Angelo J. Genova, Co-Founder, Chairman of the Firm, is a multi-faceted law professional with extensive experience in complex business and employment litigation, appellate advocacy, labor and employment law, government contracts, procurement, campaign finance, and political and election law. As a renowned trial lawyer, Mr. Genova appears regularly in front of courts of all types at the New Jersey, regional and federal levels, including numerous appearances before the New Jersey Supreme Court. For decades, he has provided precedent-setting legal representation that has reached all levels of the state and federal legal landscape.
As a litigator, Mr. Genova subscribes to the basic legal tenet that lawyers must know their case inside and out. In his mind, there is no substitute for preparation, attention to detail, and an uncompromising commitment to advancing the client’s interests. He sees his role as a “counselor” and problem solver, embracing the lawyer’s responsibility to educate clients about their legal rights, responsibilities and vulnerabilities, while assisting them in developing a clear path towards defined legal outcomes. Mr. Genova considers his principal skill as “effective advocacy,” defining it as the ability to marshal facts quickly, distill them to their core elements, and apply legal principles and strategies to achieve optimal outcomes for clients.
Countless business disputes, civil litigation matters, and complex commercial controversies involving family members, partners, shareholders, vendors, contractors and executives have benefitted form Mr. Genova’s expertise. He has served as lead or co-counsel at every stage of litigation from the pleading phase, discovery, and depositions, through motion practice, trial and appeal.
Mr. Genova's experience in election and political law spans more than 30 years. He has represented candidates for every level of government, including those running for city council, county executive, mayor, state legislature, Governor, member of the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate, and President of the United States. He has also advised a large number of local, state and national political parties. He has also successfully represented clients in matters involving all aspects of election law and campaign finance, including ballot questions, vote-by-mail disputes, voter eligibility, election recounts, rechecks and post-election challenges. This includes matters falling under the Voting Rights Act, Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), and New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJELEC).
It is said that if it happens in the workplace, Angelo Genova has the experience to address the employer’s issue across an array of industries. He has 30 years of experience in collective bargaining, traditional labor law, employment litigation, EEO, Title VII, OSHA, FLSA (wage & hour), prevailing wage laws, project labor agreement negotiation, and the defense of individual and class action claims. Mr. Genova has negotiated precedent-setting collective bargaining agreements with public workers in New Jersey, including those involving difficult issues like employee contributions for healthcare costs.
Mr. Genova has also served as General Counsel to the New Jersey Democratic Party for 25 years. He is a former Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (2003 – 2007), former Chairman of the New Jersey Urban Development Corporation (1991 – 1992), and served as General Counsel to the Transition Team for former New Jersey Governor James J. Florio in 1989.
Matters
- Successfully defended the Campaign of President Barack Obama against an effort to remove the President from the New Jersey primary election ballot due to alleged “birther” claims.
- Successfully secured the dismissal of a citizen-filed official misconduct complaint on behalf of the former Chairman of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.
- Successfully represented U.S. Senator, Frank Lautenberg, securing a judgment allowing him to replace U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli, who resigned as a candidate, on the U.S. Senate ballot after the statutory deadline had expired.
- Successfully resolved a federally-litigated ERISA-related benefits dispute lodged by former employees of a utility under a merger agreement approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
- Served as co-counsel to United States Senator, Robert Menendez, rebuffing an effort to recall him from office.
- Successfully represented the new Meadowlands Racetrack, defeating an action to compel the application of New Jersey’s prevailing wage laws to this venue.
- Served as Special Labor Counsel to the State of New Jersey and former governors, James J. Florio, James E. McGreevey and Jon S. Corzine, negotiating collective bargaining agreements with unions representing the State’s 50,000 plus employees, including the first-ever requirement of employee contributions for healthcare costs.
- Successfully represented a member of New Jersey Assembly in her challenge to a county political party that sought to bar her election as successor to a recently vacated State Senate seat.
- Successfully defended the President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in a whistle-blower action initiated by the Agency’s Chief Fiscal Officer, securing a post-trial directed verdict in favor of the Board President.
- Successfully represented the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey’s largest city, in a challenge to restrictions placed on the contracting authority of the Municipal Council.
- Successfully prosecuted a significant defamation and extortion case for a client who was the target of a defamatory Internet campaign, securing a rare, post-trial permanent injunction involving matters of first impression.
- Successfully defended against a post-election run-off challenge on behalf of a long-term incumbent Newark councilman resulting in the dismissal of the challenge.
- Obtained a defense verdict, with co-counsel, on behalf of a New Jersey municipality after a three-week trial dismissing a town employee's allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault and hostile work environment against its Mayor and the Township, securing an award for defamation damages on behalf of the Mayor.
- Obtained a dismissal on behalf of a municipal councilman accused of violations of local ethics laws as a result of failing to recuse himself on a matter in which he was alleged to have had an indirect personal pecuniary interest.
- Secured on appeal of a judgment in favor of a municipality upholding its decision to terminate a police officer, reversing the trial court’s award of $270,000 in back pay.
- Successfully defended the interests of a significant developer in concert with a public authority in an action seeking to enjoin a multi-million-dollar bond issuance funding a billion-dollar entertainment venue in New Jersey, resulting in the dismissal of the action, which allowed financing of the project to proceed.
- Successfully appealed and vacated a multi-million-dollar divorce judgment on behalf of former New York Giants football star and TV personality, Michael Strahan.
- Successfully settled charges by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission against a prominent New Jersey elected official in connection with allegations of misuse of campaign funds.
- Successfully represented a professional hockey team and arena management organization in a commercial arbitration resulting in an $81 million award in rent set-offs for the client's 30-year lease against the Newark Housing Authority.
- Successfully defended a municipality against an action brought by 88 current and former municipal employees alleging the municipality violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay overtime wages and provide other types of remuneration.
- Successfully defended majority members of the New Jersey Legislative Apportionment Commission in a challenge to the legislative district map adopted at the Decennial Census by the Commission.
- Successfully represented the operator of The Meadowlands, New Jersey’s largest horse racing venue, in its ban of a horse trainer for engaging in “doping”.
- Successfully represented the Democratic National Committee in a voting rights action, preserving a 28-year standing order of the United States District Court enjoining nationally discriminatory ballot security measures, which suppressed minority voter participation.
- Served as counsel and special counsel to the 1980 New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission, the 1990 New Jersey Legislative Apportionment Commission, the 2000 New Jersey Legislative Apportionment Commission and the 2010 New Jersey Legislative Apportionment Commission.
Specializations
Appellate Litigation, Complex Commercial Litigation, Corporate & Business Entity Governance, Ethics & Compliance, Mediation & Alternative Dispute Resolution , Procurement Law, Government Contracts & Bid Protest Litigation, Casino & Gaming Law, Construction Law & Litigation, Education Law , Energy & Utility Law, Election Law & Litigation, Commercial Real Estate & Redevelopment, Corporate Law & Business Transactions, Crisis Management, Employment Law & Litigation, Labor Law, Transportation, Shipping, Trucking & Logistics, Class Action Defense, Criminal Defense, Investigations & Compliance
Industries
Construction & Engineering, Education, Financial Services, Manufacturing & Industrial, Media, Telecom & Digital, Professional Services, Auto Dealers & Manufacturers, Casinos, Racetracks & Gaming, Contributors, Campaigns, Lobbyists & Political Organizations, Energy & Regulated Utilities, Governmental Service Providers, Healthcare, Hospitals & Medical Professionals, Hotels & Restaurants, Pharmaceuticals, Biotech, Medtech & Life Sciences, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Real Estate, Trade Associations, Transportation, Trucking & Logistics
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
