Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan Surpasses 100 Attorneys With Opening of New Office in New Jersey

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Apr 08, 2010, 03:32 ET

MILWAUKEE, April 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP, one of the nation's largest minority-owned law firms, announced today that its expansion continues with the opening of a 14th office.

Attorneys Mary Pat Gallagher, Steven Gerber, Gregory B. Gilmore, Todd R. Harris, and Richard P. Weiss join Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan in the firm's new office in Wayne, New Jersey. All five attorneys were previously with the New Jersey office of Adorno & Yoss. They represent a number of Fortune 500 companies in employment, commercial, real estate, and general civil defense matters.

Steven Gerber – who becomes Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan's 13th equity partner – will lead the firm's New Jersey office, practicing out of that office and the firm's office in New York City. Mr. Gerber has practiced employment and labor law on behalf of management, exclusively, for more than thirty years. He also maintains an active practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, complex tort defense (including toxic torts), education law, government representation and defense, and land use law.

Mr. Gerber has been named as a New Jersey Super Lawyer in employment litigation since 2007. He has been actively involved in leadership of DRI – the largest organization of civil defense lawyers – as well as the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC). Mr. Gerber formerly served as a nationally-elected member of DRI's Board of Directors, the Chair of DRI's Public Policy Committee, and as the Chair of DRI's Employment Law section. He is currently the Vice Chair of DRI's Judicial Task Force. Mr. Gerber also is the current Chair of the FDCC's Employment Law & Workplace Practices Section. Active in New Jersey community affairs, he currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Passaic County, New Jersey, and is a past Board member and Vice Chair for Governmental Relations of the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Gerber received a B.A., cum laude, at the State University of New York at Albany and earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University at Buffalo School of Law. From 1980-1984, he was as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, in the Criminal Division. Mr. Gerber was the founding partner of the Wayne, New Jersey law firm Gerber & Samson, L.L.C., which merged into Adorno & Yoss in 2005.

"We are delighted to join a law firm that is progressive, forward-thinking and innovative," said Mr. Gerber. "I'm especially proud to be joining a superlative team of more than 30 attorneys, nationally, practicing employment law on behalf of management. Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan shares our values and our commitment to diversity."

In addition to Mr. Gerber, Mary Pat Gallagher, a partner in the New Jersey office, focuses her practice on federal and state court trial and appellate litigation, with an emphasis on employment and labor law, insurance defense and complex commercial litigation, and in municipal and governmental law. She is a past Barrister of the Sidney Reitman American Inn of Court, which is devoted exclusively to employment and labor law. Ms. Gallagher also counsels and provides training to private and public sector clients on various labor and employment issues.

Todd R. Harris, a partner in the New Jersey and New York offices, is an experienced litigator focusing on complex litigation, including insurance coverage and disputes, products liability and mass torts, and commercial litigation. He also represents clients in insurance litigation, alternative dispute resolution, bad faith litigation, professional liability, and general liability defense. He has represented both foreign and domestic companies in various jurisdictions throughout the country. Mr. Harris also actively counsels clients on a wide variety of insurance coverage issues. His experience includes acting as coverage counsel for the 9/11 Respiratory Injury Claims and World Trade Center Related Litigation Claims.

Richard P. Weiss, Of Counsel in both the New Jersey and New York offices, primarily practices in the areas of commercial real estate, business law, and trusts and estates. He has handled many complex real estate transactions. His trusts and estates practice includes the full range of estate planning, will drafting, trust and estate administration, and Surrogate's Court practice. His extensive experience includes the handling of multimillion-dollar estates, as well as audits conducted by federal and state taxing authorities. Mr. Weiss also provides a full range of corporate advice and services to clients, including organizing and structuring business entities (corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, joint ventures), mergers and acquisitions work, bank and corporate financing, and preparation and negotiation of stock purchase and redemption agreements, operating agreements, shareholder and partnership agreements, technology and other licensing agreements, and distribution agreements. His experience also includes acquisitions and sales development and construction financing, as well as workouts and restructuring.

Gregory B. Gilmore, a senior associate in the firm's New Jersey and New York offices, is a member of the Litigation Group, and his primary areas of practice include commercial litigation, products liability and mass torts, premises liability, and general civil litigation, in both New Jersey and New York.

With the addition of the New Jersey office Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan now comprises more than 100 lawyers in 14 offices coast-to-coast.

"These talented and experienced attorneys are welcome additions to Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan as we continue to grow and expand the firm to better represent our clients," said Jerry Gonzalez, Managing Partner of the firm.

About Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan

Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP (www.gshllp.com) is a nationwide law firm with more than 100 attorneys in offices located in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Jersey, New York, Phoenix and Washington D.C. The firm represents midsized to Fortune 100 companies, governmental entities, and individuals in the areas of litigation, employment, environmental, corporate and transactional, public finance, energy and regulatory, immigration, and estate and asset protection planning. As one of the nation's largest certified minority-owned law firms, Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan practices law with a commitment to diversity and to the communities it serves.