the clarionthe clarion inside this issue: es, over and above practicing “3 rule changes for the...

The Clarion

Inside this issue:

“3 Rule Changes for the Civil

Trial Attorney”

2

Annual Golf & Tennis Outing 2

A Message from the

Foundation Chair

4

Sheriff’s office Issues

Attorney IDs

4

2013-14 SCBA & SCBF

Committee Chairs

5

Welcome Returning & New

Members

“Ripped From the Head-

lines: The LW&T of the

Soprano’s James Gan-

dolfini”

Celebration of Lawyers in

the Arts

Vicinage XIII Courtroom

Assignments 2013-2013

Members on the Move

“Benefits of Face-to-Face

Networking”

New Arrivals

“Eighth Annual Legal

Runaround Repeats Its

Success”

In Memoriam

Clarion “Tidbits”

LSNWJ Holds Celebration of

Justice

Somerset County Bar

Foundation Board

Bar Office Internship Available

Calendar of Upcoming Events

6

7

8

9

9

10

10

11

11

12

12

13

13

14

Special points of interest:

Bar Association elects new offic-

ers

Sheriff’s office issues attorney IDs

Vicinage XIII Judicial Courtroom

Assignments - 2013-14

Somerse t C oun ty Ba r Assoc ia t ion and Fo unda t i on

Volume 5, Issue 1

September, Somerset County Bar Associa tion

President’s Message

Note from the Editor

This is the first issue of The

Clarion in a long time. The

current issue is focused on cur-

rent governance, committees

and membership. We’ve also

thrown in a bit of coverage of

some recent popular events held

by both the Bar Association and

Bar Foundation.

In future issues, we would

like to include coverage of the

issues that are meaningful to

you, our members, in addition

to events and committee notes.

Please let us hear from you

about what YOU WANT c/o

[email protected]

Victoria D. Britton, Esq.

Somerset County Bar Associa tion

Elects New Of ficers

On June 5, 2013, the following were elected as Officers of the

Somerset County Bar Association for 2013-2014:

President: - Amy Wechsler, Esq.

President-Elect - Jeralyn L. Lawrence, Esq.

1st Vice President - Francesco A. Taddeo, Esq.

2nd Vice President - Jodi Lee Alper, Esq.

Treasurer - Michele E. D’Onofrio, Esq.

Secretary - Michael Fedun, Esq.

Other Board of Trustees members:


Joel G. Cohen, Esq.

Francine A. Gargano, Esq.

Heidi Ann Lepp, Esq.

Carl A. Taylor, III, Esq.

Steven K. Warner, Esq.

Mark T. Mayrides, Esq.– Immediate Past President

Being a lawyer

isn’t easy. It

probably was-

n’t easy 100

years ago ei-ther, but tech-

nology has

created whole

new challeng-

es, over and above practicing

law, that are unprecedented and

continuously changing at a diz-

zying pace.

Technology directs our

focus and how we manage our

practices. The reach of our

words on the internet is virtual-

ly boundless and the whole world is our potential audience

at the stroke of a key. Yet, we

are confounded by how to har-

ness that power to target those

we seek to reach and make our

message visible in a vast sea of

twitters, Facebook posts, linked

-in updates, texts and internet

sites.

Not so long ago, we

opened the mail and reviewed a

dozen or so letters and plead-ings delivered on any given day.

We spoke by phone to clients

and counsel. Now, we still get a

fair amount of those letters and

pleadings, and we still make

and receive phone calls, but we

also get 50, or 100, or more e-

mails and texts that demand our

attention every single day. We

even check our spam folders

because the messages captured

may be important ones from clients or counsel or the courts.

We join list serves to share con-

cerns and advice, only to unsub-

scribe because the volume of

uninformative, pedantic chatter

is downright annoying. Honest-

ly, I don’t always want to know

that much about what some

people think.

Client expectations are

different, too. They send e-

mails at all times of day and night, on week-ends and even

when we think we’ve escaped

on vacation with our families.

Boundaries are blurred and we

are challenged to avoid being

easily seduced into providing

multiple daily responses, too

often composed on the fly, in-

formally and without considera-

tion of the impact our words

have.

So, in the midst of all

the chatter, for the coming year I will do my best not to inun-

date you with more noise, and

keep our communication with

you purposeful and useful.

Continued on page 2

SCBA President’s Message

Cont’d from Page 1

The Clarion will offer articles about

the practice of law, information about

CLE opportunities, notices of our

events and of the activities of our Somerset County Bar Foundation, and

news about our members and our col-

leagues at the courthouse. Our e-mail

“blasts” to members will be to remind

you of upcoming events (continuing

education programs, committee meet-

ings, etc.) so you can register to at-

tend, provide opportunities to partici-

pate in programs, and let you know

when the SCBA Board takes action

we believe is in your interests.

Please join us at our first event

of the 2013-14 term, the annual Instal-

lation Dinner, combined with our

Meet-the-Clerks event on September

24, at the Raritan Valley Country

Club. I hope to see you there, and I

promise to keep my iPhone turned

“off.”

Amy Wechsler, Esq.

2013-14 President, SCBA

Volume 5, Issue 1 September, 2013

3 Rule Changes for the Civil Trial Attorney By Brian J. Levine, Esq.

from the courtroom. R.1:8-3(g)(1). If

the trial judge determines that there is

such a compelling need, he or she must

state the reasons for limiting or denying

public access to jury selection. From the language of this rule, I believe that a trial

judge will be hard pressed to provide

such compelling reasons, as the rule re-

quires a trial judge to consider reasona-

ble alternatives, such as holding jury

selection in a larger courtroom. Further-

more, if the trial judge decides to ex-

clude the public from jury selection, the

trial judge is to consider alternate ways

to permit observation, including elec-

tronic means. Please note that the public

access to the courtroom during jury se-lection does not mean that the trial judge

must voir dire any individual juror in

public, as those discussions must still be

conducted at a sidebar. R.1:8-3(g)(2).

