinic, where he worked alongside the Nature Conservancy on various policy issues. Prior to rejoining the firm, Anthony worked as an Associate at a boutique law firm, assisting with various real estate matters including, but not limited to, commercial and residential landlord tenant law, community association law, real estate transactions, collections and litigation.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Co - Chair of the Labor & Employment
- Named a 2021 Go - to Thought Leader by the National Law Review
Ari, Co-Chair of the Labor & Employment practice area, devotes his time to assisting and defending employers with regard to traditional employment issues. He frequently counsels employers for compliance with New Jersey laws and has extensive transactional and litigation experience.
Ari is known as an experienced employment counselor and advocate who can devise creative, yet practical solutions to complex employment matters. He has a well established reputation with clients, colleagues and adversaries as having a calm, calculated demeanor with extensive knowledge of employment laws as well as excellent strategic problem solving skills.
Ari has litigated employment matters throughout the state, having made appearances in almost every Superior Court in New Jersey, as well as before the Federal District Courts in New Jersey and the Federal and State Courts in New York. These actions have involved a diverse range of claims such as wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, enforcement of non-compete/restrictive covenant provisions and wage and hour disputes. Ari also assists businesses during all stages of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Division of Civil Rights (DCR), Wage and Hour and Department of Labor (DOL) investigations. In addition to his litigation experience, Ari regularly assists clients with the preparation and review of employment related documents, such as employment agreements, policies and handbooks
Ari has spoken on numerous occasions to New Jersey businesses regarding employment related issues and is the co-author and regular contributor to the New Jersey Labor and Employment Law Blog, which provides news and updates for employers regarding all labor and employment matters throughout New Jersey.
In addition to his labor and employment law practice, Ari also assists the firm's health care clients, providing counsel to hospitals, physicians, and physician groups in matters, generally involving employment, contract and HIPAA issues.
Practice Areas
Labor & Employment
In his role as a business counselor, Mr. Berry integrates the resources of the firm's practice areas to provide optimal service to the firm's clients. He counsels closely held businesses in a wide variety of matters including contractual negotiations and related litigation, shareholder and partnership formations and disputes, financing of business ventures, business acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, strategic alliances, corporate governance issues and director and officer liability issues.
Mr. Berry represents lenders and borrowers in structuring loans for asset-based credit facilities, real estate, leveraged buyouts, debt restructuring and tax exempt transactions through the NJ Economic Development Authority and the NJ Health Care Facilities Financing Authority. He also represents banks and financial institutions in financial workouts and loan restructurings, litigation to enforce lender's rights, bankruptcies and creditor proceedings.
Mr. Berry is Trustee Emeritus and immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Christian Brothers Academy. For 18 years, he was also a member of the Financial Advisory Committee of St. Rose High School, Belmar, the President's Council of St. Peter's College, Jersey City, and served 12 years on the Educational Advisory Council of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton. Presently, Mr. Berry is a member of the Board of Trustees of Ladacin Network, formerly United Cerebral Palsy of Monmouth & Ocean County and is chairman of their audit committee.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Legal Q & a on the Physician
Beth devotes her practice to Health Care Law and legal issues facing Health Care facilities, licensed professionals, and non-profit organizations. She has over thirty years of experience counseling clients on legal issues facing the modern health care and non-profit communities.
In the area of health care law, Beth specializes in regulatory, transactional, and facility and health care professional licensure issues. She counsels clients and drafts transactional documents in the areas of practice and facility entity formation; mergers, acquisitions, and asset sales; employment, independent contractor and management contracts; applications for tax-exempt status; governmental approvals of asset acquisitions, mergers, and license modifications; clinical co-management agreements; telemedicine agreements; contracts with vendors and other transactional matters. She regularly counsels clients on licensure issues, the Medicare conditions of participation and the accreditation requirements of The Joint Commission, and has assisted numerous hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and other health care providers in preparing plans of correction in response to federal, state and Joint Commission deficiency findings. She advises clients on operational issues such as certificate of need and licensure; corporate compliance; fraud and abuse; the Stark, anti-kickback and New Jersey physician self-referral laws; EMTALA; joint venture formation; shareholder agreement and limited liability company operating agreement drafting and amendments; real estate leases; tax exempt organizations; professional licensure; medical staff privileging issues and professional board disciplinary matters. She has been recognized as a leading New Jersey health care lawyer by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2010 to present), and was named Best Lawyers' 2019 Woodbridge area "Health Care Lawyer of the Year."
She also counsels clients and drafts policies regarding patient care issues such as informed consent, advance directives, patient transfer and HIPAA issues. Beth advises clients on business structures including choice of entity, bylaws, joint ventures and consolidation.
