ADVOCATE The Middlesex County Bar Association Monthly Newsletter
January 2020 · Volume 34, Number 5
The Middlesex
Upcoming Events Annual Family Law CLE & Dinner Joint Meeting with the Union &
Somerset County Bar Assns
Wednesday, January 22nd
(See page 7 for details)
19th Amendment: Centennial
Celebration of Yesterday & Today Monday, February 3rd
NJ Law Center, New Brunswick
(See page for 9 details)
What’s Inside
Calendar of Events………….... 2
How to Say It: Legal Writing
That Persuades
by Hon. Robert Jones, Jr. …… .. 3
2019 Family Law Awards ……. 6
Considering #MeToo When
Drafting Sports and
Entertainment Contracts
by Angela Foster, Ph.D., Esq. .. 10
2020 Family Law
Trial Skills Series ………………. 11
Business Resolutions for 2020
by Christina Farmer ……………… 14
4th Annual MCBA Household
Supplies/Toiletry Drive …….. … 15
2019 Hope for the Holidays
Fund Drive Update…..………... 16
Nominations Sought for
Annual Arthur Miller Lawyer
Achievement Award …………... 17
HappyNewYearandwelcometotheyear2020,thebeginningofanewdecade!Whatwillwecallthisdecade?The
2020’s?Thedouble20’s?Whateverthedecadewillbeknownasletushopethatitbringswithitamorepositive,kinderandgentlerspiritforusall. Lookingbackon2019,theMCBAcantakeprideinthecontinuedprogresswemadeinoureffortstomaintaintheinteg‐rityofthelegalprofession,topromotetheindependenceofthejudiciaryandtosup‐portourcommunitiesbyprovidingaccesstojusticethrougheducation,probonoworkandreducedfeeprograms,byorganizingfoodandtoydrivesandbyparticipatingincommunityserviceprojects.WecanlookbackontheyearandbepleasedwithouraccomplishmentsattheMCBAandhope‐fully,youaresatisfiedpersonallyandpro‐fessionallywithyouraccomplishmentsaswell. Lookingforwardto2020,wewillcon‐tinueoureffortstoencouragemembershipintheMCBAandtoprovideprogrammingandservicestosupportourmembers. OneofthefirstprogramswehaveslatedonthecalendaristheCentennialCelebra‐tionofthePassageofthe19thAmendmenttobeheldonMonday,February3rd.The19thAmendmentprovidedthattherightsofcitizensoftheUnitedStateswerenottobedeniedbytheUnitedStatesoranyStatebecauseofsex.Hardtobelievethatitwasonly100yearsagothatwomenwereaf‐fordedthefundamentalrighttovoteinourcountry.Hardtobelievethatitwassore‐centthatmanyofourgrandmothers,mineincluded,wereborninandgrewupinatimewhenwomencouldnotvote. Theprogramwillbeginwithanhistorical
perspectiveofthesuffragistmovementandtheeffortsofNewJerseysuffragistAlicePaulinsecuringtheadoptionofthe19thAmendment.ThehistoricalbackgroundwillbepresentedbySharonHallanan,Esq.,NewJerseyStateBarFoundationspeaker.Hon‐orableTaheshaWay,NewJersey’sSecretaryofState,willprovidethekeynotespeechaddressingtheCentennialCelebrationaswellasgivingperspectiveonwomen’svot‐ingandengagement.Theeveningwillalsoincludeapaneldiscussiononthemilestone,wherewehavecomeandwherewestillneedtogo.
TheAmericanBarAssociation’stravel‐ingsixpanelexhibitwillbeondisplayattheeventbeingheldattheNJLawCenterinNewBrunswick.Theexhibitwillfeaturehistoricpicturesanddetailsofthesuffragistmovementaswellasoutlinethechallengesthatremain.TheMCBAisthankfultotheNewJerseyStateBarAssociationandNewJerseyWomen’sLawyersAssociationforco‐sponsoringtheprogram. Allareinvitedtoattendandcelebratethishistoricmilestone.Theprogramisimpor‐tantforallofus,notjustwomen.Promotingtherighttovoteandequalityinvotingisagoalthatallofusshouldprioritize.Espe‐ciallyinthecomingyearwiththeimportantpresidentialelection,theabilitytoandexer‐cisingtherighttovotewillhavemonumen‐talimportance. Januaryisoftenthoughtofasthetimeofresolutionsandnewbeginnings.Alongwithyourpersonalresolutionsandgoals,IaskyoutopleasekeepinmindtheMCBA.Makeityourresolutiontobecomemoreactive,attendaneventorparticipateinacommu‐nityserviceprogram. OnbehalfoftheboardoftheMCBA,IwishyouallaveryHappyNewYear.Letthenewdecadebegin!
MCBA
The Middlesex County Bar Association 87 Bayard Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 ♦ www.mcbalaw.com ♦ 732.828.3433
Message from the President . . . By Daria Venezia, Esq.
The Middlesex Advocate 87 Bayard Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Phone: (732) 828-3433
Fax: (732) 828-5862 www.mcbalaw.com
Newsletter Editor Edward Testino, Esq.
Letters to the Editor We welcome letters from MCBA members responding to recent articles or to events or issues of general concern to the bar. Commentary Articles Bar members are invited to submit “op-ed” articles, not longer than 750 words, which take affirmative or negative positions on matters of interest to the bar. Practice-Oriented Articles We welcome the submission of substantive law articles, to be limited to 2,000 words or less. News About People & Firms MCBA members are invited to submit announcements and photographs of new firms, new hires, promotions, awards, celebrations and other noteworthy events. Obituaries Obituaries about Middlesex County lawyers may be submitted and should be 300 words or less. Materials submitted for publication should be sent to [email protected] and may be edited for style or abridged due to space limits. Photographs must be submitted electronically in jpg format.
Cal
enda
r
Page 2 — January 2020 — The Middlesex Advocate
The MCBA is an approved provider of continuing legal education in NJ and all CLE programs listed above will meet the requirements of the
BCLE of the Supreme Court of NJ. All events will be held at the MCBA Office, 87 Bayard Street in New Brunswick unless otherwise indicated.
To RSVP go to www.mcbalaw.com or call 732.828.3433, ext. 102.
Calendar of Events January 8 – Wednesday, 8:00 a.m.
ELDER LAW COMMITTEE MEETING ‐ Speaker/
Topic: TBA. A light breakfast will be served. There is
no cost to attend. To RSVP call 732.828.3433, ext. 102.
January 9 – Thursday @ 8:30 a.m.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING – Bar Members
are welcome to attend. Please call the Bar Office at
732.828.3433, x.102 to RSVP.
January 22 ‐ Wednesday, 6:15 p.m.
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP DINNER MEETING ‐
The Pines Manor, 2085 Route 27, Edison. Joint meeting
with the Union and Somerset County Bar Associations.
Pre‐Dinner CLE Seminar (4:30 p.m.): Review of 2019
Family Law Opinions. Moderator: David M. Wildstein,
Esq. Speakers: Hon. Deborah J. Venezia, PJFP; Hon.
Kimarie Rahill, PJFP; and Hon. Linda Chrystal, PJFP.
Dinner meeting (6:15 p.m.): 2019 Edward Schoifet and
Martin Goldin Family Law Awards. See page 7 for de‐
tails.
January 28 – Tuesday @ 8:00 a.m.
TAXATION COMMITTEE CLE SEMINAR (1.5
Credits) ‐ Law Offices of Greenberg & Schulman, 90
Woodbridge Center Drive, Suite 200, Woodbridge.
2020 Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning Update
– Part 1. Speaker: Richard Greenberg, Esq. Cost: $5‐
MCBA Young Lawyers; and $10‐All Others.
January 28 – Tuesday @ 5:00 p.m.
MUNICIPAL COURT PRACTICE CLE SEMINAR
(2.0 Credits) – DWI Advocacy: Getting Results.
Speakers: Hon. David Stahl, JMC; Peter H. Leder‐
man, Esq.; Joshua Altman, Esq.; and Mark Cintron,
Esq. Cost: $30‐MCBA Young Lawyers; $40‐MCBA
Members; and $75‐All Others.
January 30 – Thursday @ 5:00 p.m.
REAL ESTATE PRACTICE CLE SEMINAR (2 Cred‐
its) – 17th Annual Recent Developments in Real Estate
Law. Speaker: Thomas J. Denitzio, Jr., Esq. Cost: $30‐
MCBA Young Lawyers; $40‐MCBA Members; and $75‐
All Others.
February 3 – Monday @ 5:00 p.m.
19TH AMENDMENT & NEW JERSEY:
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION & SYMPOSIUM
(3 Credits) ‐ NJ Law Center, New Brunswick. Co‐
sponsored by New Jersey State Bar Association &
New Jersey Women Lawyers Association. See page 9
for complete details.
February 6 – Thursday @ 1:30 p.m.