Therefore, we should not see any more

signs in the courthouse advising the pub-

lic not to enter during jury selection.

R.1:32-2(a) authorizes the Ad-

ministrative Director of the Courts to

develop and implement an electronic

court system for the filing of data and

documents. I expect that this electronic

court system will come into effect in the

next year or two and will assist the court

and counsel in searching for filings in

their own cases and other related mat-

ters.

These rule amendments demon-

strate a shift toward more convenient

electronic filing procedures and more

transparency in the judicial process.

While it may take the courts and civil

practioners alike some time to adjust to

these rule changes, the hope is that they

will make the practice of law a little

easier.

Mr. Levine is Co-Chair of the

Chancery / Civil Practice Committee

The first of Septem-

ber each year brings

amendments to the

court rules from our

Supreme Court.

This year most of

the amendments are

of no concern to the civil litigator. There

are, however, three rule changes that will

affect the practice of a civil trial attorney

now or in the very near future.

R.1:4-1(b) now requires attor-

neys to provide their attorney identifica-

tion number in the top left hand margin

of any pleading filed with the court. The

deadline for meeting this requirement

has recently been extended to Novem-

ber 1, 2013. Please note that your attor-

ney identification number is the number

that ends with the four years of your date

of admission and is submitted with your

IOLTA forms. It is not your New Jersey

State Bar Association number. Each

attorney was already required to provide

his or her name on the first page in the

top left hand corner of each pleading, but

it is my experience that most attorneys

only identify their firm name, address

and telephone number. I expect that

when attorneys begin to provide their

attorney identification number in accord-

ance with this rule change, they will also

provide their full name. It has been re-

ported that the purpose for providing an

attorney’s ID number is to allow the

court personnel to retrieve attorney con-

tact information, once the court imple-

ments the anticipated electronic filing

system.

R.1:8-3(g) assures that jury se-

lection will be conducted in open court.

The only exception to this rule amend-

ment is if a trial judge determines that there is a “compelling need” to exclude

the public

Register Now!

Annual

Meet the Clerks

& Installation

Dinner

Sept. 24, 2013

www.somersetbar.com

Calendar of Events


Forty four golfers and nine tennis

players braved the muggy weather and half

-hour rain delay on June 25, 2013, to com-

pete in the annual Somerset County Bar Association Golf and Tennis Outing at

Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridge-

water, New Jersey. The format for the

golf outing was a four person scramble.

The format for tennis was a round-robin

doubles tournament. As in past years, the

event was photographed by Anna DiNardo

-Smith. Some photographs of the golfers

and tennis players in action are included in

this issue, but I encourage you to view all

of the photographs from this event at the

following website:

http://electricphotohouse.com/

somersetbargolf2013/

The winning group, with a score

of 63, was Len Friedman, Jim Molough-

ney, Barry

Sugarman

and Mark

Mayrides.

Given that

I am one

of the co-

organizers

of this event each

year, there

were multiple cries from the audience that

the golf outing was fixed. I assure you

that there is no truth to these vicious ru-

mors! In second place, with a respectable

score of 69, was the group of Bob Farrell,

Jim Loewen, Mike Shale and Jim Wronko.

When asked how he felt about coming in

second place, Jim Loewen responded that

he drank enough

beer and

smoked

enough

cigars to

more than

make up

for the

difference

in prize

money

between 1st and 2nd places.

2nd Place Golf Winners (69):

Jim Loewen, Bob Farrell, Jim

Wronko & Mike Shale

The Most Honest Group of golfers

were Dan

Esposito,

Mike Stan-ton, Eamon

Gibbons

(Emerald

Financial)

and Eugen

Velea

(Emerald

Financial)

with an

“honest”

score of 81. It was rumored that one of the members of this group actually whiffed on

one of his tee shots. While I won’t say

who the culprit was, I will tell you that you

should be thankful that Emerald Financial

is hard at work investing your money and

not wasting any time on the driving range!

Bob Farrell should be congratulat-

ed for his closest-to-the-pin shot to 9” (yes,

that’s inches) on Hole #10. Quite impres-

sive! Similarly, Frank Taddeo can be

proud of his mammoth blast on Hole #18 which won Long Drive. Although the

yardage was not verified by laser measure-

ment, Frank’s drive was well over 300

yards.

Dan Lane, who organized the ten-

nis outing, offered the following recap: The

tennis was spirited but friendly, and every-

one enjoyed the day. There were several

new faces attending the outing. It was no-

“Most Honest” Golf Group (81)

Eugen Velea, Dan Esposito, Mike

Stanton & Eamon Gibbons

Tennis participants (l-r): George Mullen, Ed

Landis, the Hon. Fred H. Kumpf, JSC, Anthony

Vinhal, Brian Cige, Mike Mitzner, Dan Lane

(Tennis Chair), Kristyl Berckes, Bill Lemega &

Steve Lane

some of the participants, there were no

serious injuries. Congratulations to

Anthony Vinhal, who took 1st place,

Steve “Night Train” Lane who came in 2nd place, and George Mullen who

claimed 3rd place. When I reached

Scott Mitzner and relayed the results,

clearly he was not happy about being

dethroned as past champion. Scott

stated that the only reason Anthony

won this year was that he could not

attend the outing. He further vowed

that Anthony would be a “one and

done” winner of the SCBA Golf &

Tennis outing. We will have to wait to see if Scott can back up those strong

words at the outing next year!

