Family Law

• Divorce
  Matthew Podolnick is a shareholder and a member of the Firm’s Management Committee. He concentrates his practice in the area of Divorce & Family Law. Matthew offers his mediation clients a blend of legal knowledge, business sense and compassion. He is resolution oriented and committed to helping people avoid court and the costs, financial and otherwise, associated with litigation. Because of these notable skills, Matthew can help his mediation clients navigate to a speedy conclusion to a difficult time In their lives.
• Child Support
  Child Custody, Visitation, and Support: We help clients develop a sensible, workable parenting plan aligned with the best interest of their children. The parenting plan establishes legal custody (who makes the decisions regarding the health, welfare and education of the children), physical custody (where the children live), and parenting time (giving the non-custodial parent appropriate time with the children). Child support payments are structured to make sure both parents pay their fair share.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Matt was my attorney throughout my child custody case. The case has finally concluded and I was granted custody. Throughout the entire process, Matt was available whenever I needed advice. His expertise and attention to detail was evident during all our court proceedings. We were dealing with a very difficult person during the entire process and Matt was professional the entire time. He was straightforward with me and I could not have gotten through this difficult time if he was not my lawyer. I would not want to work with anyone else.
• Adoption
• Paternity
• Premarital Agreement
  Your family matters are embraced with a full range of legal support including divorce and separation, custody, child support, alimony, post-judgment motion practice, prenuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, domestic violence, and more.
• Guardianship
  For persons who are unable to handle their own affairs, or who have special needs, we offer detailed knowledge of the federal laws relating to the availability of–and eligibility for–government benefits. We draft the necessary special needs trusts and guardianships.
• Spousal Support
  Changed Circumstances: When financial conditions improve or worsen, or when a child becomes emancipated, we guide our clients through prospective changes in alimony or child support payments.

Criminal Law

• DUI/DWI
  Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Nulla vitae elit libero, a pharetra augue. Donec sed odio dui. Etiam porta sem malesuada.
• Fraud
• Restraining Order
  No one has the right to physically or mentally abuse another person. Our attorneys respond quickly and aggressively to protect our clients and their children, obtaining restraining orders and pursuing enforcement of same as may be necessary to keep our clients safe. We also defend wrongful claims asserted against our clients with respect to those matters.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  For any business, a clear understanding among key players—such as owners, key employees, and investors—helps create or reinforce a shared vision, aligning the business for success and reducing the potential for disputes. We develop these vital relationships through carefully prepared and planned organizational documents, including shareholder agreements, limited liability company operating agreements, and partnership agreements designed to specifically address our clients’ needs and with the appropriate foresight to effectively manage unplanned circumstances.
• Mergers and Acquisitions
  We support businesses through entity selection, formation, ongoing operations, financing, succession planning and mergers and acquisitions. As well as guide and counsel clients in all aspects of their business including...
• Business Disputes
  Unfortunately, despite all precautions, business disputes arise. Disputes among owners—especially in a family business—are often the most difficult. When we represent a client involved in a dispute, we use our business-directed mindset to seek resolution, keeping in mind the value of the business and the potential harm from the significant distraction and expense of litigation. If dispute cannot be amicably resolved or if litigation is the best available option, we coordinate with the attorneys in our Litigation group, but throughout retain our “real world” cost-benefit approach.
• Limited Liability Companies
  We counsel on, and structure all types of entities, including profit and non-profit corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships. We confer regularly with clients and their other professional advisors to plan tax and business strategy.
• Intellectual Property

Employment Law

• Wrongful Termination
  We advise clients with respect to wrongful termination and discrimination claims, and represent them before state and federal agencies (including the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission) and in the courts.
• Employment Contract
  Sherman Silverstein counsels clients regarding rapidly changing laws and regulations (FMLA, ADA, COBRA), informs and manages personnel through policy craftsmanship, wrongful termination and discrimination claims, as well as addresses challenges related to employment agreements.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Our capabilities and expertise embrace the full range–literally “A to Z”–of real estate matters and transactions, basic and complex, including those highlighted below.
• Construction Litigation
  The Firm has represented developers, contractors, churches, and homeowners in litigation arising from claimed construction deficiencies. Our recent clients have included...
• Real Estate Transactions
• Eminent Domain
  Our real estate group represents owners of condemned property. We coordinate condemnation matters with appraisers, land planners, engineers, and consultants on condemnation and regulatory matters. Our experience ranges from takings of land for development to projects involving improved residential, commercial, and industrial properties, to representation concerning compensation for taken property. We work with our Litigation Group in fighting challenges to condemnation, and working to obtain just compensation, analyzing and pursuing relocation claims.
• Land Use and Zoning
  We offer a comprehensive suite of real estate services to our clients including: acquisitions and sales, construction and development, real estate finance (both public and private), eminent domain and condemnation, foreclosure, leases, planned communities and condominiums, real estate tax, titles and title insurance, workouts, zoning and land use, and more.
• Property Damage
  The Firm also oversees the submission of first party insurance benefits such as medical bills, wage loss, and property damage, to make sure our clients receive full compensation for the injuries they have suffered.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  The personal injury side of our products liability practice is but part of our overall personal injury practice, which includes slip and fall and automobile accidents. In recent cases, we have successfully represented...
• Medicaid Planning
  We have considerable expertise on the specific legal issues that affect elders, their spouses and their children. We prepare them for the challenges that come with aging: disability, incapacity, illness, and long-term care and nursing home planning.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  We work closely with Estate Planning and Administration group to help our clients take advantage of available exemptions and exclusions, via gifts, asset transfers, or trusts. While also advising to eliminate or minimize probate costs and estate tax liability.
• Wills
  We help our clients plan ahead for lifetime events that may render them unable to act for themselves. To protect and manage their assets, and honor their wishes regarding medical treatment, we prepare general durable powers of attorney and advance health care directives and living wills.
• Trusts
  We assist our clients with the following: joint wills, codicils, credit shelter and marital trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, personal residence trusts, spousal limited access trusts (SLATS), grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), grantor retained unitrusts (GRUTs), generation-skipping trusts, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts and revocable living trusts.
• Power of Attorney
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
  Anne Cantwell is a member of the firm’s Real Estate department. She has broad-based experience in commercial and real estate matters and in bankruptcy litigation, as well as land title insurance claims and litigation. Ms. Cantwell has served on the panel of approved mediators for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey since its inception in 2014. She has been appointed to mediate adversary actions in the context of bankruptcy matters, both by judicial appointment and party selection. She has a proven track record in assisting litigants to define and narrow issues involved in complex litigation and to achieve mutually determined resolution of adversary matters.
• Foreclosure
  In addition to mortgage foreclosures for institutional and private lenders, we have a number of clients with significant tax lien portfolios. We advise and assist those clients on real estate tax liens, foreclosing on them, and disposing of foreclosed properties.
• Tax Law
  Because of the Firm’s vibrant real estate practice, our Real Estate group often calls on us to evaluate the tax consequences or provide tax planning for a particular transaction. Our real estate-related expertise includes...
• Debt Collection
  Bruce has also been lead counsel in over 100 mediations and settlement conferences in over 25 state and federal jurisdictions. The cases include FCRA vendor disputes, FCRA and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act individual and class actions, commercial litigation, and business divorces. He recently received a certification after completing the Harvard Law School Executive Education intensive 5-day mediation program in Cambridge, MA.