FAMILY LAW TRIAL SKILLS SERIES – PART 1
(3 Credits) – Middlesex County Courthouse, 56 Paterson
Street, Courtroom 201, New Brunswick. Topic: Pre‐Trial
Prep & Trial Prep. See page 11 for complete details.
February 7 – Friday @ 12:15 p.m.
YOUNG LAWYERS COMMITTEE PLANNING
MEETING – Planning meeting for 2020. All Young
Lawyer members welcome (lunch provided). This is
your chance to get involved. To RSVP send email to
[email protected] or call 732.828.3433, x.102
February 12 – Wednesday, 8:00 a.m.
ELDER LAW COMMITTEE MEETING ‐ Speaker/
Topic: TBA. A light breakfast will be served. There is no
cost to attend. To RSVP call 732.828.3433, ext. 102.
February 13 – Thursday @ 8:30 a.m.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING – Bar Members are
welcome to attend. Please call the Bar Office at
732.828.3433, x.102 to RSVP.
February 25 – Tuesday @ 8:00 a.m.
TAXATION COMMITTEE CLE SEMINAR (1.5 Cred‐
its) ‐ Law Offices of Greenberg & Schulman, 90 Wood‐
bridge Center Drive, Suite 200, Woodbridge. Topic: 2020
Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning Update – Part 2.
Speaker: Richard Greenberg, Esq. Cost to attend is $5
for Young Lawyers and $10 for all others.
March 4 – Wednesday @ 6:00 p.m.
50‐YEAR BAR MEMBER RECOGNITION EVENT ‐
NJ Law Center, New Brunswick. Details TBA.
March 5 – Thursday @ 1:30 p.m.
FAMILY LAW TRIAL SKILLS SERIES – PART 2
(3 Credits) – Middlesex County Courthouse, 56 Paterson
Street, Courtroom 201, New Brunswick. Topic: Domes‐
tic Violence Trials. 2nd of 4‐Part Series. Speakers in‐
clude family part Judges and experienced family law
attorneys. Participants will have the opportunity to con‐
duct examinations and receive feedback. Cost: $65 ‐
Members; and $125‐All Others.
March 25 – Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP DINNER MEETING ‐ The
Pines Manor, 2085 Route 27, Edison. Pre‐Dinner Ethics
CLE Seminar (4:30pm): TBA. Dinner (6:30pm): 15th An‐
nual Practice Area Awards Dinner. For more information
or to RSVP visit our website at www.mcbalaw.com.
The Middlesex Advocate — January 2020 — Page 3
Aretiredjudgerecentlyurgedmetowarnreadersaboutthehazardsofus‐ingallcapitalletterstoemphasizetextinabrief.Whenhereadsthingsinallcaps,hesaidhefeelslikethewriterisscreamingathim.Thejudgehasasolidpoint:Thesetypesofgim‐
micks—bolding,underlining,andusingallcaps—areoftencounterproductive.Asonenotedauthorexplains,“[t]hemoretheemphasis,typically,themoreineptthewriter.”2
Andjustasimportant,typographicalgimmicksliketheseactuallyreducereadability.3Seeforyourself.Comparethesetwopassages:
DEFENDANTWILLFRANKLINWASCHARGEDWITHFIRST‐DEGREEGANGCRIMINALITY,N.J.S.A.2C:33‐29,ANDNUMEROUSOTHERCRIMES.HEMOVEDTODISMISSTHEGANGCRIMINALITYCOUNT,ARGUINGTHATN.J.S.A.2C:33‐29ISUNCONSTITUTIONALBECAUSEITISFACIALLYVAGUEANDINFRINGESONHISRIGHTTOFREESPEECHANDASSOCIATION.DefendantWillFranklinwaschargedwithfirst‐degreegangcriminality,N.J.S.A.2C:33‐29,andnu‐merousothercrimes.Hemovedtodismissthegangcriminalitycount,arguingthatN.J.S.A.2C:33‐29isunconstitutionalbecauseitisfaciallyvagueandinfringesonhisrighttofreespeechandasso‐ciation.
Mostpeoplefindthesecondpassageeasiertoread.
Why?Becausewedon’treadletterbyletter;werecognizewordsbytheirshape.Ifwordsaresetinallcaps,eachwordhasthesameshape,whichforcesyoutoreadeachletterslowly.4
Allthisbegsthequestion:Whataresomegimmick‐freewaystoaddemphasiswhenyouwriteabrief?Herearefourideas.1. Endyoursentencewiththewordyouwanttoempha‐
size.Themostprominentpartofasentenceisitsend.Soifyouwanttoemphasizeawordorphrase,putitlast.5Ifthathappenstobetheendofaparagraph,evenbetter.
Before:Tooursurprise,itwasapriestwefoundinthebrothelthatnight.
After:Tooursurprise,thepersonwefoundinthebrothelthatnightwasapriest.
Before:Shelearnedthatherhusbandhaddiedwhenshearrivedatthehospital.After:Whenshearrivedatthehospital,shelearnedherhusbandhaddied.
2. Putwhatyouwanttoemphasizeinaninterruptivephrase—andsetitoffwithdashes.Thedashmaybethemostundervaluedpunctuationmarkoutthere.Oddly,somelegalwritersshunthedash—maybebecausetheythinkit’stooinformalforlegalwriting.It’snot.Someofthebestlegalwritersexploitthedashwhentheywanttohighlightaninterruptivephraseoremphasizeakeypointattheendofasentence.6Herearetwobefore‐and‐afterexamples:
Before:Riverssawhisonlychancewhenheenteredthebuildingandsawtheloveofhislifeintheairportsecurityline.After:Riverssawhischance—hisonlychance—whenheenteredthebuildingandsawtheloveofhislifeintheair‐portsecurityline.
Before:ThemostcherishedrightweasAmericanshaveundertheconstitutionistherighttofreespeech.After:TheconstitutiongrantsAmericanstherighttofreespeech—ourmostcherishedright.
AndwatchasChiefJusticeJohnRobertsusesadashforemphasis,whilealsoendinghissentencewithawordhewantstoemphasize:
InresponsetothereturnedformsuggestingthatJoneshadnotreceivednoticethathewasabouttolosehisproperty,theStatedid—nothing.7
Finally,here’sanexamplefromJudgeFrankEasterbrook,whousesadashandastringofsynonymstostresshispoint:
Deutschisaconman,afraud,aphony,ahumbug,amoun‐tebank—inshort,animposter.8
3. Useacolontoemphasizewhatfollowsit.Wethinkof
usingacolonwhenwewanttointroducealist,butthishandydevicehassomuchmoretooffer.Forexample,whenyouwanttofocusthereader’sattentiononaword,phrase,orsentence,trydeployingthecolon:
Itboilsdowntothis:Smith’sownwordsprovedhisguilt.
TheGovernment’sargumentechoestheclassicrejoinderofbureaucratsthroughouthistory:IfImakeanexceptionforyou,I’llhavetomakeoneforeverybody,sono.9–ChiefJusticeJohnRoberts.
Anditisonlyafterdetermininghowtodefinefairnessthatonecanevenbegintoanswerthedeterminativequestion:“Howmuchistoomuch?”10–JusticeElenaKagan
(Continuedonpage12)
HowtoSayIt:LegalWritingThatPersuadesFourWaystoAddEmphasis—WithouttheGimmicksbyHon.RobertJ.Jones,J.S.C.1
The Law Offices of
Paone, Zaleski & Murphy
Congratulate
ROBERT M. ZALESKI, ESQ.