After golf and tennis, we were

all rewarded with an open bar, deli-

cious hors d’oeuvres and buffet, and an

amazing raw bar served by the friendly

and attentive staff of Raritan Valley

Country Club. The raw bar was the hit

of the reception, as it is every year.

Continued on Page 6

Virginia Moran, the Hon. John Coyle, PJSC

(ret), the Hon. Graham T. Ross, AJSC (ret),

Michael McCaffrey, David Hawkins & Rob-

bie Aufseeser

Annual Golf & Tennis Outing - June 25, 2013

Amy Wechsler, the Hon. Margaret

Goodzeit, PJFP, the Hon. Fred H.

Kumpf, JSC & Amy Shimalla

Low score (63) Golf Winners:

Barry Sugarman, Len Friedman,

Jim Moloughney & Mark Mayrides

http://electricphotohouse.com/somersetbargolf2013/

http://electricphotohouse.com/somersetbargolf2013/


A Message from the Foundation Chair I thoroughly enjoyed my first year as the SCBF Chair.

It was an exciting year filled with events that kept us all busy.

The Installation Dinner and Basket Raffle had the largest at-

tendance in the SCBF’s history.

The Annual Mock Trial Competition brought forth

many new com-

petitors from

the high

schools. Mount

St. Mary Acade-

my in Watch-

ung prevailed

over nine other

strongly com-

petitive high

schools. My

heartfelt thanks

go out to the

event Chairs,

Adelaide Riggi,

Esq. and Re-

becca Brown, Esq., for their significant coordination and lead-

ership.

Co-sponsored by the Vicinage XIII Advisory Commit-

tee on Minority Concerns, the NJ Judiciary Children in Court

Improvement Committee, the SCBF and the State Bar Founda-

tion, nearly 100 people attended the annual Law Day commu-

nity education program dealing with “Exploring Cultural Com-

petency Within Your Community”, proving that the public is in

fact interested in the justice system.

As always the 5K was phenomenal and we had an

amazing turnout considering the rainy weather (see related

article in this issue by Jodi Lee Alper, Esq., pg. 10)! The gen-

erosity of the Bar at the Holiday Party makes me so proud to

be one of you.

There were also some new projects this year. The Foun-

dation raised over $1,700 to help local law students affected

by Hurricane Sandy; we had a table at the “Somerville Street-

fest” in mid-June to promote the Bar Foundation and raise

awareness of its activities in the general public.

The Bar Foundation partnered with Emerald Financial

for the Bikes4Kids project. Through funds raised by dona-

tions, we were

able to give bicy-

cles, helmets and

locks to 60 chil-

dren from fami-

lies in need.

This was my

favorite event.

How excited

they all were!

All of the

amazing things we accomplished last year would never have

happened without the help of my magnificent Board of Trus-

tees and the generous, and ever helpful, members of the

SCBA. I look forward to another exciting year, and welcome

anyone who wants to participate in our events.

Francine A. Gargano, Esq.

Chair - Somerset County Bar Foundation

Members of the victorious Mount St. Mary Academy

team with NJ Supreme Court Justice Helen E. Hoens

and the Hon. Robert B. Reed, JSC, judges of the final

Children receiving their bikes from the Bikes4Kids

Somerset County Sherif f ’s Of fice Issues Attorney Photo IDs

The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office

can issue photo identification cards to

attorneys.

Attorneys must present the following

at the time of the photograph sitting:

New Jersey State Bar Association

identification number * Form of photo identification

$25.00 check payable to: The Somerset County Treasurer

Location of the photos:

20 Grove St. (County Admin. Bldg),

Somerville, NJ

Lower level

To schedule photos:

Call Marissa Benner: (908) 231-7137

Appointments are REQUIRED

Appointments are available:

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

7:30 am - 12:00 pm; 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

* A NJSBA identification number is

required as the Sheriff’s Office computer

system is aligned with the State Bar data-

base. If you do not have a NJSBA ID

number, you will not be able to obtain a

photo ID from the Somerset County Sher-

iff’s Office.

2013 - 2014 SCBA and SCBF Committee Chairs


Chancery / Civil Practice

Brian Levine, Esq. (908) 243-0111

Email: [email protected]

Edward Rebenack, Esq. (732) 247-3600


Continuing Legal Education

Francine A. Gargano, Esq. (908) 753-2079


Steven K. Warner, Esq. (908) 277-2410


Criminal / Municipal Practice

Steven B. Lieberman, Esq. (908) 725-1776


Paul H. Loeffler, Esq. (908) 766-6666


Elder, Estates & Trusts Practice

A. Nichole Cipriani, Esq. (908) 722-0700


Stacey A. Pilato, Esq. (908) 754-4500


Family Practice

Amy Z. Shimalla, Esq. (908) 753-3833


Kathleen L. Wood, Esq. (609) 921-8070


Golf & Tennis and Softball Outings

Mark T. Mayrides, Esq. (908) 243-0111


Daniel J. Lane, Esq. (908) 253-9333


Michael O’Grodnick, Esq. (908) 526-0707


Labor, Employment & Workers’ Compensation Practice

Ryan S. Carey, Esq. (908) 580-1776


Lawrence N. Lavigne, Esq. (908) 687-7750


“Legal Runaround”

Jodi Lee Alper, Esq. (973) 226-2700


Malte M. Pendergast-Fischer, JD (908) 252-2317


Mock Trial

Adelaide Riggi, Esq. (908) 252-4186


Jason A. Storipan, Esq. (908) 516-1065


Newsletter

Victoria D. Britton, Esq. (609) 436-1217


Real Estate Practice

Joel G. Cohen, Esq. (908) 757-7300


Keith Hovey, Esq. (732) 855-6196


Young Lawyers

Alexander G. Fisher, Esq. (908) 526-0707


Sarah M. Mahony, Esq. (908) 753-3833


For more information or to join one of these Committees,

please contact the Chairs or the Executive Director.

