March 17, 2022— Cooper Levenson partners Randolph C. Lafferty, Russell L. Lichtenstein, Jill T. Ojserkis, and John A. Talvacchia were named to the 2022 New Jersey Super Lawyers list, a designation awarded to just 5 percent of the lawyers in the state and published by a division of Thomson Reuters.
In addition, Brittany A. Bonetti, Kasi Marie Gifford, Anthony Imbesi, Yolanda N. Melville, Michael L. Salad, and Jarad K. Stiles were named to the 2022 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 2022 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.
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. 2022 marks the 18th 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.
Jill T. Ojserkis is a partner in the firm, chair of the healthcare law practice group, and is a member of the cannabis law and tax groups. She represents hospitals, health systems, medical staffs, health information and technology 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 and has been included in the Super Lawyers List each year since 2012. Ojserkis also holds an LL M. Degree.
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 2022 New Jersey Rising Stars list are:
Brittany A. Bonetti is a partner 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 lLaw 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.
Anthony M. Imbesi is an attorney based in the firm’s Cherry Hill office. He is a member of the defense litigation practice group and concentrates his practice on the area of medical malpractice.
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 Chair Emeritus 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 made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.
