Chase J. Ulisse joins the firm as an associate. Chase’s practice focuses in the areas of retail & hospitality, trucking and transportation, premises liability, dram shop, and corporate defense. While in law school, Chase clerked for Sweeney & Sheehan for two-and-a-half years in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania gaining experience in the many disciplines litigated at the firm.
Anthony J. Ryan joins the firm as an associate. Tony’s focus includes construction defect cases, representing general contractors and subcontractors, automobile liability, product liability and general liability. Additionally, Tony has handled mass tort, toxic tort, product liability and multi-district litigation. His legal experience spans arbitrations, jury trials and appellate practices. Before pursuing his legal career, Tony worked as an engineer in various disciplines for a major oil company.
Matthew R. Dellinger joins the firm as an associate. Matt will focus his practice in the areas of retail and hospitality, transportation and general liability. Prior to joining Sweeney & Sheehan, Matt clerked for the Honorable Robert P. Becker Jr. (Ret.) in Gloucester County Superior Court’s Chancery Division. Following his clerkship, Matt worked at a transactional and litigation firm and for the Superior Court of New Jersey Clerk’s Office.
Partners Frank Gattuso and Neal Thakkar were reappointed for 2024-25 as Honorary Officers of the South Jersey Claims Association. Frank will continue as the Director of Legal Affairs and Neal as a co-director of continuing education.
Brett Feldman was appointed President of South Jersey Claims Association for a one year term, 2024-25. South Jersey Claims Association offers a forum where insurance claims professionals from the Tristate area have gathered for education, ethical claims practices, and fellowship.
On July 9, 2024 the New Jersey Appellate Division held that a retail operator with drive-through service was entitled to defense and indemnification from a customer’s personal automobile liability policy, reasoning that serving the drive-through customer qualified as “using” her vehicle. Learn more by reading Christopher Hartt’s Case Law Update: Retail/Auto: Defense and Indemnification.
In March 2024 the Supreme Court of New Jersey issued a ruling regarding emotional support animals and New Jersey’s law against discrimination. For further details, read our Partner Denise Montgomery’s case law update: Emotion Support Animals and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination
Partner J. Michael Kunsch was appointed to the Hearing Committee of The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania for a three-year term. Hearing Committee Members perform essential roles in Pennsylvania’s disciplinary system, chief among them to review Disciplinary Counsel’s recommended dispositions and to conduct hearings into formal charges of attorney misconduct and petitions for reinstatement.
Partner Michael Kunsch authored an insightful article, No Standards: Defending Product Liability Claims When Compliance with Standards is In admissible, published in the Summer 2024 USLAW Magazine. The article analyzes Sullivan, explores evidentiary issues that are likely to arise from the decision, and offers practice tips for defending design defect cases when compliance with standards is inadmissible.
Sweeney & Sheehan is pleased to announce that Christopher Hartt has joined the firm. Chris concentrates his practice on matters involving retail and hospitality, transportation, general liability, and workers compensation.