SAVE THE DATE!

Annual Fall Marathon CLE Day

Monday, October 14th

8:00 am - 3:30 pm

Raritan Valley Country Club

Check the website calendar for details

www.somersetbar.com


Thank you to all of the participants

of the SCBA Golf and Tennis Outing and to

those people who could not make the outing

but still found time to come to lunch or the

reception. A special thank you to all of the sponsors in-

cluding: Carl

Taylor; Frank

Taddeo;

DiFrancesco,

Bateman,

Coley,

Yospin,

Kunzman,

Davis, Lehrer

& Flaum; Emerald Financial; First Legacy

Group Title & Abstract; Lane & Lane; Ma-son, Griffin & Pierson; Norris, McLaughlin

& Marcus; Rebenack, Aronow & Mas-

Griffin & Pierson; Norris, McLaughlin &

Marcus; Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo;

Rosenberg, Rich, Baker & Berman; Shimal-

la, Wechsler, Lepp & D’Onofrio; Withum,

Smith & Brown; and Wronko & Loewen.

Without your generous support,

this event would not be successful each

year. I also wanted to thank Judge

Goodzeit, Judge Picheca, Judge Kumpf,

Judge Coyle (retired) and Judge Ross

(retired) for attending the event. Your par-

ticipation at Somerset County Bar Associa-

tion functions, such as the Golf and Tennis

Outing, is greatly appreciated.

I hope to see you all at next year’s outing and encourage you to bring a friend

or a foursome.

Mark T. Mayrides, Esq.

Co-Chair Golf & Tennis Outing

Welcome Returning & New Members! (as of August 31, 2013)

Amy Rokuson, Jerry D’Aniello,

Adelaide Riggi & Amy Wechsler

Annual G&T Outing continued from Page

We welcome back after an absence:

Jeffrey J. Brookner, Esq.

Brookner Law Offices, LLC

John E. Bruder, Esq.

Law Office of John E. Bruder, Esq.

Richard F. Collier, Esq.

Collier Law Firm, PC

Martha N. Donovan, Esq.

Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, PA

Hon. William A. Dreier, PJAD (ret)


Paul R. Duffy, Esq.

Kearns & Duffy, PC

James J. Dunn, Esq.

Levinson Axelrod, PC

Daniel R. Esposito, Esq.

McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney &

Carpenter, LLP

Ronald V. Farneski, Esq.

Ronald V. Fanreski, Esq.

Hanan M. Isaacs, Esq.

Hanan M. Isaacs, PC

Cynthia M. Maurer, Esq.

Jacoby & Myers

Hon. Elia A. Pelios, ALJ

Administrative Office of the Courts

Stanley F. Rizzolo, Esq.

Rizzolo & Rizzolo

Michael B. Roberts, Esq.

Roberts & Teeter, LLC

and a warm welcome to our new

members:

Bradley M. Arlen, Esq.


William J. Berman, Esq.

Berman Rosenbach, PC

Rudolph J. Burshnic, Esq.

McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney &

Carpenter, LLP

Hon. Bradford M. Bury, JSC

Superior Court of New Jersey

Laurence J. Cutler, Esq.

Laufer, Dalena, Cadicina, Jensen &

Boyd, LLC

Brian K. Dinicola, Esq.

Dinicola & Young, PC

Mark R. Friedman, Esq.

Friedman Law

JoAnne Haffeman

Richard L. Hertzberg, Esq.

Greenbaum Rowe

Brian J. Levine, Esq.

Brenner & Levine, PA

Rachel J. McCaffrey, Esq.

Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office

Joan Duffy Mody, Esq.

Joan Duffy Mody, Esq., LLC

Paul D. Rosenberg, Esq.

Kaye Cooper Kay & Rosenberg, LLP

New members - cont’d

David J. Rubenstein, Esq.

Sokol Behot & Fiorenzo

Suzanne J. Shaw, Esq.

Law Office of Suzanne J. Shaw

Barbara E. Ungar

Law Office of Barbara Ungar

James

Gandolfini, a.k.a.

“Tony Soprano,”

died suddenly at

the age of 51 in

June in Rome,

Italy. The world

collectively

dropped its jaw

in shock and

sadness. When

his Last Will & Testament, signed Decem-

ber 19, 2012, was revealed publicly in

July, 2013, the estate planning world

dropped its jaw in shock and sadness. The

precise value of the Sopranos’ patriarch

and mega-star has been speculated to be in

excess of $70 million, and as minimal as

set forth on the official probate applica-

tion: between $1 million and $10 million.

He may have an aggregate estate of the

more astronomical figure, undisclosable to

the public, which includes life insurance,

retirement assets, trust assets, and other

forms of assets not governed by a Last

Will & Testament, but the probate estate

will be liable for significant estate taxes

and is already predicted to be headed to

court over what the will does not provide.