on being selected recipient of the 2020 Edward Schoifet Award
Practice Limited to Divorce & Family Law
146 Green Street
Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095
120 Maple Avenue
Red Bank, New Jersey 07701
(732) 750-9797 ▪ www.paonezaleski.com
InrecognitionofhiscontributionstothepracticeofFamilyLaw,RobertM.Zaleskiwillreceivethe2019Ed‐wardSchoifetFamilyLawAward,tobepresentedbytheFamilyLawSec‐tiononJanuary22,2020,athePinesManorinEdison,duringtheMiddle‐
sexCountyBarAssociation’sjointdinnermeetingwiththeUnionCountyandSomersetCountyBarAssociations. TheSchoifetAward,thehighesthonorpresentedbytheFamilyLawSection,commemoratesthelegacyofEdwardSchoifetwhopassedawayin2006.EdwasconsideredthedeanoftheMiddlesexCountyFamilyBarandwasrecog‐nizedasarolemodelforallfamilylawpractitioners. TheAwardispresentedannuallytoafamilylawpractitio‐nerwhohasbeenengagedinthepracticefor15yearsormoreandwhoexemplifiesthoseprinciplesbywhichEdpracticedfamilylaw:maintainingknowledgeofpastandpresentcaselawtoadviseclientsthoroughly;analyzingthefactsofeachcaseindetailanddiligentlyapplyingthelawtothosefacts;presentingtheissuesandapplicablelawtotheclientinamannerappropriatetotheclient’sunderstanding;makingpurposefuleffortstosettletheissuesinfairandrea‐sonabletermsbeforeresortingtolitigation;fosteringre‐spectandcourtesyforthebenchandfellowattorneys;main‐tainingthehigheststandardsofintegrityandprofessional‐ism;and,exhibitingleadershipintheMiddlesexCountyor
RobertZaleskitoReceive2019EdwardSchoifetFamilyLawAward
StateBarAssociation. RobertreceivedhisundergraduateeducationatVillanovaUniversitywherehegraduatedwithadegreeinEconomics.HereceivedhisLawDegreefromSetonHallLawSchoolin1988andbeganhiscareerinageneralpracticefirminMor‐risCountywhereherepresentedclientsinawidearrayofmatters,includingfamily,personalinjury,civil,criminal,ap‐pellateandworkers’compensationcases.HeiscurrentlyapartnerwiththeFamilyLawFirmofPaone,ZaleskiandMur‐phywherehehaspracticedforthepast25years.Duringthistime,hehasrepresentedclientsinallareasoffamilylaw,includingdivorce,childcustody,parentingtimeanddomes‐ticviolencematters.Heisalsoacollaborativelytrainedat‐torneyandamemberoftheInternationalAcademyofCol‐laborativeProfessionsandTheMid‐JerseyCollaborativeLawAlliance. Roberthasbeenacourt‐approvedmatrimonialmediatorsince2003anddevotesasignificantportionofhispracticetomediation.Hehasmediatedhundredsofprivateandcourtappointedmediationsandhasalsoservedasanarbitratorinnumerousfamilylawmatters.Heisrenownedforhisskillsasamediatorandhisabilitytofacilitatesettlementsindiffi‐cultandcomplexmattersbycraftingcreativesolutionsandemployingapracticalandresult‐orientedapproachtowarddisputeresolution. Inpractice,Robertisknownasafairandreasonablead‐
(SeeSchoifetAwardcontinuedonpage8)
ElizabethRozin‐GolindertoReceive2019MartinS.GoldinFamilyLawAward
The2019winneroftheMartinS.GoldinFamilyLawAwardisElizabethRozin‐Golinder,Esq.,whofocusesherlegalworkintheareaofFamilyLaw.ElizabethwillbepresentedwiththisawardonJanuary22,2019,attheMiddlesexCountyBarAssocia‐tion’sAnnualFamilyLawDinnerMeeting,ajointmeetingoftheMiddlesex/Union/SomersetBarCountyAssociationstobeheldatThePinesManorinEdison.
MartinS.Goldin,theChairoftheFamilyLawSectionsinceitsinceptionin1972,passedawayin2002.Martywasregardedasafairandreasonableadversaryandwasrenownedforhisgoodnature,collegialityandgenuinerespectforallmembersofthebenchandbar.Martytookgreatpleasureindiscussinglegalis‐sueswithnewerattorneysandgenerouslygavehistimetomen‐toranyattorneywhosoughthiscounsel.
InFebruary,2003,theFamilyLawSectionestablishedtheMartinS.GoldinFamilyLawAward,tobepresentedeachyeartoaFamilyLawPractitionerwhohasbeenengagedinthepracticefor15yearsorlessandwhoexemplifiesthoseprinciplesbywhichMartypracticedfamilylaw,including:maintainingacon‐tinuousstudyofpastandpresentcaselaw;makingacarefulanddetailedanalysisofeachcase;presentingtheissuesandapplica‐blelawtoclientsinareadilyunderstandablemanner;attempt‐ingtosettleissuesonafairandreasonablebasisbeforeresort‐ingtolitigation;fosteringrespectandcourtesyforthebenchandbar;maintaininghighstandardsofintegrityandprofessionalism,andexhibitingleadershipintheCountyorStateBarAssociation.
ElizabethepitomizesthequalitiesinalawyerthatwereespeciallyimportanttoMartyandwhichsheincorporatesintoherdailypractice.Sheisacaringandfirmadvocateforherclientsandcreatesindividualizedsolutions,knowingnotwofamiliesarethesame.Elizabethlis‐tenstoherclients’concernsandmakesthemcomfortable,givingthemsomeonetoleanonduringtheirfamilylawmatter.Shepromotestheinterestsofherclients,settlingcasesontermsthatarefair,whilemaintainingcordialrelationshipswithheradver‐saries.Elizabethstrivestotakereasonablepositionsandgiveseachcaseherall.Sheiscollegialandprofessionalinherrela‐tionshipswithjudgesandotherattorneysanddemonstratesadiligentworkethicanddevotiontofamilylaw. ElizabethwasraisedinEdison,NewJerseybyherparentswhoimmigratedtotheUnitesStatesinthelate1970s.BeingthefirstgenerationinherfamilybornintheUnitesStatesElizabethdidnotlearntospeakEnglishuntilshestartedschool.Herpar‐entsoftentoldherthatshehadthechoiceofbeingadoctororalawyer,asbeingaprofessionalsingerwasnotanoption.Physicsandchemistrywereneverherforte,solawschoolitwas. ElizabethgraduatedfromRutgersUniversitywithabachelor’sdegreeinPoliticalSciencewithaminorinWomen’sStudies.SheearnedherJurisDoctorfromNewEnglandLaw|Boston.Whileinlawschoolsheworkedinthefamilylawclinic.
(SeeGoldinAwardcontinuedonpage8)
Page 6 — January 2020 — The Middlesex Advocate
General Membership Dinner Meeting Wednesday, January 22, 2020
The Pines Manor, 2085 Route 27, Edison Joint Meeting with the Union & Somerset County Bar Associations
MCBA General Membership Dinner Meeting - 1/22/2020 Dinner & CLE Seminar Dinner Only CLE Seminar Only
Name(s):
Address:
Telephone #: Email:
CC#: Exp. Date: Sec. Code:
Amount Authorized: $ Name on Card:
Signature (for Credit Card Payment Only):
Cost to attend: See pricing above. Make checks payable to "MCBA" and mail registration form to: Middlesex County Bar Association; 87 Bayard Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Deadline for advance reservations – Monday, January 20th. Cancellations must be made by January 22nd, 12:00 noon to receive a refund. Call 732.828.3433, x. 102.
2019 Edward Schoifet Family Law Award to
Robert M. Zaleski, Esq. Paone Zaleski & Murphy
2019 Martin S. Goldin Family Law Award
to
Elizabeth Rozin-Golinder, Esq. Rozin | Golinder Law LLC
The Pre-Dinner Seminar is presented by the MCBA Family Law Section. All attendees will receive a bound 2019 Family Law Case Digest provided by the Family Law Department at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, PA. The program has been approved by the BCLE of the Supreme Court of NJ for 2.0 hours of total CLE credit. Of these, 2.0 qualify as hours of credit
toward certification in matrimonial law. Also Recognized for NY CLE Credit.
and the Middlesex County Bar Association & MCBA Family Law Section will present the following awards at the dinner meeting:
RSVP Online at: www.mcbalaw.com
Panelist Hon. Lisa F. Chrystal Presiding Judge, Family Union County
Pre-Dinner Seminar
A Review of the 2019 Family Law Opinions Moderator
Panelist Hon. Deborah J. Venezia
Presiding Judge, Family Middlesex County
Panelist Hon. Kimarie Rahill Presiding Judge, Family Somerset County
Event Agenda:
4:30 pm - Pre-Dinner CLE Seminar (Review of 2019 Family Law Opinions)
6:15pm - Cocktail Hour
7:30pm - Dinner Program
Annual Family Law Awards
Household Supplies/Toiletry Drive for Dina’s Dwellings
Dina’s Dwellings in New Brunswick provides affordable homes and supportive services to the survivors of domestic violence and their
children. For a list of needed items and collec-tion locations go to the bar website at
mcbalaw.com. Donations can be dropped off at the Bar Office or brought to The Pines
Manor on Jan. 22nd.
Cost: MCBA/UCBA/SCBA Members
$35: CLE Seminar Only $65: Dinner Only $80: CLE Seminar & Dinner
Non-Members
$65: CLE Seminar Only $75: Dinner Only $95: CLE Seminar & Dinner
App Div/Sup Ct Law Clerks Free: CLE Seminar Only $35: Dinner Only $35: Dinner & CLE
* $5 extra at the door and for payment made after the event
Panelist Hon. Glenn Berman (Ret.)
Of Counsel Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis LLP
David M. Wildstein, Esq. Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, PA
Additional Panelists
Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, PA Jenna Shapiro, Esq. Angela Scafuri, Esq. Joseph J. Russell, Jr., Esq.
Event Sponsors
Amy Lemanski, Esq.