Beth has assisted numerous entities in applying for and obtaining tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. She has worked with religious bodies with regard to the integration and consolidation of congregations, including the preparation and negotiation of integration and consolidation agreements and the provision of consultation and advice regarding consolidation issues. Prior to joining the firm, Beth served as an Assistant Regional Counsel with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, where she provided legal services to the Medicare and Medicaid programs and the Office of Inspector General.
Beth has worked with many different types of health care and non-profit clients, including, but not limited to, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, ambulatory care facilities, behavioral health providers, physicians and physician practices, dentists and dental practices, laboratories, dialysis joint venture entities, hospices, home health agencies, health care service firms, durable medical equipment providers, ambulance and invalid carriers, pharmacies, industry trade associations, synagogues, churches, private schools, non-profit affordable housing providers, individual practitioners such as physicians, advanced practice and other registered nurses, pharmacists, chiropractors, dentists, physical therapists, psychologists, professional counselors, alcohol and drug counselors, social workers, respiratory care practitioners and dieticians.
Beth is the co-author of The New Jersey Healthcare Law Blog, a blog dedicated to providing Federal and State healthcare news, laws, regulations, and upcoming events pertaining to the healthcare field. Beth also serves as an online course mentor/instructor through Thomas Edison State University's Graduate School of Public Service.
Practice Areas
Health Care
Brian Shemesh is a Shareholder in the Firm's Redevelopment, Real Estate and Planned Real Estate Development Practice Groups. Brian has developed a diverse practice that allows him to deliver first-rate client service across several real estate practice areas. Specifically, Brian's practice is focused on acquisitions, dispositions, redevelopment, financings, project incentives and leasing. Brian's knowledge of redevelopment has been honed by representing a wide range of clientele across both urban and suburban markets in New Jersey. In connection with his redevelopment practice, he has helped negotiate and secure Long Term Tax Exemptions (PILOTs), Short Term Abatements, Garden State Growth Zone Exemptions and other incentives for his clients' projects across the State. In addition, Brian's background as a corporate and private equity attorney has allowed him to develop extensive experience negotiating and preparing agreements between joint venture partners, including agreements that govern Qualified Opportunity Funds and Qualified Opportunity Zone Businesses.
Brian prides himself on understanding his clients' underlying goals, which he believes is the key to effective legal representation. He understands that legal advice provided in a vacuum is of limited utility, and therefore he advises his clients utilizing both his business acumen and technical legal knowledge. This approach allows Brian to structure creative solutions for each unique situation faced by his clients' projects. Brian is keenly aware that all projects inevitably face challenges, and the ability of a lawyer to be nimble when encountering such situations is of critical importance to ensure a project's success.
Brian is involved in a number of professional organizations, and serves as a member of the Legislative Committee of NAIOP's New Jersey Chapter. He also serves on the Rutgers University Varsity R Letterwinners Association as the Men's Lacrosse Alumni Representative.
Practice Areas
Real Estate
Justin, a shareholder in the Land Use & Development Practice Group, focuses his practice on matters associated with residential and commercial real estate including, but not limited to development, property purchase, sales, leasing, 1031 exchanges, Pilot Agreements and abatements, real property taxation, valuation, tax exemption and farmland assessment. He has experience with property taxation appeals including issues involving property valuation, classification, exemption and municipal law issues before County Boards, the Tax Court of New Jersey, the Appellate Division and Supreme Court of New Jersey and has appeared in Tax Court and before County Boards in contested tax and municipal litigation matters for trials, hearings, oral arguments, direct examination and cross examination.
Practice Areas
Land Use & Development Law
Chase, an associate in the firm's Corporate and Business Practice Area, focuses his practice on various business transactions, including Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Finance, and general corporate matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Chase served as a law clerk for the Honorable Bina K. Desai in the Middlesex County Superior Court.
Practice Areas
Corporate & Business
Chiara, an Associate in the firm's Planned Real Estate Development Department, focuses her practice on the preparation of governing documents for communities as well as applications for registration pursuant to the Planned Real Estate Development Full Disclosure Act. She is also a part of the broader Real Estate Department and works on commercial real estate, leasing and finance transactions; and has appeared before various land use boards in pursuit of development approvals.
Practice Areas
Planned Real Estate Development
Chris has a multi-disciplinary practice with nearly two decades of experience focusing on an array of complex litigation and transactional matters across multiple business sectors and areas of law. Implementing his breadth of experience, Chris has developed a true multi-disciplinary practice acting as a trusted legal advisor to clients in areas of commercial law and business matters, environmental law, real estate, intellectual property, and unfair business practices. Acting as outside general counsel to his clients, Chris' practice spans three key practice groups: Complex Business and Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law, and Intellectual Property and Technology.