The Will infers he provided for his surviv-

ing wife and at least his 14-year-old son

(born of his prior marriage) with life insur-

ance proceeds in trust, but does not men-

tion any such non-probate provision for

his infant daughter, born two months be-

fore he signed his will. Instead, he leaves

her 20% of his residuary estate, after $1.6

million is doled out in specific cash be-

quests to his sisters, nieces and nephew,

godson and friends, and estate taxes, ad-

ministration fees and debts are paid.

Amongst other things, the Will makes oth-

er specific provision for his son to have an

option to purchase his New York condo

and parking space, and for his two children

to receive his home in Italy.

For those “in the know” on estate

and tax laws, Mr. Gandolfini’s Last Will

& Testament makes our skin crawl. We

are all screaming, “Why didn’t he have a

revocable trust to protect his and his ben-

eficiaries’ privacy?! Why isn’t there a

“QTIP” trust to take advantage of the

marital deduction and control the distri-

bution of assets after the death of his sur-

viving wife?! Didn’t he know his probate

estate could be subject to up to 55% in

collective state and federal estate taxes?!

Why did he deal with the Italy property

in the Will instead of with an Italian plan-

ning instrument – it’s governed by Italian

law, not American! And, WHY ON

EARTH would he let his daughter get her

hands on the LUMP SUM of her trust

when she turns 21?!” And after our very

vocal disapproval of a host of other dan-

ger zones in the Will, we pause to

acknowledge that at least he set forth

guardianship for his minor children in the

event the unthinkable were to happen to

their mothers. Even if, hypothetically

speaking, the residue is eaten away by

estate taxes and the specific bequests,

and, say, his daughter is left with

$100,000, a number many in society are

more familiar with, the child is less than a

year old and the funds will be (hopefully)

growing for the next 20+ years. Turned

over to her back pocket when she’s 21

could very well subject her to creditors,

“predators,” a failed young marriage, and

the most obvious, spendthrifting.

Just about every maxim of sound

estate planning for a very wealthy, twice-

married father of two broods with foreign

assets is ignored here. But is this really a

circumstance of poor planning? Or is it

the confirmation of “haste makes waste.”

It is rumored that Gandolfini was getting

on a plane. As the father of a newborn

infant (who was two months old at the

time of the Will), maybe he found the

urgency to “get something on paper,” and

deal with the details on tax implications

later. Maybe he intended on executing a

Will or trust in Italy, where he passed

away six months later, to govern his

home there. Maybe he utilized his life-

time gift exemption of $5.12 million just

before the close of the year and he felt it

unnecessary to do any other tax planning.

Maybe he intended on coming home later

to spend the time it takes to set up a revo-

cable living trust transferring all of his

probate assets thereto, a process that

could be time-consuming if there are

many assets and accounts. Maybe he just

didn’t care about the tax and spendthrift-

ing issues because the bulk of his estate

will remain intact with trust and business

planning. The lawyer who drafted the

will is named as one of the three Execu-

tors. When lodged with the obvious ques-

tions, or rather, strong criticisms, about

the soundness of the probate estate plan,

his summarized response has been that

“everyone is well provided for.”

Even if your clients’ estates don’t

reach the $10 million or $70 million mark,

in New Jersey, at least, prudent planning

takes into consideration that your clients’

estates will owe taxes if in excess of

$675,000. And unlike New York, New

Jersey also has an inheritance tax that ap-

plies to certain bequests to non-spousal

and non-lineal beneficiaries. More often

than not, the inheritance tax exceeds the

estate tax. Even more prevalent than

wealth are second marriages and children

from prior marriages. How to provide (or

not provide) fairly for everyone is often a

difficult decision. Who will control the

family business? Who will receive the

Jersey shore house? Are special needs

Continued on page 10

“Ripped From the Headlines: The Last Will & Testament of the

Sopranos’ James Gandolfini”

by Stacey L. Pilato, Esq.


L

L

&

Steven R. Lane, Esq. 84 East Main Street

Daniel J. Lane, Esq. 2nd Floor

Eric J. Lane, Esq.* Somerville, NJ 08876 *Admitted to NJ/MA Bars

(908) 253-9333

Fax (908) 253-9339

www.njlanelaw.com


LANE & LANE, LLC

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

The New Jersey Law Journal will produce its sixth bi-annual

Celebration of Lawyers in the Arts to be held Wednesday,

Oct. 2, from 5:30-9:30 at NJPAC in Newark. This year’s

show is “Face the Music”, the 1932 Broadway musical by

Irving Berlin and Moss Hart. Broadway meets the NYPD in the Prohibition-era cocktail of show business, political cor-

ruption, chorines, bums and public morals! There will be

alive seventeen-piece orchestra, a six-person dance troupe

choreographed by the New Jersey Ballet, and more than

eighty lawyer [including our own Frank Kolodzieski from

the Prosecutor’s Office] from Camden to Sparta who are

cultivating their artistic selves either as performers or visual

artists.

All net proceeds from the event will support New Jer-

sey Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organi-

zation that grew out of the first Celebration and provides

artists and arts organizations with pro bono legal services throughout the state.

Tickets are priced at $165, which includes dinner and a

tax-deductible contribution of $100. (If you are a student, govern-

ment or non-profit attorney, the reduced ticket price is $115).

For more information and tickets to to:

http://www.njvla.org/events/face-the-music-newark

Celebra tion of Lawyers in the Ar ts - Oct. 2nd


Save the Date!

Retirement Dinner

For the

Hon. Fred H. Kumpf

J.S.C.

