Thirty-Eight Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2027 Lists

News

8.20.26

Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. is proud to announce that 38 attorneys have been recognized in the 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America lists. Thirty-one attorneys were selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® list, and seven were recognized in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America list, representing a significant increase over the firm's 2026 rankings.

According to Best Lawyers, recognition is based on peer review, and its process is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers regarding the professional abilities of their colleagues in the same geographic and legal practice areas.

The Best Lawyers in America® List

The 31 Pashman Stein attorneys included in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® list, and their recognized practice areas are:

• Bruce J. Ackerman (Corporate Law) (Co-Chair, Corporate & Business Law) – New Jersey
• Denise Alvarez (Commercial Litigation) (Partner) – New Jersey
• Raymond M. Brown (Cannabis Law, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Criminal Defense: General Practice, and Criminal Defense: White-Collar) (Partner) – New Jersey
• Donald W. Clarke (Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditors' Rights) (Partner) – New Jersey
• Joseph Colao (Commercial Litigation) (Partner) – New Jersey
• Jhanice V. Domingo (Family Law, Family Law Arbitration, and Family Law Mediation) (Chair, Family Law) – New Jersey
• Leah M. Eisenberg (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law) (Partner) – New Jersey
• CJ Griffin (Appellate Practice, Civil Rights Law, and Media Law) (Partner and Director of the Stein Public Interest Center) – New Jersey
• Daniel R. Guadalupe (Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Construction) (Partner) – New Jersey
• Joseph A. Hayden, Jr. (Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar) (Co-Chair, Criminal Defense and Investigations – Governmental and Internal) – New Jersey
• Henry J. Jaffe (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law) (Partner) – Delaware
• Ellen L. Koblitz, P.J.A.D. (Ret.) (Appellate Practice, Family Law, Family Law Arbitration) (Special Counsel) – New Jersey
• Deanna L. Koestel (Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction) (Partner, Litigation and Chair, Construction Law) – New Jersey
• Scott R. Lippert (Real Estate Law) (Co-Chair, Commercial Real Estate) – New Jersey
• Sean Mack (Commercial Litigation) (Co-Chair of Litigation and Co-Chair of Cannabis & Hemp Law) – New Jersey
• Timothy P. Malone (Commercial Litigation) (Partner) – New Jersey
• Amanda J. Massey (Family Law) (Counsel) – New Jersey
• Aidan P. O'Connor (Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar) (Co-Chair, Criminal Defense and Investigations – Governmental and Internal) – New Jersey
• Howard Pashman (Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White-Collar) (Counsel) – New Jersey
• Louis Pashman (Real Estate Law) (Of Counsel) – New Jersey
• Kevin P. Ray (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law) (Counsel) – Pennsylvania
• Richard W. Riley (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation – Bankruptcy) (Counsel) – Delaware
• Bruce S. Rosen (Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: General Practice, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, First Amendment Law, and Litigation – First Amendment) (Partner) – New Jersey
• Ronny Jo Siegal, J.S.C. (Ret.) (Family Law and Family Law Mediation) (Special Counsel) – New Jersey
• David E. Sklar (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law) (Associate) – New Jersey
• Michael S. Stein (Appellate Practice, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law and Commercial Litigation) (Firm Chair and Managing Partner) – New Jersey
• David B. Stratton (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law) (Senior Counsel) – Delaware
• Mary F. Thurber (Arbitration and Mediation) (Special Counsel) – New Jersey
• Diane E. Vuocolo (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation – Bankruptcy) (Partner) – Pennsylvania
• Justin P. Walder (Appellate Practice, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, and Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law) (Senior Counsel) – New Jersey
• John W. Weiss (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy) (Chair, Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditors’ Rights) – New Jersey

Best Lawyers®: "Lawyer of the Year" List

In addition, Deanna L. Koestel has been named in the Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" list in the 2027 edition for Construction Litigation in the Hackensack region. This is the second consecutive year Koestel has earned a distinction for "Lawyer of the Year," following her 2026 recognition as "Lawyer of the Year" for Construction Law in the Hackensack region. According to Best Lawyers, the honor is awarded annually to only one lawyer per practice area and metropolitan area based on the highest overall peer feedback received.

Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch in America List

The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America list includes attorneys who are earlier in their careers and have demonstrated outstanding professional excellence in private practice. The seven attorneys included in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2027 list and their recognized practice areas are:

• Monica Babula (Trusts and Estates) (Counsel) – New Jersey
• Michael J. Custer (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law) (Counsel) – Delaware
• Alexis R. Gambale (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law) (Associate) – Delaware

• Darcy Baboulis-Gyscek (Commercial Litigation) (Counsel) – New Jersey

• Dominique Kilmartin (Commercial Litigation) (Counsel) – New Jersey

• Dillon J. McGuire (Criminal Defense: General Practice and Commercial Litigation) (Partner) – New Jersey
• Marc M. Yenicag (Commercial Litigation) (Counsel) – New Jersey

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

No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.