Special Retentions

When public entities or private companies in New Jersey have needed someone of impeccable character and integrity to conduct an independent investigation into allegations of non-compliance with statutes and regulations, waste, conflicts of interests, or fraud, they have called on Pashman Stein Walder Hayden.

Led by the Hon. Gary S. Stein (ret.), special counsel to the firm, who draws on his 17 years of experience as an Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, Pashman Stein Walder Hayden has conducted a variety a special investigations and assignments. Our retentions have involved highly-publicized engagements, as well as confidential opinion letters.

Our recent engagements have included:

• Investigating a prestigious state university system’s compliance with state public bidding laws, which included the analysis of hundreds of contracts, over 200 interviews, and the release of a 166-page report (plus appendices) of our findings and recommendations;
• Conducting an independent review of the New Jersey Office of the Inspector General’s report reviewing the internal controls of a public entity;
• Providing an opinion as to whether there was a conflict of interest between a town attorney’s purchase of land in the town that had been designated as an area in need of redevelopment and his duties as borough attorney;
• Providing an opinion in response to concerns regarding possible conflicts of interest among members of a town’s Council;
• Conducting an independent review of facts relating to a New Jersey Office of the Inspector General’s report, which alleged wrongdoing by the chief executive officer of one of New Jersey’s public authorities;
• Investigating a claim that an administrator of a large board of education was subjected to a hostile work environment; and
• Serving as court-appointed fiscal agent in disputes between business owners.

In December 2007, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission appointed Justice Stein to be the trustee and conservator of one of the largest hotels and casinos in the state after the Commission denied renewal of the casino’s gaming license. The firm served as counsel to the trustee/conservator to represent him in connection with the management of the casino-hotel and with selling the casino-hotel to a new owner, which sale closed in March 2010. Between December 2007 and March 2010, the firm regularly appeared before the New Jersey Casino Control Commission on behalf of the trustee/conservator.

In high stakes litigations on appeal, Pashman Stein Walder Hayden also has been consulted by attorneys across the state seeking assistance with framing their appellate arguments, preparing petitions for certification to the Supreme Court, and serving as moot court judge to assist preparing for oral argument.