2025 Attorney Rankings and Awards Recap

News

12.18.25

Forty-two lawyers at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. received many highly regarded industry rankings and awards in 2025. Chambers USA, the New Jersey Law Journal, New Jersey Super Lawyers®, Best Lawyers in America®, InsiderNJ, Rutgers Law School, the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, and NJBIZ have recognized our attorneys for their work in a broad array of practice areas. We are proud to work with such an impressive group of professionals and are grateful for their dedication to our clients and firm.

Notably, Chambers and Partners added three Pashman Stein attorneys to their rankings in 2025 – Brendan M. Walsh, John W. Weiss, and Joseph C. Barsalona II – bringing the number of our Chambers-ranked lawyers to 12.  Others receiving special recognition in 2025 included Darcy Baboulis-Gyscek, Joseph Hayden, Valerie McCarthy, and Michael Stein by the New Jersey Law Journal, John Kim by the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, CJ Griffin by Rutgers Law School Alumni Association, Jhanice Domingo by New Jersey Super Lawyers, and Deanna Koestel and Aidan O’Connor by Best Lawyers.

Bruce J. Ackerman

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Corporate Law
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Business/ Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate: Business

Samantha T. Alexander

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 Rising Star list – Business & Corporate, Real Estate

Darcy Baboulis-Gyscek

• Included in the 2025 list of “Unsung Heroes” by the New Jersey Law Journal as part of its New Jersey Legal Awards 2025
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 “Ones to Watch” list – Commercial Litigation
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 Rising Star list – Civil Litigation: Defense

Joseph C. Barsalona II

• Ranked by Chambers and Partners in its 2025 USA Guide in Delaware for Bankruptcy/Restructuring
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2025 “Ones to Watch” list – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Raymond M. Brown

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list – Cannabis Law, Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Criminal Defense: General Practice, and Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Criminal Defense: White Collar, General Litigation

Oren M. Chaplin

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Business/Corporate, Closely Held Business, Mergers & Acquisitions

David N. Cinotti

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Business Litigation, Appellate

Jhanice V. Domingo

• Included in Top 50: 2025 Women New Jersey Super Lawyers list Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list – Family Law, Family Law Arbitration, and Family Law Mediation
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list – Family Law

Leah M. Eisenberg

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Seth A. Goldberg

• Ranked by Chambers and Partners in its 2025 USA Guide for Cannabis Law: Eastern United States

CJ Griffin

• Recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Rutgers Law School–Newark Alumni Association
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Media and Advertising, Appellate, Cannabis Law, Civil Rights, Communications
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list – Appellate Practice, Civil Rights Law, Media Law
• Included in InsiderNJ’s Top 50 Leading Voices in the Cannabis Industry list
• Included in NJBIZ’s 2025 Law Power 50 List

Daniel R. Guadalupe

• Ranked by Chambers and Partners in its 2025 USA Guide in Delaware for Litigation: General Commercial
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Construction
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Construction Litigation: Business, Business Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution

Joseph A. Hayden, Jr.

• Ranked in Band 1 in the 2025 Chambers USA Guide for New Jersey: Litigation: White Collar Crime and Government Investigations
• Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the New Jersey Law Journal as part of its 2025 New Jersey Legal Awards
• Honored by the Integrity House at its 2025 Gala
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list – Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Recipient of the “Medal of St. Benedict's” by St. Benedict’s Preparatory School
• Named to New Jersey’s Irish American Leaders list 2025 by InsiderNJ

Henry J. Jaffe

• Ranked by Chambers and Partners in its 2025 USA Guide in Delaware for Bankruptcy/Restructuring
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

John Kim

• Named “Attorney of the Year” by the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey

Hon. Ellen K. Koblitz (Ret.)

