New Jersey Law Journal

An Essex County trial court must conduct further proceedings to determine whether the plaintiffs in a legal malpractice suit against Hill Wallack and others adequately complied with their discovery obligations, the Appellate Division ruled. This litigation arose from claims lodged by plaintiffs Varoujan Khorozian and Kyle Khorozian, that the Hill Wallack defendants committed professional malpractice when they represented them in an underlying New Jersey federal court litigation in 2015. On appeal, the Appellate Division determined the trial judge, Essex County Superior Court Judge Annette Scoca, needed to clarify what was deficient or missing in the plaintiffs' discovery, and after doing so, make a final ruling on whether their counsel complied with the state rules of court on discovery notice procedures. From Law.com's Nicholas Malfitano: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g9-t8g-C

The unpublished ruling partially remanded the case to determine whether the plaintiffs' counsel complied with proper discovery notice requirements under state law.

More and more, defense lawyers are seeking to include confidentiality provisions in settlements, even where the amount of the award is not large, writes Law.com's Charles Toutant. Plaintiff counsel Cory Rothbort of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman LLC in Roseland thinks a recent decision by Camden County Superior Court Judge Michael Joyce, though lacking precedential value, will be helpful because such cases often don't reach the motion-practice stage. "The purpose of our tort law is, in part, to deter future conduct. And how do you deter future conduct if everything is kept quiet and tucked under the rug?" Rothbort said. Dominic DeLaurentis Jr., of Stahl & DeLaurentis in Haddon Heights represented physician Albert J. Belli Jr. and his employer, South Jersey Chest Diseases, on the defense side. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ghbg8HQt

The judge ruled confidentiality is a key term in settlements, not an add-on. In other words, confidentiality shouldn't be expected in settlement bargaining, and needs to be separately negotiated.

"One of the more consequential aspects of Hello Farms is its rejection of the argument that a claim for monetary damages is sufficiently removed from the underlying unlawful conduct to permit recovery." From Ryan Magee and Kieran T. Ensor, Esq. of McCarter & English, LLP: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gt-vCbAd

What happens when the business operation itself is subjected to scrutiny in federal court? Can federal courts resolve contractual disputes among cannabis operators when the underlying conduct itself remains illegal under federal law? The Sixth Circuit's recent decision in 'Hello Farms Licensing MI v. GR Vending MI' addressed that issue head on.

Questions over Katie Zacharia's legal credentials intensified after she responded to a reporter question about where she had passed the bar exam and in which state, to which Zacharia responded, "when I moved to China." A partner at Beijing-based Zhong Lun Law Firm confirmed to Law.com that Zacharia had worked in its Beijing office but said she was understood to have held a legal assistant role rather than practicing as a qualified Chinese lawyer. From Law.com's Abigail Adcox: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gTgGk4dd

Prompts and scripts used to create AI-generated child sexual abuse material were allegedly found at the home of the Lower Makefield Township resident. “We are cooperating with our partners in the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and are taking appropriate action with respect to his employment,” a spokesperson for the New Jersey Attorney’s General Office said. From reporter Nicholas Malfitano: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gRYUDAuA

The latest edition of On the Move and After Hours includes personnel updates about Archer & Greiner, Trenk Isabel, Saiber, Einhorn Barbarito, Cole Schotz and Riker Danzig. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gBMZf7rN

From Matthew Troiano and Matheu D. Nunn, Esq. of Einhorn Barbarito: "In our three prior articles, we addressed substantive evidence issues, including completeness, hearsay exceptions, cross-examination, and business and public records. This fourth installment returns to substantive evidence." 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gb94s_A9