Tues. Oct. 29th

Fiddler’s Elbow CC

6:00 - 8:30 pm www.somersetbar.com

Calendar of Events

Carlos Sanchez, Esq.

Lindabury, McCormick, Eastabrook & Cooper, PC

53 Cardinal Drive

Westfield, NJ 07091

Tel: (908) 233-6880 / Fax: (908) 233-5078


David J. Singer, Esq.

Vella, Singer & Martinez, PC

326 Main Street

Metuchen, NJ 08840

Tel: (609) 468-3075 / Fax: (908) 431-1963


Tara Ann St. Angelo, Esq.

Gebhardt &Keifer

1318 Route 31 North

P.O. Box 4001

Clinton, NJ 08809

Tel: (908) 735-5161 / Fax: (908) 735-9351


Anthony J. Vinhal, Esq.

Carmagnola & Ritardi, LLC

60 Washington Street

Morristown, NJ 07960

Tel: (973) 267-4445 / Fax: (973) 267-4456


Members on the Move

Jill L. Gropper, Esq.

Law Office of Jill L. Gropper, LLC

Washington Valley Office Park

161 Washington Valley Road, Suite 207

Warren, NJ 07059

Tel: (732) 560-1310 / Fax: (732-560-1322


Vincent C. Miseo, Esq.

Argo Surety

211 Washington Corner Road

Bernardsville, NJ 07924

Tel: (908) 502-5032


James J. Moloughney, Esq.

Law Offices of James J. Moloughney, Esq.

17 E. High Street, 2nd Floor

Somerville, NJ 08876

Tel: (908) 300-8700 / Fax: (908) 300-8702


Edward J. Rebenack, Esq.

Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo, LLP

68 North Bridge Street

Somerville, NJ 08876

Tel: (732) 247-2600 / Fax: (732) 247-3630


Patricia S. Robinson, Esq.

Tel: (908) 369-5429


The following SCBA members have recently moved or have changes in their contact information:


Vicinage XIII Judicial Courtroom Assignments - 2013-2014 Somerset County

Judge Courtroom# Floor

Yolanda Ciccone, AJSC 301 3rd

Paul W. Armstrong, JSC 5 5th

Edward M. Coleman, PJCh 2 4th

Margaret Goodzeit, PJFP 3 4th

Fred H. Kumpf, JSC 4 4th

Julie M. Marino, PJCr 7 5th

Hany A. Mawla, JSC HCH 2 1st

Thomas C. Miller, PJCv HCH 1 2nd

Michael F. O’Neill, JSC 303 3rd

Anthony F. Picheca, Jr., JSC 302 3rd

Robert B. Reed, JSC 6 5th

HCH = Historic Courthouse

Hunterdon County

Judge Courtroom# Floor

Angela Borkowski, JSC 3 3rd

H. Matthew Curry, JSC (Fam) 1 2nd

H. Matthew Curry, JSC (Civil) 2 3rd

Stephen B. Rubin, JSC 4 3rd

Warren County

Ann R. Bartlett, JSC 1 2nd

Angela Borkowski, JSC 2 2nd

Amy O’Connor, JSC 3 2nd

Kimarie Rahill, JSC 5 1st

See SCBA website (www.somersetbar.com) under Resources for

additional contact information and staff.

While in today's day

and age, most of the

talk concerning profes-sional networking fo-

cuses on how to effec-

tively market oneself

using social media–

lawyers, especially

young lawyers, are often ignoring the

benefits of old fashioned, face-to-face

networking events. Face-to-face net-

working events, such as those hosted by

the Somerset County Bar Association,

continue to provide attorneys with a fo-rum in which to connect with colleagues,

other business professional and clients,

and to build lasting relationships. Net-

working events allow you to showcase

your individual personality and charm

while forging lasting connections. A

fellow lawyer or potential client is more

likely to remember you from conversa-

tions at such events, rather than from a

social media website.

Another oft-forgotten benefit to

old fashioned networking events is name

recognition. Networking events are a way for you to see and be seen. Regular

appearances at bar events allow young

lawyers and new members to become

known to others. Although it may not

happen at your first event, bar leaders

and other colleagues will introduce

themselves to a new face and will re-

member a new face that continues to

show up to events in support of the bar.

Regular appearances at network-

ing events can often lead to opportunities

to become involved in the bar associa-tion and local community. Such opportu-

nities enable attorneys to showcase their

talents and skills outside of the office to

a host of potential clients and contacts. A

lawyer who gives back to the community

also raises his or her visibility among

local leaders as someone to remember

when new business opportunities come

along. By getting involved, you are in-

creasing your name recognition and de-

veloping your brand.

Although not a benefit that im-

mediately comes to mind, networking

events refine your public speaking skills.

Face-to-face interactions at events pro-vide attorneys, and in particular young

attorneys, with a chance to hone their

communication skills in a less formal

setting than a courtroom or board meet-

ing. Likewise, by becoming a leader at

events and panel discussions, attorneys

become more comfortable in public set-

tings and learn to adjust and accommo-

date their presentations toward a particu-

lar audience (which is not always a court

of law). These are the types of skills that

will assist you throughout your career.

In a technologically-centered

world, it is important not to forget the

benefits of old fashioned, face-to-face

networking events. It is at these events

that you will build lasting connections

and develop career building skills that

will serve you for years to come and will

also make you an essential and produc-

tive part of the greater community.

I hope to see you at the Annual

Meet the Clerks Reception / Installation

Dinner on September 24, 2013 or the fall

Marathon CLE day on October 14, 2013.

Benefits of Face-to-Face Networking By Victoria D. Brit ton, Esq.