Payment Type
Visa
MasterCard
Amex
Check
UNION COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
The Middlesex Advocate — January 2020 — Page 7
versarywhoprideshimselfonthequalityofhisworkprod‐uctandhisattentiontodetail.Heisdedicatedtohelpingcli‐entsresolvetheirmatterssuccessfullyandtoworkingintandemwithhisfellowattorneystoachievethisgoal. RobertisaCertifiedMatrimonialLawAttorneyandamemberoftheNewJerseyStateBarAssociation.HeisalsoamemberoftheCountyBarAssociationsofMiddlesexandSomersetCountieswherehedonateshistimeasanEarlySettlementPanelist.HeisaformermemberofTheSupremeCourtofNewJerseyDistrictVIIIEthicsCommittee,TheMid‐dlesexCountyAssignmentJudgesFamilyLawyersCommit‐teeandTheWomenHelpingWomenFamilyLawLegalClinic. RobertwastheinauguralrecipientoftheMartinS.GoldinFamilyLawAwardwhichisawardedannuallyforout‐standingachievementbyafamilylawattorneywhohasbeenpracticinglessthan15years.Astherecipientofthe2019EdwardSchoifetFamilyLawAward,RobertisthesecondattorneytoreceivebothprestigiousawardsinMiddlesexCounty.HeandhiswifeKatherinehavebeenhappilymar‐riedfor25years.Theyaretheproudparentsof3children,Eden,JadeandIvy. ThepreviousrecipientsoftheEdwardSchoifetAwardwereDavidM.Wildstein(2006),JohnP.Paone,Jr.(2007),MannyGerstein(2008),JeanM.Ramatowski(2009),Leo‐nardR.Busch(2010),EvelynM.Hartmann(2011),CharlesF.Vuotto,Jr.(2012),WilliamG.Brigiani(2013),RobertE.Goldstein(2014),RussellH.Gale(2015),EllenF.Schwartz(2016),DeborahA.Rose(2017),andCherylM.Spilka(2018).
(SchoifetAward,continuedfrompage6)
ElizabethhasdedicatedhercareertotheexclusivepracticeofMatrimonial&FamilyLaw.Upongraduatingfromlawschool,shereturnedtoNewJerseyandbeganworkingforafamilylawfirminNewYorkCity.AftertwoyearsinNewYorkshemovedtoafamilylawfirminBergenCountybeforeultimatelymakingMiddlesexCountyherhomein2013.Sheproudlyopenedherownfirm,Rozin|GolinderLaw,LLCin2016.
AsamemberoftheMCBA,Elizabethhasbeenactiveinfam‐ilylawmattersandhaspresentedseveralCLEprogramsfortheAssociation.SheisavotingmemberoftheFamilyLawExecutiveCommitteeandalsoaTrusteeoftheAssociationandFounda‐tion.ElizabethvolunteershertimeasanEarlySettlementPanel‐istinMiddlesexCountyandhascompletedthetrainingneces‐sarytobecomeaR.1:40QualifiedMediator.Shehasbeense‐lectedasaNewJerseySuperLawyersRisingStareachyearsince2016.
Elizabethandherhusband,VladimirGolinder,resideinColtsNeck,withtheirthreechildren,Grant(5),Harrison(3),andTessa(1).Whensheisnotlawyering,managingherfirmorbeingaprofessionalchauffeur/entertainerforherchildren,ElizabethenjoyspracticingfortheannualCountyBarKaraokeWars.
TheMartinS.GoldinAwardwaspreviouslypresentedtoRobertM.Zaleski(2002),LeeAnnMcCabe(2003),CherylM.Spilka(2004),FrankE.Tournour(2005),StevenR.Enis(2006),GreggR.Rubenstein(2007),LisaM.Vignuolo(2008),DanielH.Brown(2009),PaulaA.Menar(2010),MeganS.Murray(2011),CherylE.Connors(2012),AngelaF.Pastor(2014),MeghaR.Thakkar(2015),BrianMcFadden‐DiNicola(2016),CassieAnselloMurphy(2017),andLaurenA.Miceli(2018).
(GoldinAward,continuedfrompage6)
Page 8 — January 2020 — The Middlesex Advocate
The Middlesex Advocate — January 2020 — Page 9
MCBA | NJSBA | NJWLA present
The 19th Amendment & New Jersey A Centennial Celebration of Yesterday & Today
Monday, February 3, 2020 New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
MCBA WLS/19th Amendment Centennial CLE - 2/3/2020
Name(s):
Check One: MCBA/NJSBA/NJWLA Member Paralegal/Legal Sec/Non-Jud Court Staff Law Clerk/Student All Others
Telephone #: Email:
Credit Card Account #: Sec. Code:
Exp. Date: Name on Card:
Billing Address:
Payment Amount: $ Signature (for Credit Card Payment Only):
Cost: $35-Law Clerks; $50-Paralegals/Legal Secretaries/Non-Jud Court Staff; $65-MCBA/NJWLA/NJSBA WIPS Members; and $95-All Others. Make checks payable to "MCBA" and mail registration form to: MCBA; 87 Bayard Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Deadline for reservations - January 31st. To reserve by phone call (732) 828-3433, x.102; fax completed form to (732) 828-5862; or send email to [email protected].
Payment Type
Visa
MasterCard
Amex
Check
Cost:
$65 - MCBA/NJSBA/NJWLA Members
$50 - Paralegals/Legal Sec/ Non-Jud Court Staff
$35 - Law Clerks/Law Students
$95 - All Others (Cost includes cocktails , hors d’oeuvres, dinner and CLE.)
Event Sponsors
Program Description: Sharon Hallanan, Esq. will provide an historical perspective on the passage of the 19th Amendment and the role of New Jersey women in securing its adoption on February 9, 1920. NJ Secretary of State Hon. Tahesha Way will provide her keynote address on the Amendment’s 100th Anniversary as well as provide current perspective on women’s voting and engagement.
Following the dinner break, the panelists will discuss the 19th Amendment’s milestone, the legacy of post 1920 efforts to expand voting rights and the obstacles women have faced along the way.
This program has been approved for 3 hours of total CLE credit. (Recognized for NY CLE credit .)
Moderator
Keynote Speaker
Hon. Tahesha Way New Jersey Secretary of State
Panelists
Guest Speaker
Sharon Hallanan, Esq. Historian Lecturer
Shanti Narra, Esq. Middlesex County
Freeholder
Thomas Prol, Esq. NJSBA
Past President
Arlene Q. Perez, Esq. DeCotiis Fitzpatrick
Cole & Giblin
Hon. Elaine Flynn Middlesex County
Clerk
The ABA Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress has launched a 19th Amendment traveling exhibit, “100 Years After the 19th Amendment: Their Legacy and Our Future.” The six-banner free-standing exhibit features historic photos and
artifacts and details the story of the battle for ratification and outlines the challenges that remain. The exhibit will be on-display in the foyer of the New Jersey Law Center from Feb 3rd to Feb 17th.
Hon. Harriet Derman, PJ Ch. (Ret.) Of Counsel, DiFrancesco, Bateman et. al. MCBA Past President
ThisarticlewasoriginallypublishedintheOctober2019issueofNewJerseyLawyer,apublicationoftheNewJerseyStateBarAssocia‐tion,andisreprintedherewithpermission.
Althoughthelong‐termimpactsofthe#MeToomovementarestillunraveling,itseffecthaspromptedthesportsandentertainmentindustriestorethinkcontractualprovisions.Specially,allegationsandactsofsexualandothermisconductthatgaverisetothe#MeToomovementhaveledthesportsandentertain‐mentindustriestoreviewandrevisetheirtalentcontractstoincludemoralsclauses.Additionally,somecompaniesintheindustryareimplement‐ingmoralsclausesnotonlyintraditionaltalentagreements,butalsoinexecutiveemployment,consultingandotheragreements.Amoralsclauseisaprovisioninacontractthatstipulatesthatcertainactionsoractivitiesundertakeninanindividual’sprivatelifecanbegroundsforterminationofthecontract.
HistoryofMoralsClauses
Moralsclausesinsportsandentertainmentcontractsbeganinthe20thcentury.In1921,silentmoviestarRoscoe‘Fatty’Arbucklesignedamultimillion‐dollarcontractwithParamountPicturesandhostedacelebratorypartyinhishotelsuiteduringwhichafemaleguestwasfoundinhisbedroomseverelyinjured.Afewdayslater,thewomandiedfromherinjuriesandArbucklewaschargedwithrapeandmurder.Although,hewassubsequentlyacquitted,hisimage,reputationandcareerwereaffected,re‐sultinginParamount’swantingoutofthecon‐tract.1AsaresultoftheArbuckleincident,Uni‐versalStudiosinstitutedanewpolicywherebyallactorsandactressesemployedbythestudiowouldbeboundbyamoralsclauseintheircon‐tracts.
