New Jersey Law Journal

Third Circuit Ruling Takes a Bite Out of Class Counsel Fee Awards

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:52:14 EST

The ruling closes off an avenue for class counsel to enhance their compensation for representing clients in particularly challenging cases.

J&J Snack Foods Top Lawyer Resigns as Legal Chief Exits Keep Piling Up

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:39:52 EST

The trend of legal chief exits and turnover has drawn increasing attention from boards and executive recruiters.

NJ Supreme Court Supports Narrow Interpretation of Charity Hospital's Immunity Claim

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:33:31 EST

"[T]he essential inquiry is not what a nonprofit corporation says, but what it does," Wainer Apter said. "Here, the undisputed evidence reveals that NCHC exists to provide healthcare to underserved populations."

Nazi-Era Art Fight Against Insurance Giant Lands in New Jersey

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:54:52 EST

The case claims insurance giant Sompo retained van Gogh's Sunflowers painting despite Nazi-era provenance concerns and commercially exploited it as part of its corporate brand.

Pashman Stein Managing Partner Taps Firm Sabbatical Policy to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:39:45 EST

“The message is, you can invest significantly in all your employees and it can align perfectly well with your business imperatives, Pashman Stein Walder Hayden managing partner Michael S. Stein stated.

A Man of the Fame, Not a Man of the People? What Morgan & Morgan's Wall Street Moment Says About the Future of Law

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 23:59:59 EST

The issue is not Morgan & Morgan. The issue is whether scale eventually changes the nature of the relationship.

NJ Justices to Eye Actual Malice Pleading Requirements Under New Anti-SLAPP Law

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:59:03 EST

In what is likely to be the New Jersey high court's first substantive examination of the state's new anti-SLAPP law, the state Supreme Court has agreed to consider the standards for pleading malice under the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act.

$10.5M Settlement Reached in Essex Court for Brain Injury

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:04:02 EST

Ultimately, being ready for trial helped plaintiffs' lawyers obtain a satisfactory settlement. "We were ready, and we had everybody lined up and ready to go, but you know, cooler heads prevailed," counsel said.

Justice Reform in New Jersey: How JDAI and Bail Reform Are Saving Futures and Saving Money, but Extreme Racial Disparity Persists

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:44:59 EST

New Jersey's JDAI and adult bail reform programs demonstrate that reducing incarceration, safeguarding public safety, and delivering substantial taxpayer savings are not competing objectives. Yet the success of these programs will remain incomplete so long as Black New Jerseyans are incarcerated at rates wildly disproportionate to their share of the population.

Rider University Sues Montgomery McCracken Over Failed $42M Land Deal

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:54:07 EST

The dispute comes just as plaintiff Rider University is in the middle of a financial crisis. Last year, amid declining enrollment, Rider laid off 25% of its full time faculty and instituted a 14% pay cut across the board.

'There Are So Many Objections': 100+ Objectors Flag Faults in $7.25B Roundup Settlement

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:15:27 EST

More than 100 class members and a dozen health care companies objected to the Roundup settlement, which is up for final approval on July 9.

When “Independent Contractor Stops Meaning Independent

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:29:59 EST

New Jersey's enforcement posture suggests a clear direction of travel. The state has prioritized substance over form and has shown little hesitation in challenging classifications that do not align with the realities of the working relationship.

NJ Justices Won't Revive Nikola Founder's Defamation Suit

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:30:50 EST

The ruling clears the way for a fee hearing under the state's anti-SLAPP law.

Appellate Court Reverses 'Hyper-Technical' Analysis Barring Expert Testimony

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:30:30 EST

“We fear this rationale would create a minefield of hyper-technicalities in order to doom innocent litigants possessing meritorious claims,' the Appellate Division wrote.

Tinted Window Laws Require Clarity

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:04:41 EST

Four years after Smith, several statutory fixes have been proposed. In our view, none of those proposals is entirely satisfactory.

NJ Should Adopt Rule Barring Sex with Clients

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:04:39 EST

We believe the rule should be adopted. Attorneys are fiduciaries. Having a sexual relation with a client epitomizes a conflict of interest.

On the Move and After Hours: Riker Danzig; Stevens & Lee; Baker Donelson; Stark & Stark; Capehart Scatchard; Archer

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 23:59:59 EST

Riker Danzig welcomed Anna Sohn as an associate in the firm's insurance and reinsurance group, and more moves.

Commissions Mislabeled as Bonuses are Wages Under the Wage Payment Law

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:59:59 EST

'Musker' left unanswered how to distinguish between commissions, which qualify as wages, and bonuses, which do not. The critical distinction between the two forms of compensation is not directly the subject of any binding New Jersey case law. We explore the issue in the meantime.

Apartment Complex Owed Duty of Care to Trash Collector Injured Off Premises, Appellate Division Finds

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:25:23 EST

“We are satisfied that the trial court analytically erred in placing such strong emphasis on the fact that plaintiff was struck and injured while standing on a public street, the Appellate Division stated.

When Federal Regulations and Collective Negotiation Agreements Collide: What 'Rutgers' Means for Federally Funded New Jersey Institutions of Higher Education

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:29:59 EST

For New Jersey educational institutions in particular, the case may represent an early indication that courts will expect greater procedural integration across compliance, disciplinary and labor systems moving forward.

Scarinci Hollenbeck Lands Weiner Law Group Managing Partner, 7-Lawyer Team

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:43:42 EST

“I share a vision with Donald [Scarinci, managing partner] of a true statewide practice to service our public and private clients," former Weiner Law Managing Partner Mark Tabakin said.

Court Watch: When Is a Search Warrant Required?

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:44:59 EST

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Novel NJ Ruling Finds Remote-Camera Workers Are Employees, Splitting With Fed Classification

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:37:02 EST

The decision classifying Streamate performers as employees is believed to be the first of its kind involving remote webcam models in the country, said Charles Kocher of McOmber McOmber & Luber in Marlton, New Jersey, who represents the plaintiff and members of the class.

NJ Entertainment Lawyers Eye Opportunities as Showbiz Spotlight Falls on Garden State

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:05:50 EST

The Garden State has become a hot spot for major film and television production companies lured by the presence of generous tax incentives, and entertainment attorneys say a shift in the practice area is either already happening or may be waiting in the wings.

Who Decides? Dolson as a Guide, Not a Gavel, and the Jury's Role in Rear-End Collision Cases: Lessons from 'Plonski v. Amador-Hodgson'

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:59:59 EST

The dismissal or rush to judgment of such cases impacts far more than simple courthouse procedure. When trial courts remove these cases from the jury, they do more than clear their dockets. They strip juries of their core function: deciding disputed facts. They also deny parties the right to have those disputes heard by a jury.

Giving Up to Save Down: Income and Estate Tax Efficiencies Through Upstream Estate Planning

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:59:59 EST

By coordinating among generations through sophisticated estate planning strategies, families can mitigate death taxes and avoid income taxes to increase a family's overall wealth. This article summarizes several upstream estate planning techniques along with their associated risks and how to address them.

Law Firms Are Using AI as Strategy Tool, Not for Reliable Forecasts of Litigation Outcomes

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:06:15 EST

Attorneys are using the predictive functions of AI to corroborate or identify potential holes in their thinking about litigation strategy.

The Role of Labor Peace Agreements and Cannabis Unionization in New Jersey and Federal Preemption

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:59:59 EST

New Jersey's LPA requirement raises a central doctrinal question: Can a state condition entry into a licensed market on agreements that directly shape union organizing and collective bargaining?