Overview and Experience
A partner in our Commercial Litigation and Local Government departments, Stuart is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney and provides litigation and transactional support to many of ShapiroCroland corporate clients. Stuart also provides ongoing advice as general counsel to businesses in a variety of industries.
Stuart’s varied litigation and transactional experience includes a concentration in complex commercial/ chancery/federal matters, arbitration, administrative, contracts, eminent domain, entertainment, environmental, estate, family, guardianship, injunctions, insurance coverage, intellectual property, land use & zoning, mediation, municipal, partnership/shareholder, probate, professional liability, real estate and restrictive covenants. Stuart has also been the recipient of numerous court appointments in complex litigation matters and, upon such appointments, has served as an arbitrator, special fiscal agent, receiver, administrator, fiduciary, provisional director, special discovery master and mediator. Notable recent examples include, — the appointment as Special Fiscal Agent for several restaurants and a substantial Latin Nightclub, a mult-family residential portfolio of properties, an Italian dessert company,a manufacturer of holograms, holographic diffraction gratings and hot stamping foils,the appointment as a Provisional Director for a substantial distributor of essential oils, aroma chemicals, concretes and absolutes, the appointment as a Discovery Master in a multi-party insurance-hospital billing dispute and multi-million dollar insurance coverage dispute, and the appointment as an administrator of contested estates and as a guardian and guardian ad litem.
A cum laude graduate of Rutgers College and the Temple University School of Law, Stuart is admitted to practice before both the federal and state courts of New Jersey and New York. Stuart is a former Chairman of the District IIA Fee Arbitration Committee and is an active member of state and local bar associations.
Admitted To Bar
- State of New Jersey (1980)
- State of New York (1981)
- United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
Education
- B.A., cum laude, Rutgers College (1977)
- J.D., Temple University, James E. Beasley School of Law (1980)
Areas of Concentration
- Business Litigation
- Court Appointed Fiduciary
- Local Government
- Zoning and Planning
- Probate Litigation
- Real Estate
- Commercial Transactions
- Entertainment
- Expert witness: Attorney Professional Liability matters.
Honors & Memberships
New Jersey Super Lawyer (2005-2021)
Certified Trial Attorney – New Jersey Supreme Court (2021)New Jersey Supreme Committee on Complementary Dispute Resolution (2013-2015; 2015-2017 term)Best Lawyers in America (2007-2019)
New Jersey Super Lawyer (2005-2019)
New Jersey Top 100 Super Lawyer (2019)
New Jersey Super Lawyer, Corporate Counsel (2009-2018)
New York Area’s Top Lawyers (2007-2019)
Bergen County 201 Magazine Top Lawyers (2012-2019)
“AV” Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell (2017-2019)
Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
Reported Cases Trial & Appellate Courts
- A&S Check Cashing, Inc. v. Rapid Check Cashing, Inc.2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2305 (interpretation of contract; extrinsic evidence precluded; collection of judgment);
- In re Estate of Byung-Tae Oh, 2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1892 (Ancillary probate; settlement of Estate action; principles of comity and collateral estoppel; award of fees);
- Marzetta v. Tassev, 2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 635 (jury trial is not available in a general equity matter if the relief sought at the outset of the case is primarily equitable and the legal relief requested is ancillary to the equitable claims presented);
- Saddle River v. 66 East Allendale, 424 N.J.Super. 516 (App. Div. 2012), 2013 NJ LEXIS 1089 (2013) (Eminent domain; probability of grant of variance and impact on fair market value of subject property);
- Troma v. Centennial Pictures 729 F. 3d 215 (2nd Cir. 2013) (personal jurisdiction under NY CPLR re: copyright infringement);
- Koch v. Troma, 2010 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 4925 (Partial Summary Judgment on breach of distribution agreement of video library);
- St. George’s Dragons, LP v. Newport Real Estate Group LLC, 407 N.J.Super. 464 (App. Div. 2009)(right of first refusal; specific performance of real property);
- Jersey York Apparel, LLC v. Ronald Platovsky, 2008 WL 2164287 (Ch. Div. 2008) (liquidating receiver for limited liability company);
- Shaler Properties v. Borough of Ridgefield, 2007 WL 3982513 (Law Div. 2007) (constitutionality of rent control ordinance);
- Alan Klarik Enterprises, Inc. v. Viva Optique, Inc., 2006 WL 2423552 (Cal. App.2d Dist. 2006) (successful defense of substantial commission claim);
- Cooper v. Tomback, 798 N.Y.S.2d 708 (N.Y. Sup. 2004) (partnership dispute regarding New York City apartment building);
- PNE Media, LLC v. Cistrone, 741 N.Y.S.2d. 405 (N.Y.A.D., 1st Dept. 2002) (partnership dispute relating to outdoor advertising industry);
- Steiger v. Lenoci, 323 N.J.Super. 529 (App. Div. 1999) (enforceability of neighborhood land use restrictions of record);
- National Realty Counselors v. Ellen Tracy, Inc., 313 N.J.Super. 519 (App. Div. 1998) (unauthorized practice of law);
- Irani v. K-Mart Corp., 281 N.J.Super. 383 (App. Div. 1995) (land use dispute; dismissal of action); Reno Auto v. Prospect Park S & L., 243 N.J.Super. 624 (App. Div. 1990) (application of entire controversy doctrine);
- FOP v. City of Newark, 216 N.J.Super. 461 (App. Div. 1987) (constitutionality of drug testing of police officers);
- National Treasury Employees Union v. Von Raab, 489 U.S. 656, 109 S.Ct. 1384, 103 L.Ed.2d 685, 49 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 38,792, 4 IER Cases 246, 1989 O.S.H.D. (CCH) P 28,589 (U.S. La., Mar 21, 1989) (Amicus Brief)
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