Subsequently,moralsclausesappearedincontractsforprofessionalathletes.AyearafterUniversalStudiosimplementeditsnewpolicy,theNewYorkYankeesrequestedanamend‐menttotheiragreementwithbaseballplayerBabeRuth.Ruthhadbeendescribedasaglut‐ton,womanizer,spendthrift,heavydrinker,andsmoker.Healsoregularlycollectedspeedingtickets;broketeamcurfews;andengagedinfistfightswithumpires,fans,andteammates.RecognizingpotentialproblemsRuth’sbehaviorcouldcauseforateam,theYankeesintroducedaclauseinhiscontractthatrequiredhimtoab‐stainfromdrinkingalcoholandtobeinhisbedby1a.m.duringthebaseballseason.2TheclausedidnotexplicitlyallowtheYankeestoterminateRuthbasedonimmoralconduct;however,itdidprovidetheYankeestheabilitytotakelegalac‐tionagainstRuthifheengagedincertainpro‐scribedconduct.Thus,themodernmoralsclausewasborn.
Sincethemid‐2000s,moralsclauseshavebecomeroutineinnationalsportscontracts.Forexample,intheNationalFootballLeague,afootballclubmayterminateaplayer’scontract“[i]fatanytime,inthesolejudgmentofClub,...[the]PlayerhasengagedinpersonalconductreasonablyjudgedbyClubtoadversely
affectorreflectonClub.”3IntheNationalBasketballAssociation,a
basketballteammayterminateaplayer’scon‐tract“ifthePlayershall...atanytime,fail,refuse,orneglecttoconformhispersonalconducttostandardsofgoodcitizenship,goodmoralchar‐acter(definedheretomeannotengaginginactsofmoralturpitude,whetherornotsuchactswouldconstituteacrime),andgoodsportsmanship.”4
UndertheNationalHockeyLeaguestan‐dardplayer’scontract,eachplayeragrees“toconducthimselfonandofftherinkaccordingtothehigheststandardsofhonesty,morality,fairplayandsportsmanship,andtorefrainfromconductdetrimentaltothebestinterestoftheClub,theLeagueorprofessionalhockeygenerally.”5
TheMajorLeagueBaseballuniformcon‐tractprovidesabaseballclub“mayterminate[aplayercontract]...ifthePlayershallatanytime...fail,refuseorneglecttoconformhisper‐sonalconducttothestandardsofgoodcitizen‐shipandgoodsportsmanship.”6
Today,thepurposeofmoralsclausesistosupportthepublicimageofthesponsor,com‐panyorteam—andtopreventthedenigrationofthebrandbyactsorsocialmediausagesthatreflectpoorlyontheteam,company,orspon‐sor.
Morerecently,moralsclauseshavebeenusedtosuspendorterminatedealswithenter‐tainersandathletes.Specifically,recordinglabelscanoftensuspendanagreementif,bytheartist’sbehavior,thelabelcannotdelivercontractuallyobligatedproductundertheiragreement.
Inthesportsarena,forexample,NFLplayerRayRiceoftheBaltimoreRavenswasshownknockinghisthengirlfrienduncon‐sciousinavideo.TheNFLsuspendedhim.In2003,KobeBryantwaschargedwithsexualassault,andlostendorsementdealswithcom‐panieslikeMcDonald’s,Nutella,andSpalding.Similarly,TigerWoodslostmorethan$20mil‐lioninendorsementagreementsduetoanadulteryscandal.
Whilemoralsclauseshavebecomepopu‐lardevices,theyaretypicallydraftedforthebenefitoftheemployerorsponsor.So,aremoralsclausesenforceable?
EnforceabilityofMoralsClauses
Courtshavelongheldmoralityclausesvalidandenforceable.7Thecourtsuniformly
Considering#MeTooWhenDraftingSportsandEntertainmentContractsbyAngelaFoster,Ph.D.,Esq.
Page 10 — January 2020 — The Middlesex Advocate
enforcemoralityclausesbasedupontheexpresstermsofacontract,andalsoundercommonlawbasedupontheimplieddutyofgoodconduct,whichcallsfortheemployeetoconducthimorherselfwithdecencysoasnottoinjuretheem‐ployer’sbusiness.Notably,courtshaveheldthatmoralityclausessupplement,ratherthansup‐plant,thecommonlaw.8Somestates,likeCali‐forniaandNewYork,have,incertaincases,lim‐itedtheemployer’sabilitytoenforcemoralsclausesthatinhibitanemployee’slifestyleinviolationoftheFirstAmendment.9
TheSouthernDistrictofNewYorkad‐dressedtheissueofmoralsclausesintelevisionactors’contractsinNaderv.ABCTV,Inc.10Mi‐chaelNader’sagreementincludedamoralsclauseallowingABCtoterminatehiscontractifheengagedinconductthat“mightbringhimintopublicdisrepute,contempt,scandalorridi‐cule,orwhichmighttendtoreflectunfavorablyonABC.”Naderwasarrestedforsellingcocaine,andwassubsequentlysuspendedbyABC.HechallengedABC’sdecisionandfiledalawsuit.FindingforABC,thecourtheldthemoralsclausewasvalid,andthatNaderhadbreachedhiscontractduetothemediacoverageofhisarrest.
Interestingly,recordlabelsandthelikehavenothadmuchofaplatformtostatethatatalenthasactedincontraventionofmodernmoralstandardswhenthelabelsthemselvesandtheirexecutiveshavebeenguiltyofsimilarbehavior.
Whatrecoursedoathletesandentertainershave?
ReverseMoralsClauses
Areversemoralsclauseisareciprocalcon‐tractualwarrantytoatraditionalmoralsclauseintendedtoprotectthereputationoftalentfromthenegative,unethical,immoral,and/orcrimi‐nalbehavioroftheendorsee‐companyorpur‐chaserofthetalent’sendorsement.11Presuma‐bly,areverseclauseprovidesthetalentthere‐ciprocalrighttoterminateanendorsementcon‐tractbasedonsuchdefinednegativeconduct.
Inthelate1960s,PatBoonepresentedthefirstexampleofareversemoralsclause.WhileBoone,apopularsingerandknowndevoutChristian,wasnegotiatingadealwithatalentlabel,hebecameconcernedaboutthelabel’sreleaseofanalbumcoverdepictingasemi‐nudeJohnLennonandYokoOno.Booneinsistedhiscontractwouldlapseifthelabel“didanythingunseemly.”12Althoughnoformalcontractwasdrafted,thelabelagreedtoBoone’sterms.
In1999,Enronsigneda$100million,30‐yeardealwiththeHoustonAstrostonametheteam’snewballparkEnronField.Twoyearslater,EnronfiledwhatwasthenthelargestbankruptcyinAmericanhistory.Becausemany
(Continuedonpage13)
The Middlesex Advocate — January 2020 — Page 11
To RSVP online go to: www.mcbalaw.com
2020 Family Law Trial Skills Development Series February 6th | March 5th | April 2nd | May 7th
Panelists include:
Place: Middlesex County Courthouse
56 Paterson Street Courtroom 201 New Brunswick
Time: 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Member Tuition: $65 per class
$195 for series
Non-Member Tuition: $125 per class
$375 for series
MCBA Family Law Trial Skills Series - Feb 6/Mar 5/Apr 2/May 7, 2020 Name(s) Address City/State/Zip Email Phone # CC# Exp. Date Sec# Payment Amt Name on Card Signature (for Credit Card Payment Only) Cost: $65 per class/$195 per series for Members; and $125 per class/$375 per series for Non-Members. Make checks payable to "MCBA" and mail registration form to: Middlesex County Bar Association; 87 Bayard Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. To reserve by phone call (732) 828-3433, x. 102, by fax send com-pleted form to (732) 828-5862 or send email to [email protected].
I am registering as: Member Non-Member
Entire Series
February 6th
March 5th
April 2nd
May 7th
Method of Payment
Visa Amex
MC Check
Each program has been approved by the BCLE of the Supreme Court of NJ for 3.5 hours of total CLE credit, including 3.5 hours of credit towards matrimonial certification. (Recognized for NYCLE Credit.)
Thursday, February 6, 2020
1. Pre-Trial Preparation A. Developing a Theory and Theme B. Identifying Witnesses C. Thinking About Evidentiary Foundations
During Discovery D. Considering pendente lite Motions and
Motions in limine
2. Trial Preparation A. Getting Organized B. Trial Binders/Technology C. Start with Your Closing D. Telling Your Client’s Story Through Witnesses
and Documents
Thursday, March 5, 2020 1. Introduction to the Domestic Violence Act 2. Procedures and Strategies of Handling Domestic
Violence Cases 3. Domestic Violence Trials
A. Rules of Evidence B. Witness Credibility C. Spousal Privilege 4. Judicial Perspective
A. Tips From the Bench
Thursday, April 2, 2020 1. Direct & Cross Examination
A. Theory and Concepts B. Rules Governing Cross Examination C. Direct/Cross Examination of a Plaintiff D. Direct/Cross Examination of a Defendant
2. Closing Argument A. Concepts and Theory B. Rules and Case Law C. Use of Demonstratives D. Staying in Bounds – Pushing the Envelope v. Mistrial
Thursday, May 7, 2020
1. Experts A. The Rules of Evidence Governing Experts
B. Case Law Overview Governing Experts
C. Doing Your Homework—Prepping for Cross
D. Qualifying Experts
E. Direct Examination of an Expert
F. Cross Examination of an Expert
Judges: Hon. Deborah Venezia, PJFP
Hon. John A. Jorgensen, II, JSC Hon. Peter J. Barnes, III, JSC Hon. Daniel H. Brown, JSC
Hon. Sheree V. Pitchford, JSC
Attorneys Elliot Solop, Esq.