Gandolfini LW&T

Cont’d from page 7

grandchildren provided for with a sup-

plemental needs trust? Are beneficiary

designations, “POD” and “TOD” as-

sets, powers of appointment and joint-

ly-held assets down to the bank securi-

ty deposit box all disclosed by the cli-

ent? What can be learned from “In the

Matter of the Estate of James Gan-

dolfini” may be set forth in law school

textbooks in the future, in the same

vein as the J. Seward Johnson, Doris

Duke and Imelda Marcos estates have

shaped the thought process that result-

ed from planning pitfalls. Since the

probate of this television and screen

legend’s Will, the estate planning bar

is thinking “how can I do it better?”

And for that, a lesson has already been

learned.

Ms. Pilato is Co-Chair of the Elder,

Estates & Trusts Practice Committee

New Arrivals! Sophie Grace Taylor

May 4, 2013

7 lbs. 15oz., 19.5”

is proud to announce her parents are

Kristen & Carl Taylor, Esq.

and that she’s “daddy’s girl”

Sarah Mahony, Esq. and Michael

Eaton proudly announce the birth

of their son,

Morris

Alexander

Eaton

July 25, 2013

8lbs, 11 oz.

22”

Morris joins his older sister,

Julianna.

Olivia Grace O’Grodnick

April 23, 2013

7 lbs. 4 oz., 19 “

Rumor has it that parents Erin and

Michael are already

fitting her for a

baseball glove!

The Somerset Coun-

ty Bar Foundation

held its 8th Annual

Legal Runaround

5K Run/3K Poker Walk on Thursday

evening, May 23,

2013, at the County

Courthouse in down-

town Somerville.

This year, a record number of 479 people

registered for the 5K, 3K Poker Fun

Walk and kids' dashes. It was a hearten-

ing turnout considering the driving rains

that came down until shortly before race

time.

Since its inception in 2005, the event has succeeded in raising tens of

thousands of dollars to benefit the Foun-

dation and other non-profit organizations

in our community. It has become affili-

ated with the Tour of Somerville, the

annual cycling races that kick off the

summer season during Memorial Day

Weekend.

For the third straight year, Som-

erset County Vo-Tech won the “School

Spirit” award granted to the Somerset

County High School which has the larg-

est number of affiliated registrants for

the 5K Run. Student liaison, Monica

Carlton, and Athletic Director, James

Strickland, were instrumental in register-

ing 56 Vo-Tech race participants. Vo-

Tech student entries were subsidized this year as a result of a grant which the

school received to promote wellness in

the school community.

For the fourth straight year,

Somerville won the “Healthiest Town”

award given to the Mayor of the town

which has the largest number of partici-

pants in the 5K Run. The award supports

the health initiative being promoted

through the Mayors’ Wellness Cam-

paign. Somerville mayor, Brian Gal-

lagher, is an annual runner in the 5K

race, and a most gracious supporter.

There were 76 race participants from

Somerville this year. Bridgewater fol-

lowed closely behind with 74.

In its continuing generosity, a

premier Somerville restaurant, Verve,

provided delicious food. The Bridge-

water law firm of Norris McLaughlin &

Marcus and the insurance firm, Couch

Braunsdorf, were Gold Sponsors of this

year’s event.

The funds raised for the Foun-

dation are directed to legal scholarships

and other justice-related endeavors. Past

recipients include: Middle Earth

(which provides “at-risk” youth with guidance and support); C.A.S.A. (Court

Appointed Special Advocates for the

abused); LSNWJ (Legal Services of

Northwest Jersey providing legal counsel

to low income individuals); D.A.R.E.

(Drug Abuse Resistance Education);

New Jersey Orators (which teaches

public-speaking to young people); Som-

erset Treatment Services (a treatment

and counseling center offering affordable

out-patient services for substance abuse

and HIV-related illnesses); Literacy

Volunteers of Somerset County, The

Food Bank Network of Somerset

Count, and the Central Jersey Housing

Resource Center.

To learn more about how to get

involved with the Somerset County Bar

Foundation or to support the 9th Annual

Legal Runaround (to be held on Thurs-

day, June 22, 2014) as a sponsor and/or

participant, please call (908) 685-2323.

Ms. Alper is Co-Chair of the Legal

Runaround Committee

Eighth Annual Legal Runaround Repeats Its Success by Jodi Lee Alper


In Memoriam The following colleagues have passed away since January, 2013

John Wood Goldsack, Esq. – January 2

Hon. Barbara A. Harned, Chief ALJ – January 6

Kevin M. McEwen, Esq. - January 12

Joseph C. Dunn, Esq. - February 11

George J. Frana, Jr., Esq. - February 21

Sheriff’s Officer Anthony “Kush” Kosensky – February 24

Ned M Cohn, Esq. - April 10

Richard J. Simon, Esq. – April 17

Joseph A. Pelizzoni, III, Esq. - July 4

Raymond P. DeMarco, Esq. - July 25


Gone or going solo? Changed firms or positions? Received an award or made a professional presentation? Is so, share your

news with your colleagues. Email your news to [email protected] to get listed in The Clarion “Tidbits” section. We

also appreciate updates so we can keep our member files current.

Clarion “Tidbits”

Annmarie Simeone, Esq. has been

elected as Secretary of the New Jersey

Women Lawyers Association

(NJWLA). It is an independent associ-

ation of over 500 NJ women attorneys. Its mission is to retain women in the

legal profession through education and

activism; to promote members to the

highest levels of law firm, government,

academic, community and corporate

positions; and to endorse qualified fe-

male attorneys for appointments to the

state and federal judiciary. NJWLA

fosters leadership promoting profession-

al activities, among its members by

mentoring, educational programs and

networking functions. Simeone, member

of Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, PA,

concentrates her practice on labor and

employment counseling and litigation.

