Family Law

• Divorce
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Memberships: Monmouth County and American Bar Associations | Ms. Wright Gilbertson received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Trenton State College, her Master of Arts Degree in Guidance and Counselling from Rider College Division of Graduate Studies and her law degree from University of Miami School of Law. She is a member of the New Jersey bar and the Monmouth County, Ocean County and New Jersey State Bar Associations. Prior to joining the firm, she was law clerk to the Honorable Alvin Yale Milberg, Superior Court of New Jersey, Monmouth County; clerk in the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office; and clerk for Melvin B. Frumkes, P.A., Miami, Florida. She wrote a published article for the Florida Bar Journal titled, “Bifurcation of Child Custody Proceedings.” She completed the New Jersey Department of Public Advocate Mediation and Conciliation Techniques course. She was a graduate course instructor at Jersey City State College, a teacher and student council advisor for Plumsted Board of Education, teacher and director of curriculum integration workshop for Upper Freehold Township Board of Education.
• Guardianship
  While assigned to the Probate Part of the Chancery Division, he managed a program wherein volunteer attorneys effectively mediated and settled difficult estate and guardianship litigations.
• Child Abuse
  Mr. Carbone graduated from the Rutgers Law School where he was a member of the Journal of Law and Public Policy and Family and Child Advocacy Clinic. As a member of the Family and Child Advocacy Clinic, Mr. Carbone represented children in child abuse and neglect proceedings. While attending Rutgers Law School, Mr. Carbone clerked for Mattleman, Weinroth & Miller, P.C., where he assisted attorneys with their case preparation in general litigation, business litigation, and medical malpractice matters.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
• DUI/DWI
  Traffic tickets, ordinance violations, and minor criminal offenses are heard in municipal court. Even though the offenses are considered to be less serious, Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf knows how serious the problem is to you. Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf provides quality, personalized, efficient and affordable legal services to clients who are charged with offenses that are heard in municipal court. We will fight for you to beat the charge against you and reduce the fines that you will face for traffic tickets. We will zealously defend your rights if you are arrested for DUI. We will protect you if you are charged with domestic violence or assault.
• Traffic Violations
  Traffic tickets, ordinance violations, and minor criminal offenses are heard in municipal court. Even though the offenses are considered to be less serious, Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf knows how serious the problem is to you. Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf provides quality, personalized, efficient and affordable legal services to clients who are charged with offenses that are heard in municipal court.
• Sex Crimes
• Fraud
  Jury trial award in favor of plaintiff client in action for Consumer Fraud Act violations action resulting in treble damages and attorney fees award.
• Drug Crimes
  Ryan S. Malc, Esq. recently defended a man who was charged in Neptune City, NJ with possession of under 50 grams of marijuana and possession of marijuana-related paraphernalia.
• Assault

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  We participate in the negotiation and preparation of commercial and business agreements, public contracts, employee agreements, employee handbooks, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements, licensing agreements and agreements relating to intellectual property rights. In addition, the firm represents established businesses and start up companies in all phases of financing, including secured and unsecured borrowings, venture capital, syndications, and public and private debt offerings.
• Mergers and Acquisitions
  Mr. Wouters also represents banks in lending transactions and borrowers in acquisition, development and other financing transactions. He represents companies in general corporate business matters including financing strategies, mergers and acquisitions and employment matters.
• Business Disputes
• Business Transactions
  During his more than 18 years on the bench, Judge O’Brien served as Presiding Judge of the Special Civil Part, Chancery Division-Probate Part and Civil Division. He presided over hundreds of jury and non-jury trials and thousands of settlement and case management conferences. He also served in the Family Division for more than four years. As the Presiding Judge of the Civil Division, Judge O’Brien managed, settled and tried all civil case types, including but not limited to: automobile, personal injury, medical malpractice, insurance, construction, consumer fraud, employment/labor, business association dissolutions, environmental, probate, prerogative writs, contract/commercial transactions and real estate/tenancy.
• Intellectual Property