Megha Thakkar, Esq. Angela Pastor, Esq. Howard Duff, Esq.
Glynn Dwyer, Jr., Esq. Steven Enis, Esq.
David Carton, Esq. Abby Webb, Esq.
Howard Bachman, Esq.
Co-Sponsored by
UNION COUNTY B A R A S S O C I A T I O N
Page 12 — January 2020 — The Middlesex Advocate
4. Recastakeypoint.I’lltreadcarefullywiththisone.Ineptwriterssometimesmakethesamepointoverandover—hopingitwilleventuallysinkin.Judgesloathethis.I’msuggestingsomethingdifferent.
Byrecastingapoint,youcanrepeatit—andtherebystressitrhetorically.Ifindthisworkswellwhenyoualsoletthereaderknowyou’redoingit(byincludingphraseslikeinotherwords,thatis,ortoputitanotherway).Herearetwoexamples:
Therestaurantregularlysoldwellout‐of‐datemilk.Thatis,itsoldmilklongaftertheuse‐bydateonthecarton.
Thetotality‐of‐the‐circumstancestestfocusesontheweightaffordedeachfactor,notsimplythenumberoffactorsthatapply.Inotherwords,it’squalitative,notquantitative.
Awordofcaution:Usethistipselectively.I’mnotgivingyoulicensetorepeatthingsadnauseum.NordoIendorsethenotionthatyoushouldtellthemwhatyou’regoingtotellthem,thentellthem,andthentellthemwhatyoutoldthem.That’sforspeakers,notwriters.Butwhenyouwanttoem‐phasizeapointwithoutsoundingrepetitive,thistipcancomeinhandy.
Thesearejustfourofmanywaystoaddemphasis.Forex‐
ample,youcanalsoaddemphasiswithsentencestructure,sen‐tencelength,therhythmofwhatyouwrite,andtheuseofparal‐
(Continuedfrompage3) lelstructure.We’llexploresomeoftheseinfuturearticles.I’llendwithacaveat.Whileyou’rebestoffnotusinggim‐
mickslikebold,underlining,andallcaps,theremaybetimesyoustillwanttohighlightawordorphrasetypographically.Forex‐ample,youmightwanttohighlightkeywordsinastatuteorintestimony,oryoumightwanttomakesomethingstandoutonthepage.Ifso,herearemysuggestions:1.)useitalics(notbold‐face);2.)italicizeasfewwordsaspossible;and3.)gobackandseeifyoucanuseadifferenttechniqueandachieveabetterre‐sult.Ifnot,thengoaheadanditalicize.
Nextmonth:Howfocusingonverbscantakeyourwritingtothenextlevel.
1 JudgeJoneswouldliketothankhisformerlawclerk,SamHowie,forhishelpwiththiscolumn.2 BryanA.Garner,TheWinningBrief297(3ded.2014).3 RobinWilliams,TheNon‐Designer’sDesign&TypeBooks3640,46,194(2ded.).4 Id.at36.5 See,e.g.,WilliamStrunk,Jr.&E.B.White,TheelementsofStyle32‐33(4thed.2000).6 MatthewSalzwedel,TheEnigmaticEmDash,LawyeristBlog,https://lawyerist.com/blog/the‐enigmatic‐em‐dash/(accessed11/30/19).7 Jonesv.Flowers,547U.S.220,234(2006).8 RossGuberman,PointTaken:HowtoWriteLiketheWorld’sBestJudges212(2015)(quotingUnitedStatesv.Bradley,892F.2d634634‐35(7thCir.1990)).9 Gonzalesv.OCentroEspiritaBeneficenteUniaodoVegetal,546U.S.418,436(2006).10 Ruchov.CommonCause,139S.Ct.2484,2489(2019).
Discounted Environmental Consultation Services Available to Bar Members Through Excel
We are pleased to continue our partner-ship program with Excel Environmental Resources, Inc. of North Brunswick. Excel offers the following expert envi-ronmental consultation services to all attorney members of the Association and their clients with a special MCBA member discount: No cost initial consultation for MCBA members for any
environmental compliance or issue; 10% cost savings on Excel expert professional services,
excluding any outside subcontractors if/as needed; and The inherent value associated with Excel's ability to redi-
rect problem projects and balance technical innovation, economic feasibility, and agency acceptability with a clear focus on achieving project closure in a timely, cost-effective, and compliant manner.
Excel provides full-service expert environmental consulting services that are solution-oriented, innovative, and focused on the needs and objectives of our clients. Key professional services provided by Excel include: Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) Services
Transactional Due Diligence (LSRP or non-LSRP) Redirection of Problem Projects, including Those Over Schedule, Over Budget, or in Non-Compliance Expert Services/Litigation Support Preliminary Assessments/Phase I Environmental Site Assessments
Site and Remedial Investigations Remediation of Brownfield Properties to Enable Redevelopment Vapor Intrusion (VI) Investigation and Mitigation Innovative & State-of-the-Art Solutions to Remediate Soil &
Groundwater Impacts to Enable Redevelopment to Proceed Technical/Strategic/Regulatory Support Construction Management and Oversight During
Remediation/Redevelopment For more information about any of our services, please visit our website at www.excelenv.com or contact:
Ron Harwood, LSRP Excel Environmental Resources, Inc.
111 North Center Drive North Brunswick, NJ 08902
(732) 545-9525 | (732) 545-9425 fax [email protected]
The Middlesex Advocate — January 2020 — Page 13
enforcement.Today,themoralsclauseisnotjustaprovisioninalegalcontract;itisalsopartofalargerandmoreexpansivesocialcon‐tract.NotethesampleclauseB,below:
“IfatanytimewhileTalentisrenderingorobligatedtorenderservices,Talentisin‐volvedinanysituationoroccurrencewhichsubjectsTalenttopublicscandal,disrepute,widespreadcontempt,publicridicule,[orwhichiswidelydeemedbymembersofthegeneralpublic,toembarrass,offend,insultordenigrateindividualsorgroups,]orthatwilltendtoshock,insultoroffendthecommunityorpublicmoralsordecencyorprejudicetheemployer/sponsorthenemployer/sponsorshallhavetheright,initssolediscretion,totakeanyactionitdeemsappropriate,includingbutnotlimitedtoterminatingtheproductionofthepro‐gram.”Thissamplemoralsclauseismoreexpan‐
siveandmoredifficulttopolice,becausetheviolationsareopentointerpretation.
Whendraftingmoralsclausesinthis#MeTooenvironment,thelanguagemustbeproperlywordedtoensurethemoralityclauseisnotbroadandsubjective.Whatdefinesmo‐ralitycanbehardtopinpoint,sinceitisalwaysinastateofflux.Moralitystandardschangebasedoncommunitystandards,andhowsoci‐etygrowsanddevelops.NotethesampleclauseC,below:
“Artistshallnever(a)provideservicesinan‘adult‐themed’filmorvideoprogramorperformonscreenservicesforanyfilmorvideoprogramthatispornographic,in‐volvesnudityorgraphicviolenceorcon‐tainsmaterialderogatoryofanyrace,na‐tionality,ethnicidentity,genderorsexualorientation;(b)performinanysexuallyexplicitplays,musicalsorstageshows(includingstripteaseacts);or(c)poseasamodelforanypornographicorsexuallysuggestivepublication;furthermore,ArtistrepresentsandwarrantsthatArtisthasneveranticipatedorbeenapartofanyactivitythatwouldfallwithinthescopeof(a),(b)or(c).”Thissamplemakesclearwhatconstitutes
unacceptablebehavior,thustriggeringviola‐tionofthemoralsclause.
Therefore,thepartyshouldbemindfulofthefollowingquestions:1)Whatactionstrig‐gertermination?2)Cantheallegedimmoralactbeaviolationofthecontract,eveniftheallegationturnsouttobefalse?3)Istheim‐moralactinquestionpre‐contractsigningorpost‐contractsigning?4)Whodecideswhatactsqualifyfortermination?5)Whatisthelevelofdamagetothetalentorsponsor/employerifacontractmustbeterminatedbythesponsor/employerasaresultofimmoral
AstrosfanshadlosttheirjobsasaresultoftheEnronscandal,theAstrosspentthenexttwomonthstryingtobuythebalanceofthecontractforover$2milliontoremoveEnron’snamefromthestadium.13
Becausereversemoralsclausesarearela‐tivelynewdevelopment,thereisnocaselawregardingtheiruse,norhavepartiesreleasedcontractscontainingreversemoralsclausestothepublic.Despitethisvoid,sportsandenter‐tainmentcontractshavebecomeincreasinglychallengingtodraftforbothtalentsandspon‐sors/employers.