Job Titles:
- Expert Needed for Proximate Cause in Legal Mal
Courtney's practice focuses on corporate reorganization and bankruptcy law, including the representation of Chapter 11 debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, indenture trustees, Chapter 7 trustees and defendants in bankruptcy litigation.
Practice Areas
Creditors' Rights & Bankruptcy
Dave is an environmental attorney with experience in the private and public sectors who focuses his practice on environmental regulatory, real estate and corporate transactional matters. He counsels clients on site remediation, the Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA), Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), due diligence, participation in potentially responsible party groups and interaction with the Environmental Protection Agency on Superfund matters. Dave also advises on the procurement of environmental permits from state and federal agencies for major commercial and industrial development, transaction-triggered environmental laws and voluntary brownfields remediation programs. In addition, he litigates environmental compliance matters, especially those involving hazardous substances.
Previously, Dave served as senior counsel in the Office of Governor Philip D. Murphy, overseeing environmental and energy issues and initiatives, and was a law clerk for the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to attending law school, Dave worked in the Commissioner's Office of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Practice Areas
Environmental - Land Use and Permitting
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Appointed Special Master
- Joins the Giordano Firm As Associate
Donna is a shareholder in the Real Estate and Leasing Departments. She currently focuses her practice on the review and negotiation of commercial leases representing both landlords and tenants. Her diverse legal experience also includes commercial litigation, where Donna handled all aspects of litigation for business clients from pleadings and written discovery to motion practice and trial. Donna represented numerous boards of education preparing policies, drafting tenure charges and addressing other employment issues arising in the public education arena. She has also represented municipalities with their affordable housing litigation and compliance. Donna also represented banks in their title insurance reviews, as well as purchasers, sellers and borrowers in their residential and commercial real estate transactions. Donna worked on a number of disability cases, representing those who had been wrongfully denied insurance benefits, and even represented a state agency defending multiple racial profiling complaints.
Donna received her BA from Rutgers University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and her JD from Rutgers University School of Law, where she was a member of the Rutgers Law Review.
Practice Areas
Leasing
Evan is a business attorney with practice focuses in the areas of Land Use & Development Law, Real Estate and Banking & Commercial Lending. Evan delivers first-rate client service in all facets of his diverse, transaction-driven practice. He is experienced in representing clients engaged in complex land development projects and assists in navigating the intricacies of New Jersey's regulatory environment. Evan provides counsel to industrial, commercial and residential developers, property owners and real estate investors with regard to all phases of the real estate life cycle, including: due diligence and zoning investigations, purchase and sale contract negotiations, corporate entity organizations, financing, leasing and related transactional matters. Evan represents clients before municipal, county and state land use agencies in connection with contested and complex applications for variances, site plans, subdivisions and redevelopment. He is experienced in leading a team of professionals to achieve client objectives and routinely works with engineers, architects, professional planners and accountants. Evan's practice also includes providing counsel on liquor license matters and various other commercial transactions including asset purchases, equity investments, joint ventures and general contractual matters.
Evan is originally from West Long Branch, New Jersey and attended Ranney School, Colgate University and Villanova University. Prior to joining the firm, Evan obtained a dual JD/MBA degree from Villanova, which he completed in three years.
Practice Areas
Land Use & Development Law
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus
- of Counsel
Mr. Ciesla is Chair Emeritus of the firm's Health Care Law Practice Area. His practice is primarily devoted to Health Care and Government Contracts Law. He counsels clients on legal developments facing healthcare providers in the modern health care environment. Firm clients include hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and physician groups, individual practice associations, home health agencies, ambulance carriers and industry-wide associations.
Mr. Ciesla advises such clients on business structures, mergers and consolidations, joint ventures, reorganization of health care providers, ongoing operation, establishment of new providers and purchases of existing providers. He counsels on issues such as certificate of need laws, corporate practice of medicine, Medicare and Medicaid certification, medical staff privileging issues, peer review activities, tax issues and anti-trust issues. He also represents clients in reimbursement litigation and third party payor issues.
Mr. Ciesla represents nonprofit institutions in tax exempt bond transactions, in the Office of Administrative Law and the state and federal courts, on a variety of matters including contract disputes, certificate of need appeals, reimbursement and medical staff privileging issues. Mr. Ciesla also assists clients with federal government procurement regulations and appeals processes.
Mr. Ciesla is the co-author of The New Jersey Healthcare Law Blog, a blog dedicated to providing Federal and State healthcare news, laws, regulations, and upcoming events pertaining to the healthcare field.
