Gibbons Congratulates 2012 Class of Directors and Counsel

Gibbons P.C. is pleased to announce that eight exceptional attorneys at the firm have been promoted to the positions of Director and Counsel in 2012.

“The 2012 class of Directors and Counsel comprises some of the most impressive, up-and-coming attorneys in the area, all of whom exemplify the exceptional qualities that define Gibbons as a firm,” says Patrick C. Dunican Jr., Chairman and Managing Director of Gibbons.

Attorneys promoted to Director (partner) are:

Paul E. Asfendis
Products Liability Department – New York Office
Mr. Asfendis has extensive experience handling a wide variety of litigation matters, including products liability, complex commercial disputes, labor law, insurance coverage, and subrogation matters. He has successfully defended companies large and small through trial and also has considerable appellate experience, having handled appeals before New York’s appellate courts, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First, Second, and Third Circuits. He is a member of the firms’ E-Discovery Task Force and regularly counsels clients on a variety of related issues. Mr. Asfendis attended Le Moyne College (B.A., 1996) and St. John’s University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1999), and is admitted to practice in New York.

David A. Brooks
Real Property & Environmental Department – Newark Office
Mr. Brooks concentrates his practice in the area of environmental law, especially regulatory compliance, including compliance with the Industrial Site Recovery Act; solid waste and hazardous waste and substances management; Brownfields redevelopment; and remediation and litigation under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) and the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act. He previously served as Deputy Attorney General for the State of New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Law. Mr. Brooks attended the University of Chicago (B.A., 1993) and the University of Denver College of Law (J.D., 1998) and is admitted to practice in New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.

Mark Conlan
Financial Restructuring & Creditors Rights – Newark Office
Mr. Conlan represents debtors, creditors, and trustees in all aspects of bankruptcy cases and debtor-creditor matters. He also has extensive experience litigating preferential and fraudulent transfer avoidance actions. He recently lead a team of Gibbons lawyers that commenced more than 850 avoidance actions in the District of Delaware on behalf of the DBSI Estate Litigation Trust, and has also prosecuted many avoidance actions in the Twin County Grocers, Inc. and Hit or Miss Inc. chapter 11 cases. In addition, Mr. Conlan is an active member of the firm’s liquor licensing practice. Mr. Conlan attended William Paterson College (B.A., 1983) and Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2000) and he is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Carla N. Dorsi
Employment Department – Newark Office
Ms. Dorsi is a member of the Employment & Labor Law Department and devotes the majority of her practice to employment litigation and counseling on behalf of employers. Her experience includes defending wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, retaliation and breach of contract claims in both state and federal courts, various arbitration forums, and state and federal civil rights agencies. In addition, Ms. Dorsi has defended employers in wage and hour claims, including representing management in a nationwide FLSA collective action. Ms. Dorsi also counsels clients regarding a wide range of labor and employment law issues, including state and federal employment laws such as the FMLA and ADA, as well as wage and hour compliance and personnel decisions. Ms. Dorsi attended Seton Hall University, Stillman School of Business (B.S., cum laude, 1998) and Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., 2001) and is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

Sean P. Mahoney
Business & Commercial Litigation Department – Philadelphia Office
Mr. Mahoney concentrates his practice in the areas of first-party, third-party, excess, and complex insurance coverage litigation, and business and commercial litigation. His insurance litigation practice covers a broad range of insurance matters, including primary and excess liability insurance coverage, property loss coverage, business interruption and time element loss coverage, life insurance, reinsurance, ERISA, and long-term disability benefits coverage. Mr. Mahoney’s litigation experience has also frequently involved “bad faith” insurance matters, in both the first- and third-party contexts, under Pennsylvania and New Jersey law as well as disputes over managing general agency agreements. Additionally, Mr. Mahoney’s commercial litigation practice has previously involved commercial contract disputes, surety agreements, and actions to collect and enforce judgments. Mr. Mahoney attended the University of Notre Dame (B.A., 1999) and Villanova University School of Law (J.D., 2002) and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Jennifer M. Porter
Real Property & Environmental Department – Newark Office
Ms. Porter’s practice focuses on development, zoning, land use, planning, and related permitting issues. She has represented major developers and commercial and residential property owners on site plan, subdivision, special permit, use and area variance applications, and zoning interpretations before planning, zoning, and legislative boards in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. She has experience drafting all types of documents associated with such applications, including planning and zoning application forms, permitting documents, resolutions, easements and SEQRA forms and determinations. In addition, Ms. Porter has been involved in all aspects of zoning and land use litigation matters. Ms. Porter attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania (B.A., cum laude, 1996), Indiana University of Pennsylvania (M.A., 1997), and Pace University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2001) and is admitted to practice in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

Paul A. Saso
Business & Commercial Litigation Department – New York Office
Mr. Saso has extensive experience in complex commercial litigations involving contract, securities, fiduciary, and employment issues. He has been involved in all aspects of business litigation before state and federal courts, representing a wide variety of clients in the banking, telecommunications, energy, technology, and insurance industries, involving for example: claims relating to a hedge fund partnership dispute and breach of contract; disputes involving telecommunications services; emergency applications for interim and injunctive relief involving claims relating to restrictive covenants and breach of post-employment restraints; securities and other litigations arising out of the Enron bankruptcy; and an enforcement action against the Indonesian national oil and gas company in satisfaction of an international arbitration award. He also does pro bono work on behalf of public interest organizations seeking marriage equality for same-sex couples. Mr. Saso attended Drew University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1998) and New York University School of Law (J.D., 2001) and is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey.

Promoted to Counsel is:

Robert D. Brown Jr.
Products Liability Department – Newark Office
Mr. Brown, concentrates his practice in the areas of products liability litigation, general casualty litigation, construction defect litigation, insurance coverage disputes, and commercial matters. His practice has a particular emphasis in representing and defending a broad range of claims involving the design and manufacture of heavy equipment, material handling equipment, outdoor power equipment, power tools, automobiles and their component parts, recreational vehicles, healthcare products, mass torts and consumer goods. Mr. Brown attended University of New Haven (B.S., magna cum laude, 1994) -Dean’s List and Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., 1998), and is admitted to practice in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.