Thebiggestchangeinmoralsorsimilarclausesinproathlete(includinge‐Sports)agree‐mentshasbeenmorefocusondeterminingwhatconstitutesacceptablebehaviorvis‐a‐vissexualharassmentandmoderncannabislaws.Further,howtheathlete’spublicbehaviorre‐flectsontheteam,company,leagueorsponsorin
socialmediahastakencenterstage.Whatimpacthasthe#MeToomovement
hadonmoralsclauses?
NewMoralsClausesInthewakeofthe#MeToomovement,and
asallegationsofsexualmisconductracethroughtheentertainmentindustry,moralsclauseshavetransformedonceagain.Talentdealshaveshiftedfocustolengthyprovisionsthatallowemployers/sponsorstoterminateatalentorceasesponsorshipsforaccusations
ofbadbehavior.Inthepast,moralityclausesgenerallyprovidedatalentcouldbefiredifheorshewaschargedwithorcommittedacrime.
NotethesampleclauseA,below:
“Talentshallnot,eitherwhilerenderingsuchservicestotheemployer/sponsororinhisprivatelife,bechargedwithorconvictedofanoffense[involvingmoralturpitude]underfederal,stateorlocallawsorordi‐nances.”Thissamplemoralsclauseisanexampleof
anextremelyrestrictedscope,becauseitre‐quiresthetalenttocommitaviolationthatrisestothelevelofacriminalchargeinordertobreachthemoralsclause.
Today,ifapartyisplacedinpublicdisre‐pute,nocrimeneedhaveoccurredtoresultintermination.Thenewstandardmoralsclausehasexpandedtoinclude#MeTooandarangeofbehaviorsthatwereoncetolerated.Thereisanimplicitagreement,withboundariessetbyfansandconsumersviasocialmedia.Ifthepublicfindsacertainbehaviorhascrossedtheline,suchasunwantedsexualadvancesorexposureofprivateparts,thenewmoralsclausewillsur‐face.
Whetherornotanexplicitmoralsclausehasbeennegotiated,societyisfacinganeweraofmoralsclause
(Continuedfrompage10) actions?
TakeawaysInthesetimesofsocialmoralityflux,draft‐
ingmoralsclausescanbechallengingforthetalentandsponsor.Whendraftingamoralspro‐vision,1)knowwhoyourclientis(i.e.,employeroremployee),2)knowyourclient’sobjective(i.e.,toorestrictiveornotrestrictiveenough),and3)knowtheleverageofthedealand,ifthereisnoleverage,usewhatyoucan.
Endnotes1. FernandoM.PingueloandTimothyD.Cedrone,(2009).“Morals?WhoCaresAboutMorals?AnExamina‐tionofMoralsClausesinTalentContractsandWhatTal‐entsNeedstoKnow,”SetonHallJournalofSportsandEntertainmentLaw.SetonHallSchoolofLaw.19(2).2. PorcherL.TaylorIII,FernandoM.PingueloandTimo‐thyD.Cedrone,TheReverse‐MoralsClause:TheUniqueWaytoSaveTalent’sReputationandMoneyinaNewEraofCorporateCrimesandScandals,28CardozoArts&Ent.L.J.65,75–76(2010).3. Under§11ofNationalFootballLeagueCollectiveBargainingAgreement2006‐2012,at252(2006),avail‐ableathttp://www.docslide.us/documents/nfl‐collective‐bargaining‐agreement‐2006‐2012.html.4. Under§16ofNationalBasketballAssociationCollec‐tiveBargainingAgreement,atA‐16(2011),availableathttp://www.ipmall.info/hosted_resources/SportsEnt‐Law_Institute/NBA_CBA(2011)_(newversion_reflects‐JeremyLinRuling)May30_2013.pdf.5. UndertheNHLStandardPlayer’sContract,§2(e).CollectiveBargainingAgreementBetweenNationalHockeyLeagueandNationalHockeyLeaguePlayers’Association,at245(2005),availableathttp://www.nhl‐.com/cba/2005‐CBA.pdf.6. Under§7(b)oftheMajorLeagueBaseballUniformPlayers’Contract.2012‐2016BasisAgreement2012‐2016,at284(2011),availableathttp://mlbplayers.mlb.‐com/pa/pdf/cba_english.pdf.Id.at284.7. Naderv.ABCTelevision,150Fed.Appx.54,56(2dCir.2005).8. Scottv.RKORadioPictures,240F.2d87,88(9thCir.1957);TwentiethCenturyFoxFilmCorp.v.Lardner,216F.2d844,847(9thCir.1954).9. SeeMargaretDiBianca,BadBoys,BadBoys:WhatchaGonnaDoWhenTheyWorkforYou?,13No.2Del.Emp.L.Letter1(2008).10.Naderv.ABCTelevision,150Fed.Appx.54,56(2dCir.2005).11.FernandoM.PingueloandTimCedrone,Morals?WhoCaresAboutMorals?AnExaminationofMoralsClausesinTalentContractsandWhatTalentNeedstoKnow,19SetonHallJ.Sports&Ent.L.347,351(2009).12.FernandoM.PingueloandTimothyD.Cedrone,(2009).Morals?WhoCaresAboutMorals?AnExamina‐tionofMoralsClausesinTalentContractsandWhatTal‐entNeedstoKnow,SetonHallJ.Sports&Ent.L.,SetonHallSchoolofLaw.19(2).13.NoahB.Kressler,UsingTheMoralsClauseinTalentAgreements:AHistorical,LegalandPracticalGuide,29Colum.J.L.&Arts235,239(2005).
ANGELAFOSTERisthechairoftheeditorialboardofNewJerseyLawyerandprincipalfortheLawOfficeofAngelaFoster,locatedinNorthBrunswick.Thefirmprovidesafullrangeoflegalservicesforintellectualpropertymattersandfacilitatesalternativedisputeresolutionforvariouscom‐plexcommerciallitigationandtransactionalmatters.Fos‐terregularlyfacilitatesmediationandarbitrationforhar‐assmentdisputesforFINRA.TheauthorwouldliketothankRonaldS.BienstockofScarinciHollenbeckandAnthonyR.CarusoofNorrisMcLaughlinfortheirassistanceinthepreparationofthisarticle.
Eachyear,peoplesetresolutionsforthemselvestobe‐comehealthier,morepositivepersons.Youmaytellyourselfyouaregoingtoexercisemore,joinagym,takeaclass,orhitacertainsavingsgoal.Butwhataboutyourbusiness?MakingaNewYear’sresolutionforyourbusinesscanimpactitssuc‐cesssignificantly.Hereare5NewYear’sresolutionsforbusi‐nessownerstoconsiderfor2020:
Delegate:You’reabusinessowner.Youalreadyknow
youarecapableofdoingwhatneedstogetdone.Assign‐ingworktosomeoneelsecanbechallenging,butitcouldreallyhelpyourbusinesssucceed.Whatarethethingsyoudon’tliketodo?Areyouoverwhelmed?Doyouneedavacation?Ifyouansweredyestothesequestions,youcandelegatetheextraneousworktosomeoneelse.Ifyouarefeelingoverwhelmed,itcantakeatollonbothyouandyourbusiness.Taketimeoffanddelegate.Itwillbebeneficialtoyouandtoyourbusiness.
Prioritize:Tobethebestbusinessowneryoucanbe,
youneedtotakecareofyourselffirst.Whileyou’reworkinglonghours,remembertoeat,drinkwater,exer‐ciseandspendtimewithfriendsandfamily.Afteryou’vetakencareofyourself,prioritizeyourworkload.Startwiththemostreasonableandmostimportantthingtogetdoneforthedayandmarkitoffyourchecklistoncecompleted.Avoidburnoutbyprioritizing.
LearnSomethingNew:Onceyou’velearnedtodelegate,
youcanfindtimetolearnsomethingnew.Thisnewskillcanberelatedorunrelatedtoyourbusiness.Maybeyou’vealwayswantedtolearnhowtogolforlearnanewlanguage.Adoptinganewskillwillalsoallowyoutomeetnewpeopleandnetwork.Whatnewskilldoyouwanttolearn?
GiveBack:Findacausethatmattersmosttoyouand
giveback.Beamentor,volunteer,ordonate.Therearemanyorganizationsthatmakeadifferenceinyourcom‐munity.
