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Seventy Five Percent of the 2020 Promotions Group are Women
Florham Park, N.J. – December 16, 2019 – The law firm of Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C. announced today the promotions of seven attorneys to principal and one to counsel. Of the promotions, 75% of the group are women. The promotions are effective on January 1, 2020.
Promoted to Principal were Andy Egan, Krista Elsasser, Samantha Epstein, Lauren Fenton-Valdivia, Katie Gannon, Heather Lang, and Gerd Stabbert. Promoted to Counsel was Susan George.
“I am very proud to announce one of our largest promotion classes in recent years and the first to include so many women,” said Bressler Managing Principal Frank Cuccio. “The exceptionally large showing of women in this group of new Principals exemplifies the commitment of our firm to diversity and inclusion. More specifically, the continuing rise of women leaders within the firm speaks to the accomplishments of our Women’s Initiatives Committee and our Diversity & Inclusion Committee.”
Women currently occupy many leadership roles at Bressler – as practice area leaders, members of the Executive Committee, and Chairs of several internal Committees. The rise in the number of female lawyers in leadership positions within the firm continues to increase as well. Seventy-five percent of the new promotions are women, in line with the firm’s goal of meeting or exceeding industry averages.
“We are doing our part to support and acknowledge the success of women attorneys in the firm and legal professional overall,” added Mr. Cuccio. “Further, this collective group of eight attorneys exemplifies our purpose and demonstrates our firm values. Each of these lawyers possesses the skills that will drive the firm into the future with extraordinary opportunity. Our 2020 promotions group has served our clients well, and they are now poised for even greater success in the future. Congratulations to each of them.”
Bressler’s New Principals for 2020
Andy Egan joined the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Private Clients practice groups in 2016 and is one of New Jersey’s premier fiduciary litigators. He focuses his practice on navigating emotionally-charged, high stakes probate, trust and guardianship litigation. Mr. Egan is an experienced trial attorney with a history of success in guiding clients to the most efficient business result in contentious disputes. He has significant experience representing individual and charitable beneficiaries; fiduciaries including executors, trustees, guardians, and persons acting under powers of attorney, and is frequently appointed by courts to handle difficult or contentious matters. Mr. Egan earned his B.A. from Rutgers University in 2007 and his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010. He is based in Bressler’s Florham Park, N.J., office.
Krista Elsasser joined the firm’s Insurance Litigation practice group in 2015. Her practice focuses on first party property insurance defense and pre-litigation investigations and evaluations. Prior to joining Bressler, she dedicated her practice exclusively to defending insurance carriers in first party property actions across South Florida. Ms. Elsasser received her B.S. from Eastern Michigan University in 2006 and her J.D. from Wayne State University Law School in 2011, after completing her third year of legal studies as a visiting student at the University of Miami School of Law. She is based in Bressler’s Miami office.
Samantha Epstein joined the firm’s Insurance group in 2016. She graduated from New York University in three years with a B.A. in Philosophy in 2005 and earned her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 2009. In law school, Ms. Epstein served as the Executive Vice President of the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board, and a member of the Business Law Review. She won the Broadcast Music Inc., sponsored Moot Court competition at the Cardozo School of Law in New York City, also taking home the Best Brief Award. Prior to joining Bressler, Ms. Epstein was an Assistant Public Defender in the 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida, and has extensive trial experience defending serious felony cases. She is based in Bressler’s Miami office.
Lauren Fenton-Valdivia joined the firm’s Business and Commercial Litigation group in 2014. She has a diverse litigation practice and represents corporate clients in state and federal court in New Jersey and New York. Her practice includes handling a variety of complex litigation, including commercial disputes, employment litigation, professional liability and environmental matters. She has experience in all stages of litigation, including complex written discovery, fact and expert depositions, and the oral argument of high stakes motions. Ms. Valdivia has served as trial counsel for numerous corporate clients in state and federal court, trying cases to verdict, and in various arbitration proceedings. She also has experience in multi-district class action matters. She received a B.A. from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in 2008 and a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2011. Having recently passed the Florida bar exam, Ms. Valdivia is now housed in Bressler’s Fort Lauderdale office. She continues to litigate and serve as trial counsel in high-stakes litigation in New York and New Jersey.
Katie Gannon joined the firm’s Environmental Law practice in 2014. She advises clients on environmental law and state and federal environmental litigation matters, with a focus on representing clients in resolving liability at complex Superfund sites. In connection with managing clients’ environmental liabilities, Ms. Gannon has substantial experience advising clients on recovering insurance for such liabilities, often under historic general liability policies. On the regulatory side, she counsels clients on site remediation matters, including regulatory compliance and permitting, enforcement defense, and brownfields redevelopment and funding. Ms. Gannon also has extensive transactional experience, negotiating and drafting environmental provisions in a wide variety of corporate and real property transactions. She received a B.A. from The College of New Jersey in 2007 and a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2010. Ms. Gannon is based in Bressler’s Florham Park office.
Heather Lang joined the firm’s Insurance Litigation group in 2017. Her practice focuses on civil litigation with a specialization in first party insurance defense and pre-litigation investigations and evaluations. Prior to joining Bressler, she worked at a state- wide insurance defense firm in Miami, where she represented business owners and insurance companies in the defense of a wide range of matters including personal injury, products liability, premises liability, professional liability, and construction litigation. Ms. Lang received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida in 2000 and her J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2007. She is based in Bressler’s Ft. Lauderdale office.
Gerd Stabbert joined the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Franchise Law practice groups in 2007. He counsels clients from diverse industries, including automobile, mortgage banking, commercial real estate, scrap and recycling, telecommunications and food service, as well as in the franchising of the full spectrum of products and services. His practice concentrates on complex commercial litigation, primarily on franchising matters and the defense or prosecution of contract disputes, consumer fraud claims, business torts, commercial real estate matters, non-compete disputes, environmental claims and intellectual property issues. He also represents secured and unsecured creditors in corporate bankruptcy cases. Mr. Stabbert’s experience spans all phases of litigation in state and federal courts, including class actions and alternative dispute resolution. He received a B.A. from Rutgers University in 1997 and his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law in 2000. Mr. Stabbert is based in Bressler’s Florham Park office.
Bressler’s New Counsel
Susan George joined the firm’s Securities Litigation and Regulation practice group in 2011 and also has a robust pro bono practice. Her corporate practice focuses on regulatory defense and securities arbitration, representing broker-dealers and other financial firms in customer arbitrations, expungement proceedings, and regulatory inquiries and enforcement actions before FINRA. Her pro bono work includes advocating on behalf of military veterans and their families and victims of domestic abuse. She is also a Board Member for the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. NYLPI is a non-profit community-driven civil rights organization located in New York City, which advocates for equal access to healthcare, education, government services, housing and a clean environment through direct representation and impact litigation. She received a B.A. from Southern Methodist University in 2003 and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 2011. She is based in Bressler’s New York office.