New Jersey 2021 Super Lawyers* List Announced

March 23, 2021— Cooper Levenson partners Randolph C. Lafferty, Russell L. Lichtenstein, Jill T. Ojserkis, and John A. Talvacchia were named to the 2021 New Jersey Super Lawyers list,* published by a division of Thomson Reuters. Selection criteria can be found here.

In addition, Brittany A. Bonetti, Kasi Marie Gifford, Rebecca C. Lafferty, Yolanda N. Melville, Michael L. Salad, and Jarad K. Stiles were named to the 2021 New Jersey Rising Stars list.* This designation is given to less than 2.5 percent of New Jersey attorneys who are 40 years old or younger, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less.

“These attorneys consistently hold themselves to the highest professional standards,” said Kenneth J. Calemmo, Jr., chief operating officer, Cooper Levenson. “We applaud the hard work and skill that helped earn them this designation.”

The Cooper Levenson attorneys named to the 2021 New Jersey Super Lawyers list* are:

Randolph C. Lafferty is a partner in the firm and Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney. He practices primarily in the areas of civil, commercial and general litigation. His practice also includes personal injury work and governmental law. Lafferty has been included on the New Jersey Super Lawyers list* each year since 2006. Lafferty is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell in Personal Injury and General Litigation. Martindale-Hubbell selection criteria can be found here.

Russell L. Lichtenstein is Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney, a partner in the firm, chair of the employment & labor and hospitality & casino industry defense litigation practice groups, and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. 2021 marks the 17th consecutive year that Lichtenstein has been selected to the New Jersey Super Lawyer list.* Lichtenstein is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell in Labor Law, Employment Law and Litigation. Martindale-Hubbell selection criteria can be found here.

Jill T. Ojserkis is a partner in the firm, chair of the healthcare law practice group, and a member of the cannabis law and tax groups. She represents hospitals, health systems, medical staffs and health information organizations in various matters. She also handles a wide variety of transactional, tax and corporate matters. Ojserkis is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell in Health Law and Tax Law (Martindale-Hubbell selection criteria can be found here), and has been included in the Super Lawyers List* each year since 2012.

John A. Talvacchia, a partner in the firm, is Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney. He is based in the Cherry Hill office. Talvacchia’s practice has focused on the defense of professional malpractice matters for 25 years. He has an extensive background in the representation of health care professionals and hospitals, and has tried more than 50 professional malpractice cases. Talvacchia has been selected for inclusion on the Super Lawyers list* each year since 2013.

The Cooper Levenson attorneys named to the 2021 New Jersey Rising Stars list are:

Brittany A. Bonetti is an associate in the firm’s healthcare and cannabis law practice groups. She assists hospitals and health systems, medical staffs, individual physicians and physician groups in business and regulatory matters. In addition to her J.D., Bonetti holds a Master of Public Health with a concentration in health systems and policy. She has authored publications on a variety of topics for the American Health Law Association and serves on the New Jersey State Bar Association Cannabis Law Special Committee.

Kasi Marie Gifford is an associate in the firm and a member of the Education Law Practice Group.  Gifford works with numerous New Jersey school clients. In this role, she guides school board members and school officials through the many aspects of education law that affect school boards and officials on a daily basis. Gifford serves as an Executive Board Member and Chair of the Young Lawyer’s Division of the Atlantic County Bar Association.

Rebecca C. Lafferty is an associate in the firm and a member of the following practice groups at Cooper Levenson: Gaming and Casino Law; Land Use, Zoning and Planning; Commercial Litigation; and Governmental Services. She is based in the firm’s Atlantic City office and focuses her practice on all aspects of the gaming industry; land use issues, including commercial development, redevelopment, and real estate; representation of various municipal entities; and various types of commercial litigation.

Yolanda N. Melville is a partner in the firm and a member of the firm’s land use, zoning and planning, and cannabis practice groups. She also assists the education law group in the defense of claims of violations of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, as well as federal litigation matters, including alleged civil rights and IDEA violations. She serves as President of the NAACP NextGen Alumni Leadership Council and as a member of the Legal Committee of the NAACP National Board of Directors.

Michael L. Salad is a partner in the firm’s tax practice group. He concentrates his practice on business transactions, probate administration, tax matters, estate planning, asset protection, special needs, and business planning. Salad also handles general corporate matters and mergers and acquisitions. He regularly divides his practice between Florida and New Jersey and assists clients from the Northeast who are seeking to change their residency. Salad holds an LL.M. degree in Estate Planning and Elder Law.

Jarad K. Stiles is a partner in the firm’s tax law, estate planning and administration, and bankruptcy and financial restructuring practice groups. He holds a J.D. / LL.M. and assists clients with estate and business succession planning, corporate tax planning, elder law, special needs trusts, tax litigation, and bankruptcy. Stiles assists businesses remain solvent in these difficult times through corporate and complex debt restructuring. He works from the firm’s Atlantic City, Cherry Hill, and New York City offices.

*Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is described on their website as: a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are described as being made using a patented multi-phase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. According to their website, the result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. For more information about Thomson Reuters and their criteria, visit SuperLawyers.com.

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