#################

Robert J. Conroy, Esq. of Kern Augus-

tine Conroy & Schoppmann, PC will be

installed as a member of the Governing

Council of the Florida Bar’s Health Law

Section. Reportedly he will be the first

NJ lawyer to serve as an out-of-state

Council member.

The thirteen elected Council members

are charged with directing the section’s

activities; the section is, with more than

1,700 members, one of the nation’s larg-

est.

Legal Services of Northwest Jersey (LSNWJ) is holding its

Celebration of Justice on September 26, 2013 at 6:30 pm at

the Olde Mill Inn in Bernards Township. Congressman

Rodney P. Frelinghuysen will be accepting the LSNWJ

Justice Works Award for his support of and advocacy for

the work of legal services. Contact Joe Padilla at 908-231-

0840 or [email protected] or visit

www.event.lsnwj.org for more information.

LSNWJ Holds Celebration of

Justice - September 26th


Somerset County Bar Foundation Board of Trustees

Francine A. Gargano, Esq. - Chair Matthew C. Moench, Esq.

Kenneth DeGraw, CPA, CFG, CRFA, CFE - Vice Chair James J. Moloughney, Esq.

Francesco A. Taddeo, Esq. - Secretary Treasurer Michael P. O’Grodnick, Esq.

Jodi Lee Alper, Esq. Malte M. Pendergast-Fischer, JD

Christopher “Kip” Bateman, Esq. Diane K. Smith, Esq.

Christopher Bono Rick St. Pierre

Ryan S. Carey, Esq. Alycia Swift, Esq.

Stacey A. Cozewith, Esq. Carl A. Taylor, III, Esq.

Jerry S. D’Aniello, Esq. Anthony J. Vinhal, Esq.

Daniel R. Esposito, Esq. Steven K. Warner, Esq.

Sarah M. Mahony, Esq. Miles S. Winder, III, Esq.

Mark T. Mayrides, Esq. Marcia Polgar Zalewski, Esq.

Bar Office Internship Position Available

Title: Assistant to the Executive Director of the Somerset County Bar Association, Bar Foundation, and Lawyers

Referral Service

Job Description: General clerical duties such as filing and correspondence. Also opportunities exist to contribute to event

planning and management. Specific tasks include:

Updating of membership databases and participation in outreach activities

Updating and organization of Association and Foundation filing systems

Supporting legal seminar and social function events’ planning and management activities for

the Association and Foundation

Hours: 2 - 3 hours / week. Flexible scheduling

Skills Requirements:

Strong organization skills

Good communication capabilities

Ability to work with little supervision

Working knowledge of MS Word and Excel; familiarity with MS Publisher and Access are plusses

Salary: Unpaid internship

Timing: Immediate opening

Contact Information:

Carol Ann Winder, Executive Director

Somerset County Bar Association / Foundation & Lawyer Referral Service

20 N. Bridge Street, Historic Courthouse Rm. 325

P.O. Box 1095

Somerville, NJ 08876-1095

Tel: 908-685-2323 / Fax: 908-685-9839


Great opportunity for a student

needing community service hours!

Calendar of Upcoming Events - 2013

September 24 4:30 - 6:00 pm Family Practice Seminar

6:00 - 8:30 pm Annual “Meet the Clerks” Cocktail Reception and Officers &

Trustees Installation Dinner (open bar); Raritan Valley Country

Club

October 14 8:00 am - 3:30 pm Marathon CLE Day, Raritan Valley Country Club

17 12:00 - 2:00 pm Professionalism Awards Luncheon; The Imperia, Somerset, NJ

29 6:00 - 8:30 pm Retirement Dinner for the Hon. Fred H. Kumpf, J.S.C.;

Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club

November 9-16 n/a NJSBA Mid-Year Meeting - Rome, Italy

December 10 6:00 - 8:30 pm Annual SCBA/SCBF Holiday Party; Venue-TBD


Somerset County Bar Association

Founded in 1899, the Somerset County Bar Association has

served its members, the public and the Somerset County Judiciary

well, providing many services and benefits. It provides seminars

touching on topics of membership interest, and

many opportunities for social and business net-

working at various receptions, dinners and out-

ings. The SCBA supports the public with its

Lawyer Referral Service and pro bono media-

tion initiatives.

www.somersetbar.com

Working for our community

The Foundation is the charitable arm of the SCBA

providing support for those less fortunate in our community

and promoting understanding of the law and our legal sys-

tem by the public. Some key initiatives include the Ray-

mond R.. Trombadore Scholarship Fund for deserving local

law school students, and fundraisers such

as “The Legal Runaround” 5K races to

benefit local non-profits organizations

www.somersetcountybar.org

Somerset County Bar Foundation

Executive Editor:


20 N. Bridge Street

Historic Courthouse, Room 325

P.O. Box 1095

Somerville, NJ 08876-1095

Tel: 908-685-2323

Fax: 908-685-9839


Working for our community

Check out our NEW Websites!

The Bar Association and Bar Foundation now each have their

own website.

SCBA: somersetbar.com

SCBF: somersetcountybar.org

Check the websites often for such information as:

Calendar of Events (including registration information)

Membership and Lawyer Referral Service information & forms

Schedules for Matrimonial Early Settlement Panels

Useful references (local, county, state)

Information from our strategic partners & resources

The Clarion

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