BecomeaBetterCommunicator:Avoidfrequentmisun‐
derstandingswithemployeesandclientsbylearninghowtobecomeabettercommunicator.Startwithspeakingclearlyandconcisely,orbyaskingemployeesquestionsaftermeetingstobesuretheyunderstandthetask.Thisresolutionwillnotonlyimproveyouremployeeandcli‐entrelationships,butitwillalsoboostemployeemorale.Youmayhaveyourpersonalresolutionssetinstone,but
whataboutyourbusiness?Businessresolutionsarejustasimportantaspersonalones.Ifyou’rereadytodosomethingdifferenttobringpositivechangetoyourbusiness,startwiththesesimpleresolutions.
Here’stothenewyear!
NewYear,NewBusinessResolution:5ResolutionsforBusinessOwnersin2020
ByChristinaFarmer,CommunicationsCoordinatorProvidentBank
JUDGES WANTED FOR THE 2020 HIGH SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION
January 27-29, 2020
MOCK TRIAL VOLUNTEER JUDGE RESPONSE FORM I volunteer to serve as a HS Mock Trial Judge in Middlesex County (and earn up to 3.0 CLE credits) Name: Firm: Address: Email: Phone:
Return form:
Middlesex County Bar Foundation
87 Bayard Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Fax: 732.828.5862
Or send an email with your contact information to [email protected]
Sponsored by: Middlesex County Bar Foundation
& New Jersey State Bar Foundation
Page 14 — Janaury 2020 — The Middlesex Advocate
FOR LEASE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE SPACE
142 LIVINGSTON AVENUE NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ
Rent includes all utilities, security cameras, alarm system, private gated parking and
access to common conference room and kitchen.
Ideal for law office, accounting, real estate, medical, etc. Courthouse and hospital a few blocks away. Corner of Seaman St. and Livingston Ave.
Contact Beata at 908.581.3322 or Jacob at 732.991.5249
4th Annual MCBA Household Supplies/Toiletry Drive for Dina’s Dwellings
The MCBA is seeking donations for Dina’s Dwellings in New Brunswick, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide affordable homes and supportive services to the survivors of domestic violence and their children. The drive starts on January 2nd and ends on January 31st. Please consider donating the following items: Laundry detergent
- for High Energy machines ONLY Dryer sheets Toilet paper Paper towels Tissues Toiletries Dish Soap Cleaning supplies
- in particular, Swiffer wet cloth refills Brillo pads or scrubbing brushes
Light bulbs – energy-saving 60 watt bulbs (please)
Food donations – canned and boxed items – non-perishables
Gas cards Supermarket cards
Starting on Tuesday, January 2nd, donations can be dropped off during normal business hours at one of the following locations: MCBA Office, 87 Bayard Street, New Brunswick Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis, LLP, 99 Wood
Avenue South, 4th Floor, Woodbridge Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, PA, 90 Woodbridge
Center Drive, 9th Floor, Woodbridge Donations can also be dropped off at The Pines Manor, 2085 Route 27 South in Edison on Wednesday, January 22nd. For more information call 732.828.3433, x. 102.
James P. Nolan, Jr., Esq. Law Offices of James P. Nolan & Associates
61 Green Street Woodbridge, NJ 07095
(732) 636-3344 [email protected]
Certified Criminal Trial Attorney for 25 years
Former Assistant County Prosecutor Former Municipal Court Public Defender
Representing Defendants in Superior and Municipal Court since 1990
Accepting Referrals in all Criminal Matters
Referral fees payment paid promptly pursuant to Rule 1:39-6.(d)
The Middlesex Advocate — January 2020 — Page 15
Page 16 — January 2020 — The Middlesex Advocate
2019 HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS UPDATE WearepleasedtoreportthatthecombinedeffortsoftheMiddlesexCountyBarFoundationandtheMiddlesexCountyBarAssociation,
andourmembers,familiesandfriends,resultedinthecollectionofover$12,600,whichwasdonatedbeforetheChristmasholidaytobeusedtopurchasebothnecessitiesandgiftsfor20individualsinMiddlesexCounty.
Aswithpreviousyears,themoniescollectedweredeliveredtotheofficeoftheMiddlesexCountyBoardofSocialServices,whichinturnusedtheproceedstomakethepurchasesandwrapthegifts.Wearecertainthat,asinthelastelevenyears,thecarethatoureffortswereabletoconveywascertainlyrecognizedandappreciated.
Thesuccessofthisyear'seffortwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthegeneroussupportofthefollowingbenefactorswhomwethankfortheirthoughtfulparticipation:
InthecontinuingspiritoftheholidayseasonIthankallwhomadetheefforttocontributetothisdrive,andonbehalfoftheBarFoundationandBarAssociation,IextendmythanksandbestwishesforahealthyandhappyNewYear.
JohnS.Sawicki,PastPresidentMiddlesexCountyBarAssociation
BrettGreinerRichardLevinsonPatriciaLove&
GregoryGilfeather
AldonaAppletonInnsofCourtJabin&Fleming
McGovernLegalServices,LLCPaoneZaleski&MurphyWishnic&Jerushalmy
Benedict&Altman
AnnKiernanMeredithKieser
LutzShafranskiGorman&MahoneyJamesP.Nolan,Jr.RahoolPatel
Hon.AlbertoRivas,AJSCRutter&Roy,LLPAmyStutzkeTeamPincus
RobertAdochio
Dennis&MarleneAucielloJoseph&KristenBilal
GailChesterRobert&ZusetteDatoAlan&LyndaDavisHowardDrescher
Hon.ColleenM.Flynn,JSCTinaFrost
Hon.JamieD.Happas,PJSCMaureenGoodman
EmilyKaller&JohnGalindo
LindaLashbrookMartin&AudreyLepelstatHon.JosephC.Messina(Ret.)
Dennis&ElaineMillerHon.SusanL.Reisner,JAD(Ret.)
AndreaSullivan&ThomasSalamoneJohn&JoySawickiAnnmarieSimeoneDariaAnneVenezia
Hon.AnaC.Viscomi,JSCEricH.Weinberg
Hon.BarryWeisberg,JSC(Ret.)
ErnestBlairWilliamG.BrigianiNeilJ.Casey,III
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Nominations Sought for the 2020 Arthur H. Miller
Lawyer Achievement Award The Middlesex County Bar Association's Arthur H. Miller Lawyer Achievement Award is given out annually to the bar member whose actions best exemplify what the practice of law is all about and serve as a model for oth-ers to emulate. PURPOSE - The purpose of the Lawyer Achievement Award is to accord recognition to attorneys practicing in Middlesex County and adjacent municipalities whose work: fosters a greater public understanding of the inher-ent values of our American and New Jersey legal and judicial systems; informs and educates citizens as to roles in society of the law, the courts, the law enforcement agencies and the legal profession; encourages and pro-motes local, state and federal efforts to improve and modernize our legal system including our legislative and court system; and assists the legal profession and judiciary so that they can attain the goals set forth by the code of professional responsibility and the code of judicial con-duct. ELIGIBILITY - You may nominate any attorney who is a member of the Middlesex County Bar Association. No en-try fee is required. Simply submit your letter of nomination, accompanied by sufficient documentation of past, pre-sent or future activities to explain why your nominee should be selected. Remember that the Committee may not know your nominee, and be sure to include sufficient material that he or she will receive full consideration. CRITERIA - The nominee will be selected based upon sev-eral criteria listed herein. It is not required or intended that the nominee meet all of the criteria. Achieves a result that has a far-reaching public
impact.
Enhances and furthers the goals of the legal profession.
Fosters and improves the relationship between the legal profession and the general public.
Community service. JUDGING - All entries are screened for the purpose of se-lecting a winning entry on the basis of informational value, merit and thoroughness so as to select an individ-ual who achieves the objectives and purposes of this award. DEADLINE - All entries must be postmarked not later than February 28, 2020, and sent to the Middlesex County Bar Association. Please submit names for consideration to the attention of MCBA Executive Director Jonathan Cowles, MCBA, 87 Bayard Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 or send via email to [email protected] by February 28, 2020.
The Middlesex Advocate — January 2020 — Page 17
Page 18 — January 2020 — The Middlesex Advocate
2019 HELP-THE-HOMELESS
UPDATE PleaseacceptthesincereappreciationoftheMiddlesexCountyBarFoundationandMiddlesexCountyBarAsso‐ciationforyourgenerosityduringthepastyear.Wecol‐lectednearly$1,000atthevariousbarmeetingsandeventswhichenabledustosenddonationstoeachofthefollowingorganizationsduringtheChristmasholidays.
CatholicCharitiesJewishFamily&VocationalServices
MANAVINewJerseyVeteransMemorialHomePuertoRicanActionBoard(PRAB)
TheSalvationArmy(NewBrunswick)TheSalvationArmy(PerthAmboy)
WomenAware,Inc.Sincerely,WilliamG.BrigianiMiddlesexCountyBarFoundation
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87 Bayard Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901