Gibbons Litigation Attorney Confirmed as Superior Court Judge

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Gibbons P.C. congratulates Damian V. Santomauro on his confirmation as a Superior Court judge for the state of New Jersey. Mr. Santomauro, who was appointed to the bench in Essex County, will be sworn in on February 5. A Director in the firm’s Business & Commercial Litigation Group, as well as former Director of Professional Development, Retention, and Associate Recruitment, he will leave Gibbons for his new position on February 2.

“I have been blessed to spend over 20 years at Gibbons, where I have had the opportunity to learn from some of the best lawyers in the state, collaborate with esteemed colleagues, and represent many wonderful clients,” Mr. Santomauro said. “However, my goal has always been for the second half of my career to involve a position in public service. I am excited about this next step and look forward to serving the state – and particularly the residents of Essex County – in this new role.”

Mr. Santomauro joined Gibbons in 2001 as an associate and was promoted to Director in 2008. He left in 2015 to serve as senior counsel to Governor Chris Christie, advising on legal, legislative, and regulatory issues in construction law, consumer affairs, local government, affordable housing, election law, and legalized gaming, and working with the Office of the Attorney General regarding significant state litigation. He returned to Gibbons in 2017.

An experienced litigator with a focus on construction matters and consumer class-action defense, he has led the firm’s Construction Law & Litigation Team, which advises designers, contractors, and owners on issues that arise during projects, from procurement to completion, and represents clients in litigation and alternative dispute proceedings. His class action experience has involved defending clients in matters related to many state and federal consumer protection statutes, including the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act; Telephone Consumer Protection Act; New Jersey Truth-in-Consumer Contract, Warranty and Notice Act; New Jersey Gift Card Act; and New Jersey’s Retail Installment Sales Act.

Mr. Santomauro has authored numerous articles addressing issues important to clients in the construction industry, as well as businesses and practitioners confronting class action claims. He has also spoken on these topics for the Gibbons Academy, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, American Bar Association, and New Jersey State Bar Association. He has been regularly included on the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business list, Construction; Woodward/White Best Lawyers® list, Construction, and Thomson Reuters New Jersey Super Lawyers list, Construction Litigation.

“Damian has played an instrumental role in elevating both our construction law and litigation services and our recruitment and hiring practices,” remarked Peter J. Torcicollo, Gibbons’s Managing Director. “We wish him all the best as he embarks on this next chapter in his career. The state of New Jersey is lucky to have him on the bench.”