Six Attorneys Named Super Lawyers
Ansell Grimm & Aaron is pleased to announce that six attorneys from the firm have been selected to the 2022 New Jersey Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.* Selected as Super Lawyers again this year are Allison Ansell, Mitchell J. Ansell, and Andrea B. White. Named as Rising Stars this year are Alfred M. Caso, Ashley V. Whitney, and Nicole D. Miller. This is Caso’s first selection, Whitney’s second, and Miller’s fourth consecutive selection as a Rising Star. Each year, no more than 5% of lawyers in the state are selected to the Super Lawyers list, and no more than 2.5% are selected to the Rising Stars list. The list of New Jerse Super Lawyers is based upon surveys of the more than 35,000 lawyers across the state who have been licensed to practice for five years or more.
*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court.
Ansell Grimm & Aaron Welcomes Carol J. Truss
We are pleased to announce that Carol J. Truss has joined Ansell Grimm & Aaron’s Commercial Real Estate Department. Ms. Truss previously served as a partner at Gross, Truss & Herstik in Freehold, New Jersey. Ms. Truss’s primary focus is on real estate, including commercial acquisitions/dispositions and refinances, commercial leasing and commercial property management matters. She also handles the purchase and sale of small businesses and the general representation of such businesses. Ms. Truss is an active member of the Monmouth Bar Association (MBA), and has served in several leadership roles for the MBA, including President, Trustee, and Chair of the Real Estate and Land Development Committee. She is also a past Chair and Lifetime Member of the New Jersey State Bar Association Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section Board of Consultors.
“Carol is a great addition to the AGA Commercial Real Estate Department,” Managing Partner Michael V. Benedetto said. “She brings vast experience as a counselor, as well as tremendous respect from the Bench and Bar.”
Seth Rosenstein Defends Clients Targeted by Serial Plaintiffs
Seth Rosenstein of AGA’s Woodland Park and White Plains office had recently represented several businesses that were sued by serial Plaintiffs for purported violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related state and municipal statutes. As in nearly all of the cookie cutter Complaints filed by Plaintiffs’ counsel in the ADA actions, Plaintiffs generally alleged that accessibility barriers prevented them from entering Defendants’ place of business and/or accessing the business’ website. Leveraging the fact that ADA Plaintiffs expect to settle counsel-driven litigation before actively litigating in exchange for substantial payouts, Mr. Rosenstein aggressively pursued discovery and motion practice to take counsel to task, and successfully compelled settlements for a fraction of what ADA Plaintiffs’ counsel typically demand and collect.
Ansell Grimm & Aaron Continues to Build Commercial Litigation Group
We are pleased to announce the addition of Kelsey Barber as an associate with Ansell Grimm & Aaron’s commercial litigation group, where she will continue to focus her practice on a variety of complex civil litigation matters. Ms. Barber received her B.A. in Historical Studies from Stockton University with a minor in Philosophical and Religious Studies. She thereafter obtained her J.D. from Rutgers Law School, where she was an editor of the Rutgers Journal of Public Policy and spearheaded Youth Court, a pro bono youth organization dedicated to teaching legal and ethical youth adjudication for school disciplinary actions in Camden. Ms. Barber previously clerked with the Honorable Linda Grasso Jones, in the Monmouth County Courthouse, Civil Division, where she also acted as a court appointed mediator. After her clerkship, Ms. Barber went on to work in established plaintiff and defense oriented firms, litigating in the areas of catastrophic tort, products liability, contract, employment, and complex business litigation.
Ansell Grimm & Aaron Named as Finalist for Excellence in Cannabis Law
Ansell Grimm & Aaron has been voted among the Top 3 nominees for the NJ Cannabis Insider 2022 Business Awards in the Excellence in Cannabis Law category. On June 9, 2022, NJ Cannabis Insider will host New Jersey’s first-ever cannabis business awards gala at the Carteret Performing Arts Center where businesses, including Ansell Grimm & Aaron, will be recognized for their achievements in the fields of law, social equity, building, innovation, and consultancy.
Ansell Grimm & Aaron Speaks on the Mid-Atlantic Cannabis Industry
Joshua Bauchner, a Partner serving as both Co-Chair of the Litigation Department and head of the Cannabis Law Practice group, will be discussing the cannabis industry’s legal landscape at a series of upcoming events. On April 28, Mr. Bauchner will moderate the New Jersey State Bar Association’s 4th Annual Cannabis Symposium. You can find program details and register to attend in person here or via webcast here. Mr. Bauchner will be speaking at the Athletes in Cannabis NY/NJ Regional Tradeshow, which will be held May 6 – 7, 2022 at the Hilton Newark Airport. Tickets for the event can be found here. On May 19, Mr. Bauchner will moderate a panel on adult-use licenses during the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting at the Borgata in Atlantic City. You can register for the Meeting here. On June 3, Mr. Bauchner will be discussing social equity in the New Jersey and New York cannabis markets at the 2022 NORML Aspen Legal Seminar. The seminar will be held June 2 – 4, in Aspen, Colorado, and registration information can be found here. Mr. Bauchner will also discuss licensing and professional ethics in New Jersey at the National Business Institute’s Marijuana Business Law in New Jersey Seminar on June 19, 2022.
Cannabis Regulatory Commission Special Meeting
On Monday, April 11, 2022 the Cannabis Regulatory Meeting held a special meeting open to the public. At the meeting the Commission approved 34 conditional licenses for cultivators and manufacturers, bringing the number of approved conditional licenses to 100+. The Commission also considered expanded ATC certifications for 7 existing ATCs including, Acreage-CCF, Curaleaf, Columbia Care, Verano, Ascend Wellness, GTI, and TerrAscend. The ATCs will still need to complete an operational assessment for regulatory compliance and submit payment of their full expansion fees before they are authorized to begin adult-use sales. Recordings of all Cannabis Regulatory Commission public meetings can be found here.
