Jeff is a founding Partner of the Firm, and has over nineteen years of experience representing boards of education. He concentrates his practice in a number of areas including school law, municipal law, special education law, insurance defense, employment discrimination and labor, collective bargaining/negotiations, personal injury, family legal issues, construction, and real estate. He regularly represents clients in Open Public Meetings, municipal court, grievance arbitrations, mediations and fact-finding hearings, the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission, the Office of Administrative Law, the New Jersey Appellate Division, the New Jersey Superior Court, the New Jersey Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, and state and federal courts in New York.
Jeff’s expertise in representing public employers in labor and collective bargaining differentiates him from others. He provides cost effective and economical assistance, either as consultant or spokesperson, in all areas of bargaining, including the construction of salary guides and scattergrams. His collaborative approach results in mutual understanding and identification of the pertinent issues and fosters achievements through a "win-win" model of negotiations.
Jeff has experience consulting with administrators, human resource officers, and operations managers. He has represented public employers in disciplinary hearings, arbitrations, and administrative review hearings. He provides legal review on policy construction and design. He is experienced in public works projects.
Jeff is routinely sought after to speak on relevant legal issues concerning public entities, including providing advice and guidance on the impacts of ever-changing education laws. Jeff is committed to providing clients prompt and accurate legal advice. His personal interest in the clients' success and his ability to interact professionally and efficiently is a winning formula.
Jeff recently completed a term as a school board trustee for the Franklin Lakes Board of Education where he was on the personnel, operations, and policy committees. He is a certified Mediator in the State of New Jersey. Jeff has served as a Trustee for the New Jersey Association of School Attorneys.
Prior to becoming one of the founding partners of the Firm, Jeff was a Shareholder at a mid-sized general practice firm where he was a member of the Education Law Group.
For 2016, Jeff has received a Peer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell as Distinguished- High Ethical Standards.
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 1997
Montclair State University, B.A., 1994
Judicial Clerkship
Honorable Edward Kirby, J.S.C., New Jersey Superior Court, Law Division (Essex Vicinage), 1997-1998
Bar Admissions
New Jersey, 1997
U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 1997
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 2001
New York, 2002
Memberships
New Jersey Association of School Attorneys