While the firm was founded in 1929, its beginning traces to a few years earlier, when three friends — Leon Anschelewitz, Max Barr and Charles Frankel — graduated from high school and decided they would go to college together to become … dentists.
Alas, one of the trio did not get into dental school, so they attended Dickinson Law School together instead. Upon graduation, they hung up a shingle on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park in 1929.
Three of Leon’s sons — David, Robert and Richard — became lawyers. He’d shortened their name to Ansell, and they joined the firm in the 1960s. Circa 1970, they joined forces with another group of three brothers, the Bonellos, and the firm of Anschelowitz, Barr, Ansell & Bonello soon became the most prominent law firm in Central New Jersey.
At this point, Leon Anschelewitz was referred to simply as “the chairman,” and Max Barr headed up the litigation practice. David Ansell focused on family law and was known as “the dean,” a nod to his long tenure as the unofficial dean of the Family Law Bar, while Richard Ansell focused on personal injury and medical malpractice. Robert Ansell became the go-to criminal defense attorney in New Jersey, gaining notoriety for high-profile cases in the 1970s and 1980s.
While the firm was founded in 1929, its beginning traces to a few years earlier, when three friends — Leon Anschelewitz, Max Barr and Charles Frankel — graduated from high school and decided they would go to college together to become … dentists.
Alas, one of the trio did not get into dental school, so they attended Dickinson Law School together instead. Upon graduation, they hung up a shingle on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park in 1929.
Three of Leon’s sons — David, Robert and Richard — became lawyers. He’d shortened their name to Ansell, and they joined the firm in the 1960s. Circa 1970, they joined forces with another group of three brothers, the Bonellos, and the firm of Anschelowitz, Barr, Ansell & Bonello soon became the most prominent law firm in Central New Jersey.
At this point, Leon Anschelewitz was referred to simply as “the chairman,” and Max Barr headed up the litigation practice. David Ansell focused on family law and was known as “the dean,” a nod to his long tenure as the unofficial dean of the Family Law Bar, while Richard Ansell focused on personal injury and medical malpractice. Robert Ansell became the go-to criminal defense attorney in New Jersey, gaining notoriety for high-profile cases in the 1970s and 1980s.
Some historical highlights of the firm in the closing decades of the 20th century include:
The 2000s ushered in a period of firm growth, beginning with a merger with Goldman Zolotorofe & Corcoran, which brought David Zolotorofe and his Woodland Park office into the fold in 2005. In 2015, the firm acquired a Community Association Practice Group and opened a new Princeton office.
Through all the iterations of the firm, the longstanding focus on family has been a constant — one that shows no sign of ending any time soon. Robert Ansell’s son Brian joined the firm in 1990 and was joined by David Ansell’s children Allison and Mitchell. Richard Ansell’s son Michael, was also a member of the firm, marking a time when three generations of Ansells were actively practicing with the firm.
David Ansell was senior partner and chairman of the Matrimonial and Family Law Department at Ansell Grimm & Aaron. He devoted his entire practice to matrimonial law and was considered one of the top matrimonial attorneys in New Jersey, commanding the respect of his adversaries, as well as the judges he appeared in front of. Mr. Ansell had been president of the Monmouth County Bar Association, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (New Jersey Chapter), and a trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He was also among the recipients of the 2007 Professional Lawyer of the Year award. In addition, Super Lawyers magazine named Mr. Ansell to its list of outstanding attorneys in the practice of family law in the state of New Jersey for the years 2005 through 2008.
Richard Ansell practiced law for more 50 years, spending his entire career with the firm co-founded by his father and now known as Ansell Grimm & Aaron. He started as a jack of all trades and eventually focused his career on civil litigation. During his many years of practice, Mr. Ansell had a plethora of memorable cases and significant victories. In 1970, he traveled to Vietnam during the war, successfully defending a U.S. soldier accused of first degree murder. He also took a medical malpractice case to the New Jersey Supreme Court, resulting in a ruling that ultimately changed the law in N.J. and across the country regarding the issue of informed consent from patients. He was also a fierce defender of women’s reproductive rights, obtaining a first-of-its-kind injunction against protestors on behalf of a Planned Parenthood clinic.
Mr. Ansell was a zealous advocate for his clients, but he was also a consummate professional to the court and his adversaries alike. He received the 2018 Abraham J. Zager Professionalism Award from the Monmouth Bar Association, celebrating his career-long commitment to the highest professional standards.