Practice Areas
Health Care
Jerry is a transactional lawyer who has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, securities law, business law and tax law. He represents acquirers and sellers of businesses in a wide range of public and private transactions. He counsels clients in capital raising transactions, including public offerings, private placements, PIPES, strategic investments and secured and unsecured financings. Jerry also advises clients on securities law compliance and disclosure issues.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Chairman of the Planned Real Estate Development Practice Area
- Co - Chair of the Real Estate Practice Area
- Real Estate
Scott, Co-Chair of the Real Estate Practice Area and Chair of the Planned Real Estate Development Practice Area, focuses primarily on the development of residential, commercial and mixed use developments in both condominium and fee-simple formats. He prepares the governing documents for these planned real estate developments and supervises the registration of public offering plans as regulated by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
In addition to Planned Real Estate Development law, Scott handles land acquisitions and land banking transactions for national homebuilder clients. He also counsels clients with regard to general Land Use matters such as determining the suitability of land tracts for development, preparing and negotiating documents pertaining to the sale and leasing of real property, and procuring developmental approvals for a variety of land use projects which include the processing of land development applications with municipal agencies which often requires appearances before various municipal boards. Scott also serves as an expert witness in planned real estate cases before courts throughout the State of NJ.
Practice Areas
Planned Real Estate Development
Jake, an associate in the firm's Land Use & Development Law practice area, provides counsel to commercial and residential developers, property owners and real estate investors with regard to all phases of the land acquisition and development process in New Jersey.
Practice Areas
Land Use & Development Law
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Named a 2019 NLR Go - to Thought Leader
Jay, shareholder in the Labor and Employment Practice Area, devotes his practice to labor relations and employment law and litigation on behalf of management. His experience includes conducting trials, hearings, arbitration and mediation sessions; responding to state and federal administrative agency charges; collective bargaining; drafting employment-related corporate documents such as restrictive covenants, employee handbooks, employment agreements, various stock and compensation plans, and separation/severance agreements. He counsels employers on all employee relations issues including, but not limited to discrimination, hiring, terminations, reductions in force, whistle-blowing, diversity, wage and hour claims, breach of contract, tortious interference claims and employee benefits issues. Jay is also the co-author of the New Jersey Labor and Employment Law Blog, which is dedicated to providing news and updates regarding all labor and employment matters throughout New Jersey.
Practice Areas
Labor & Employment
Jeri, Co-Chair of the Labor & Employment practice area, focuses primarily on employment law, with an emphasis on drafting and negotiating complex employment-related documentation, such as executive employment, consulting, restrictive covenant, commission, bonus, retention, change-in-control and severance agreements. Jeri counsels employers on a broad range of employment matters, including hiring, disciplining and terminating employees, family and medical leaves, disability leaves and accommodations, anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation laws, wage and hour compliance, and reductions in workforce. She works closely with management, in-house counsel, and human resources personnel in the development and implementation of employment policies and handbooks that comply with applicable law and are consistent with the employer's unique practices and organizational culture. Jeri also advises clients on the employment aspects of M&A deals and other corporate transactions.
Practice Areas
Labor & Employment
Professional Activities
Member, New Jersey Women Lawyers Association
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Honorary Member
- Inducted As Honorary Member of the Monmouth University Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma and Serves As Induction Ceremony Keynote Speaker
John, Chair of the Corporate and Securities Law Practice Area, concentrates his practice on corporate and securities matters. His practice focuses on various aspects of corporate finance, including private placements and initial public offerings of securities, as well as mergers, acquisitions and restructurings. In addition, John provides general corporate counseling and advice with respect to litigation strategy to a number of corporations, both public and private.
In over forty years of practice, John has advised clients on the formation of business organizations, professional practices and joint ventures, venture capital and bank financing, mergers and acquisitions, management and leveraged buy-outs, executive compensation, equity or cash based employee incentive plans, succession in the closely held or family business, compliance with disclosure obligations under the federal and state securities laws and corporate governance matters.
Practice Areas
Corporate & Business
John assists clients with the planning and organization of businesses, with corporate governance matters, and with various business transactions, including sales and purchases of businesses. He also assists with the preparation of reports and other documents required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Practice Areas
Corporate & Business
Kurt's practice focuses on technology and intellectual property. He counsels clients in the following areas:
Licensing and US and international transactional matters (e.g., development agreements, supply and distribution agreements, independent contractor agreements and professional service agreements) in a variety of industries including software, SaaS, open source, pharmaceutical and consumer goods.
Trademark and copyright registration and enforcement.
Trade secret protection and enforcement.
In the area of business and banking law, Kurt counsels start ups and closely held small to medium sized companies regarding a variety of general corporate matters, including business entity formation, financing deals, merger and acquisition transactions and employment matters.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Highlighted in Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Receive NJBA 's Committee Chair