Legal Malpractice Expert Witness

EXPERT 5086

Education and Background

University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA)–J.D. (College of Law) and M.A. (Urban & Regional Planning) as joint-degree program, 1975-1979
Rutgers the State University of New Jersey (Rutgers College-New Brunswick, N.J.), A.B., 1971-1975

Admissions to the Bar

New Jersey State Courts, since 1982
Iowa State Courts, since 1979 (currently inactive)
U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts for the District of New Jersey and the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa
U.S. Courts of Appeals—Third and Eighth Circuits
U.S. Supreme Court, since 1987
Member, American Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association and Iowa State Bar Association

Professional experience

Certified Civil Trial Attorney, so designated by the Supreme Court of New Jersey since 1999; recertified in 2006, 2011 and 2016.

Approved Civil Mediator for Superior Court CDR programs and private matters, so designated by the Supreme Court of New Jersey since 2002, active practice with wide range of subject areas. Program Mentor since 2008. Also available as private Mediator or Arbitrator.

Private practice of law in Fanwood and Plainfield, N.J., since 1994. General civil trial and business practice, with emphasis in:

• Legal malpractice litigation
• Expert witness work in legal malpractice and ethics matters
• Representation and consultation in attorney ethics matters
• Land use law and litigation, with master’s degree in urban planning and particular interest in historic preservation
• Medical malpractice litigation
• Real estate law and litigation, including environmental law
• Election law and other political and governmental matters
• Mediation and arbitration, representation in multiple subject areas
• Construction law and architect/engineer malpractice
• Insurance law
• Employment law
• Wills, contracts and general legal counselling
• Representation of small businesses and corporations
• LGBT and same-sex matters in many fields

Listed in “New Jersey Super Lawyers” magazine annually since 2009, a prestigious peer review process done, without my request or knowledge, by Thomson Reuters, the international information provider.
Feuerstein, Sachs, Maitlin & Fleming, Esqs., West Orange, New Jersey, 1987-1995 (now Sachs, Maitlin & Greene). Insurance defense practice on behalf of lawyers, physicians, nurses, architects and engineers sued for malpractice. Counsel to 5 hospitals. Over 50 jury trials handled to verdict. Lead Counsel in FRT plywood litigation, the first mass tort case and major mediation in the New Jersey courts, on behalf of dozens of architects and engineers
Francis & Berry, Esqs., Morristown, New Jersey, 1985-1987.
Private practice of law, Des Moines, Iowa, 1979-1985. Diversified general practice in numerous areas of law, largely for business owners.

Other professional and civic activities

Commissioner, Plainfield Historic Preservation Commission (similar to a Planning Board), since February 2007. Chairman, 2015 to date. Serves essentially also as Board Counsel.
Commissioner, Planning Board, City of Plainfield, N.J. (population 48,000) February 1994-January 2000. Vice-Chairman, 1996-98. Chairman, Zoning Review Committee, 1996-99. Primary author of 1998 Master Plan and completely-new 2002 Land Use Ordinance.
Member, Board of Directors of Preservation New Jersey (2019- )
Instructor, Skills & Methods Course (required course for all newly-licensed lawyers in New Jersey), in ethics, professional responsibility, conflicts, and trust and business accounting, 2006 through 2010 (its final year).
Lecturer/panelist at Legal Malpractice and Mediation seminars.
Republican Candidate for New Jersey General Assembly, 2015 (22nd Legislative District).
Republican Candidate for City Council (2nd Ward), Plainfield, N.J., in 2011 and 2014 general elections, and candidate in other primaries.
Republican County/City Committee, Union County, N.J., most years since 1995. Chairman or Vice-Chairman, some years. Corporation Counsel of Plainfield and Rahway Republican City Committees. Ran Challenger Programs on Election Days. Campaign Manager and/or Treasurer for other candidates in multiple local elections. Handled election litigation and campaign finance reporting.
University of Iowa Campus Planning Committee, 1976-79.
Teaching and Research Assistant 1976-79, University of Iowa, Dept. of Urban & Regional Planning.