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list – Appellate Practice, Family Law, Family Law Arbitration

Deanna L. Koestel

• Named “Lawyer of the Year” for Construction Law for the Hackensack region in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers® 
• Included in 2025 Super Lawyers New York Metro List - Business Litigation; Construction Litigation: Business; and Civil Litigation
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list – Business Litigation, Construction Litigation, General Litigation
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list – Commercial Litigation, Construction Litigation, General Litigation

Yelena Yukhvid Levine

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 Rising Star list – Civil Litigation: Defense

Zachary Levy

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 Rising Star list - Business Litigation

Scott R. Lippert

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list – Real Estate Law

Sean Mack

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Commercial Litigation
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Business Litigation, Cannabis Law, Appellate
• Included in NJBIZ’s 2025 Law Power 50 List

Amanda J. Massey

• Honored with Brookdale Community College’s Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award

Valerie Jules McCarthy

• Included in the 2025 list of “Unsung Heroes” by the New Jersey Law Journal as part of its New Jersey Legal Awards 2025

Dillon J. McGuire

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 Rising Star list - Criminal Defense
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 “Ones to Watch” list – Criminal Defense: General Practice and Commercial Litigation

Aidan P. O’Connor

• Named “Lawyer of the Year” for Criminal Defense: White Collar for the Hackensack region in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers® 
• Ranked in the 2025 Chambers USA Guide for New Jersey: Litigation: White Collar Crime and Government Investigations
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Criminal Defense: White Collar, General Litigation, Business Litigation
• Named to New Jersey’s Irish American Leaders list 2025 by InsiderNJ

Amy M. Oden

• Included in 2025 Super Lawyers New York Metro List – Creditor Debtor Rights

Howard Pashman

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 Rising Star list – Civil Litigation: Defense

Louis Pashman

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Real Estate Law

Roger Plawker

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Business Litigation, Administrative Law, Criminal Defense: White Collar, Intellectual Property

Richard W. Riley

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation – Bankruptcy

Bruce S. Rosen

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Communications, Business Litigation, General Litigation, Constitutional Law
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: General Practice, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, First Amendment Law, Litigation – First Amendment

Samuel J. Samaro

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Employment & Labor: Employer, General Litigation

Hon. Ronny Jo Siegal (Ret.)

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Family Law and Family Law Litigation

Alan Silber

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar

David E. Sklar

• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Remi L. Spencer

• Ranked by Chambers and Partners in its 2025 USA Guide in New Jersey for Litigation: White Collar Crime and Government Investigations
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Criminal Defense

Michael S. Stein

• Ranked in Band 1 in Commercial Litigation in New Jersey by Chambers and Partners in its 2025 USA Guide
• Named Office Managing Partner of the Year by the New Jersey Law Journal as part of its 2025 New Jersey Legal Awards
• Named 2025 ICON Award Honoree by NJBIZ
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Appellate Practice, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law and Commercial Litigation
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Business Litigation, Appellate

David B. Stratton

• Ranked by Chambers and Partners in its 2025 USA Guide in Delaware for Bankruptcy/Restructuring
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Justin P. Walder

• Ranked in the 2025 Chambers USA Guide for Senior Statesman for New Jersey: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Appellate Practice, Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list - Criminal Defense: White Collar, Business Litigation, Administrative Law

Brendan M. Walsh

• Ranked by Chambers and Partners in its 2025 USA Guide in Delaware for Litigation: General Commercial
• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 list – Business Litigation, Civil Litigation, Appellate

John W. Weiss

• Ranked by Chambers and Partners in its 2025 USA Guide in Delaware for Bankruptcy/Restructuring
• Included in 2025 Super Lawyers New York Metro List – Bankruptcy: Business; Business Litigation; and Creditor Debtor Rights: Business
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 list - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law, and Litigation-Bankruptcy

Marc M. Yenicag

• Included in New Jersey Super Lawyers 2025 Rising Star list – Business Litigation
• Included in Best Lawyers in America 2026 “Ones to Watch” list – Commercial Litigation

Methodologies

The New Jersey Legal Awards are published by the New Jersey Law Journal. A description of the selection methodology can be found at Methodology: New Jersey Legal Awards (NJLA) 2025.

The Chambers USA ranking list is published by Chambers & Partners. A description of the selection methodology can be found at https://chambers.com/about-us/methodology.

The New Jersey Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology can be found at http://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html.

The New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Star list is issued by Thomson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology can be found at http://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html.

The Best Lawyers list and the Ones to Watch list are issued by BL Rankings, LLC. A description of the selection methodology can be found at https://www.bestlawyers.com/About/MethodologyBasic.aspx

The “2025 Law Power 50” List is published by NJBIZ. A description of the selection methodology can be found here.

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