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation
• Wrongful Termination
  Casamasino v. City of Jersey City, 304 N.J. Super. 226 (App. Div. 1997), rev’d. 158 N.J. 333 (1999) affirming summary judgment dismissing civil rights, wrongful discharge and defamation, NJLAD, CEPA; equitable estoppel, tenure of public officials.
• Employment Discrimination
  Fighting your employer may seem like a difficult or unwinnable battle. But the law provides broad protection for employees who are wronged by their employers. Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf has successfully represented employees in all types of employment law claims against employers. The firm provides comprehensive employment law representation to employees in all aspects of the employment relationships. Our services include review and negotiation of employment agreements, non-compete clauses and severance agreements. We also protect the rights of employees who have been wrongfully terminated from their jobs or treated unfairly with respect to discipline and promotion. Included in the cases that we have won for employees are age, sex, religion and race discrimination lawsuits, whistleblower/retaliatory firings, sexual harassment, hostile work environment claims, and overtime wage and hour claims.
• Employment Contract
  Fighting your employer may seem like a difficult or unwinnable battle. But the law provides broad protection for employees who are wronged by their employers. Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf has successfully represented employees in all types of employment law claims against employers. The firm provides comprehensive employment law representation to employees in all aspects of the employment relationships. Our services include review and negotiation of employment agreements, non-compete clauses and severance agreements. We also protect the rights of employees who have been wrongfully terminated from their jobs or treated unfairly with respect to discipline and promotion.
• Employment Litigation
  Practice Areas: All Injuries & Accidents, Worker’s Compensation, Tort Litigation, Business Litigation, Products Liability, Employment Litigation, Medical/Professional Malpractice
• Severance Agreement
• Sexual Harassment
  Unsatisfied with this response, DJ then reported the sexual harassment to the Club’s Board of Directors. The Club’s attorney then interviewed DJ to discuss the details of his knowledge. Shortly after this interview, the Club’s president stripped DJ of all his duties and banished him from his office at the headquarters of the Club. The Club’s president then relegated DJ to a cubicle in an overcrowded and noisy branch office, where he was left with little or no meaningful duties or authority.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Practice Areas: Environmental Law, Land Use Law, State and Federal Permitting, Regulatory and Legislative Matters, Contract and Real Estate Law
• Construction Litigation
  Mr. Aprile practices primarily in the areas of complex business litigation, legal malpractice, legal ethics and attorney disciplinary matters, real estate litigation, construction litigation, prerogative writ matters, general equity litigation, and handles such matters at all levels.
• Real Estate Transactions
  Author of “Eminent Domain and its Impact on Contemporary Real Estate Transactions” chapter in Commercial Real Estate Transactions Handbook, Mark A. Senn (Ed), Wolters Kluwer, 4th Edition.
• Eminent Domain
  The Firm has wide experience in municipal land sales, bonding, land use, zoning and planning, eminent domain, economic development and redevelopment, construction, water and sewer infrastructure, employment and collective bargaining, public bidding and litigation involving public entities. We utilize a team approach that draws on the considerable legal talent and public service experience of our attorneys. We have partners who have served as public officials having won election to local governing bodies.
• Easement
• Land Use and Zoning
  The Municipal Land Use Law (“MLUL”) is the legislative foundation of Planning Boards and Zoning Boards of Adjustment in the State of New Jersey. It defines the powers and responsibilities of boards and is essential to their functions and decisions. In New Jersey, pursuant to the MLUL, every municipality has adopted a set of Land Use and Zoning Ordinances which define and regulate permitted and prohibited uses within a particular zone.
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes
  Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Carbone clerked for the Honorable Robert E. Brenner at Ocean County Superior Court. During his tenure with the Ocean County Court, Mr. Carbone became a licensed mediator, and in connection therewith, he mediated and help settle dozens of small claims and landlord tenant disputes. Mr. Carbone also screened emergent applications for processing before their disposition before the Court.
• Property Damage
  Practice Areas: Complex Business Litigation, Employment Litigation, Real Estate Disputes, Environmental and Property Damage Insurance Coverage Litigation, Probate Litigation, General Equity Litigation and Prerogative Writ Litigation, Representation in relation to Complex Business Transactions

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Mr. Carbone joined the firm in 2018 with a practice focus in business litigation, corporations law, condemnation, personal injury, and federal arbitration. Since joining the firm, Mr. Carbone has represented numerous shareholders in multi-million dollar shareholders disputes, has successfully settled numerous favorable settlements on behalf of his clients, has successfully argued dozens of motions, and has sat second chair in multiple high profile cases.
• Medical Malpractice
  The Honorable Thomas E. O’Brien, P.J.Cv. (ret) of Ocean County, settled a medical malpractice case on February 2, 2022 for the sum of $350,000.00. A doctor specializing in pediatric medicine while working at a hospital emergency room treated a 10-year old plaintiff for severe pain he was experiencing in his left hip as a result […]
• Auto Accidents

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  There are many complexities and intricacies involved with establishing a trust fund, but generally speaking, trusts allow you to ensure your estate gets passed into the right hands without the associated costs of probate court, which can run anywhere from 5-7% of your entire estate. Talk to one of our experienced estate planning attorneys today to discuss the different types of trusts and their advantages.
• Wills
  Estate planning is a creative field of law and we take pride in the satisfaction of solving problems for both individuals and families. Our estate, trusts and tax planning department treats each client’s personal financial affairs with consummate professional and personal attention. We listen carefully to your intentions, and then structure an estate plan that will achieve those results as tax-effectively as possible. Solutions to estate planning problems often involve use of will and trust arrangements to protect assets from taxation. We provide advice regarding income, gift and estate tax issues to protect your assets. We draft documents that satisfy the applicable legal requirements while implementing the client’s goals. Programs can be designed to assure security for spouses, children and grandchildren. Increasingly, clients are concerned with their own long-term ability to handle financial and health care matters. Living wills and powers of attorney that are tailored to meet the client’s requirements often provide the solutions.
• Trusts
  Practice Areas: Real Estate, Business Transactions, Municipal Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Wills, Trusts & Estates, Patent Infringement Litigation, ​Class Actions
• Power of Attorney
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
  Practice Areas: Legal Malpractice, Attorney Ethics, Judicial Discipline, Real Estate Disputes and Complex Business Litigation, Commercial Litigation and Arbitration, Tax Litigation; Construction Litigation, Consumer Fraud Claims, Probate and Estate Litigation, Bankruptcy Litigation, Trials and Appeals in State and Federal Courts
• Foreclosure
  Bathgate, Wegener, & Wolf Partner, Ryan S. Malc, Esq., successfully represented a private mortgage lender in a long battle to recover the balance due on a mortgage that went into default in 2006, just two years after the loan was given. Over the course of 16 years since the loan went into default, the client made several attempts to collect the overdue balance, including the retention of two other law firms. In January 2022, the client finally came to Mr. Malc for assistance. Mr. Malc sent a demand letter to the debtor, followed by a foreclosure complaint. In just 5 months, through decisive litigation and negotiation strategies, Mr. Malc was able to recover the full balance due on the defaulted mortgage, which amounted to over $350,000.00. Mr. Malc also recovered all his attorneys’ fees from the debtor.
• Tax Law
  Author of numerous articles and panelist at national and state seminars related to eminent domain, redevelopment and tax appeals.