January - December 2022 Archives
Free Divorce Webinar
On Dec. 7, certified matrimonial attorney Diana Fredericks will offer two free webinars on the NJ divorce process: one at 10 AM and one at 6 PM. Ms. Fredericks will explain the entire divorce process and give participants a chance to ask anonymous questions*. There is no need to register or provide your contact information. Simply join with this link: https://bit.ly/3CDHh5B
*Any statements made during webinar are for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon or construed as legal advice. Participation in webinar does not establish an attorney/client relationship.
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Gebhardt & Kiefer is pleased to sponsor a float once again in the Clinton Christmas Parade, which will take place this year on Fri., Dec. 2 beginning at 7 PM.
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Congratulations to Richard Cushing, who received the Fred G. Stickel Memorial Award from the NJ Institute of Local Government Attorneys in Nov. 2022. The award was bestowed on Mr. Cushing for excellence in local government law, exemplary service to the legal profession, and unselfish assistance rendered to local governments and other local government attorneys.
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Congratulations to Diana Fredericks, who has been reappointed by the NJ Supreme Court to the Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law. She will serve a third three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The Committee provides guidance to the NJ Bar and protection for NJ residents.
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On Nov. 16, Richard Cushing, Leslie Parikh, and Tara St. Angelo will serve as presenters at the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Annual Conference in Atlantic City.
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On Nov. 8, William Rudnik will speak at the Hunterdon County Bar Association’s 2022 Virtual Election Day CLE Marathon. He will co-present on the topic of “Retirement Plans and Qualified Domestic Relations Orders.” Attendees will receive Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit.
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On Oct. 26, 2022, Leslie Parikh, Sharon Flynn and Noel Lesica will present a luncheon seminar entitled "What Employers Need to Know About Recent Changes in Employment Law" at the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce's Center for Business & Entrepreneurship in Flemington. Employers can register here.
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On Oct. 22, Matthew Lyons spoke about legal issues facing municipal officials at the Municipal Clerks’ Association of Atlantic County’s fall conference. Mr. Lyons is available to provide similar legislative updates to municipalities and other organizations upon request.
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On Oct. 18, Leslie Parikh spoke about “Ethical Situations in the Office” at the Warren County Municipal Clerks’ Association fall seminar. Ms. Parikh is available to speak to other organizations on that topic and other employment law topics upon request.
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On Oct. 10, certified matrimonial law attorneys William Rudnik and Diana Fredericks will serve as speakers at the NJ State Bar Association’s “Hot Tips in Family Law” webinar.
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Gebhardt & Kiefer is pleased to support the Warren County Habitat for Humanity’s “Beams & Dreams” fundraiser, which takes place at Hawk Pointe Golf Club in Washington on Sat., Oct. 8, 2022.
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Gebhardt & Kiefer is pleased to be a sponsor of the 2022 Superhero Sprint, which takes place on Main St. in Clinton on Sat., Oct. 8, 2022. Proceeds support the Halstead Park Project.
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On Sept. 14, 2022, John Manfreda will present a free estate planning seminar at the Hunterdon County Library in Flemington from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. He will cover such topics as gift tax, life insurance, retirement planning, asset protection, powers of attorney, elder law, and more. Joining him will be Noel Lesica, who will explain the basics of guardianship and contested Chancery Court litigation proceedings involving estates and trusts. Register here.
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Congratulations to Leslie Parikh, who has been reappointed to the NJ State Bar Association’s Government, Public Sector and Public Interest Lawyers Committee for the 2022-2023 term.
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Congratulations to William Rudnik and Diana Fredericks, who have been reappointed to the NJ State Bar Association’s Family Law Section Executive Committee for the 2022-2023 term. The mission of the Family Law Section is to maintain and improve the practice of family law through effective interaction with the family courts and by informing members of current legislation and regulations.
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Gebhardt & Kiefer is pleased to sponsor the Somerset County Bar Foundation's "Legal Runaround." This year's run/walk takes place in Somerville on May 26 and supports The Friends of Somerset Regional Animal Shelter.
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On April 9, Tara St. Angelo served as a presenter and section chairperson at the Somerset County Bar Association’s inaugural “Land Use Symposium and Basic Course in Land Use Law and Planning” training program. The program was sponsored by the SCBA’s Land Use Committee, and participants included land use board members and governing body members from throughout the region. Ms. St. Angelo concentrates her practice in the areas of land use law, municipal law, and representation of public entities, and she is available to speak on these topics upon request.
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On April 2, Leslie Parikh presented a seminar on employment law at Warren County Community College for a group of certified medical assistants and medical office administrators. Ms. Parikh is available to present employment law seminars to organizations and business groups upon request.
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Congratulations to William Rudnik, who has been named to the 2022 NJ Super Lawyers list, and to Tara St. Angelo, who has been named to the 2022 NJ Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. The Super Lawyers lists are issued by Thomson Reuters, which rates lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection methodology is described on the Super Lawyers website.
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Gebhardt & Kiefer Successfully Argues Matter Before New Jersey Supreme Court
Gebhardt & Kiefer represented the New Jersey League of Municipalities and the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys in submitting briefs and arguing an important legal case before the New Jersey Supreme Court, Stewart v. N.J. Turnpike Authority. The case involved an accident where the plaintiffs (the Stewarts) had a motorcycle accident after a blowout of a back tire. The plaintiffs initially argued the bridge they were crossing had a piece of metal sticking up that caused the accident. After being unable to prove their theory, the plaintiffs changed their theory and argued the final layer of payment was not completed on the bridge. The Superior Court dismissed their case, but the Appellate Court overturned the decision and reinstated the case. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.
The Supreme Court agreed with Gebhardt & Kiefer’s argument that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate a dangerous condition (condition of roadway), which was required to impose liability on a public entity. Gebhardt & Kiefer attorneys Richard P. Cushing, Esq. and Kelly A. Lichtenstein, Esq. wrote the brief and William J. Rudnik, Esq. argued the matter before the Supreme Court. A full copy of the Supreme Court’s decision is available here. This is an important decision for all municipalities, as it saves taxpayers money by preventing unnecessary lawsuits against public entities where an accident is not the fault of a dangerous condition maintained by a municipality or public entity. This result reinforces the importance of the efforts of the New Jersey League of Municipalities and the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys advocating in a single voice on behalf of all municipalities.
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On Feb. 10, 2022, William Rudnik will serve as a judge for the first round of the Vincent J. Apruzzese Mock Trial Competition for NJ high school students, sponsored by the NJ State Bar Foundation. And on March 3, Diana Fredericks will serve as a judge for the regional level of the competition. Now in its 40th year, the competition is one of the nation’s foremost contests of its kind for high school students. It was created for the purpose of stimulating and encouraging a deeper understanding and appreciation of the American legal system.
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Gebhardt & Kiefer is pleased to announce the promotion of Sharon Flynn to Junior Partner. Sharon joined us in 2019 with 15 years of experience, and she has since made a multitude of valuable contributions to our firm and our clients. Sharon concentrates her practice in the areas of insurance defense, labor and employment litigation, and general litigation, and she has proven herself to be a significant asset in all of those areas. Congratulations, Sharon!
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Gebhardt & Kiefer is pleased to welcome attorney Noel Lesica to our team. Noel has more than twenty years of legal experience, and focuses her practice on employment law and general litigation. She has experience in virtually all aspects of employment law, including investigating and addressing claims involving sexual and other forms of unlawful harassment and discrimination, retaliatory practices, wage and hour violations, pay equity violations, leave entitlements under federal, state and local law, and restrictive covenants. Noel has also advised clients on a wide range of compliance issues related to COVID-19. Welcome, Noel!