David M. Dugan

David M. Dugan is a Member in CSG Law's Litigation Group. David enjoys an active commercial/business litigation practice, handling complex matters pending in state and federal courts in New Jersey and New York.

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In addition to his general business disputes practice, David focuses his commercial litigation practice in large part on real estate disputes, including commercial lease disputes and land use litigation. In addition to handling these litigation matters, David works closely with the attorneys in CSG’s Real Estate, Development & Land Use Group to provide strategic guidance in settling disputes pre-litigation, including recommending the structure of settlement agreements with nuanced provisions concerning enforcement mechanisms in the event the matters ultimately go to litigation.

David also focuses his practice in large part on legal malpractice and ethics defense, having defended several prominent New Jersey and regional firms, as well as individual attorneys in complex, multi-million-dollar lawsuits as well as in connection with investigations by the relevant disciplinary authorities. David has also provided representation to court-appointed receivers in discharging their duties and has defended against claims brought against them in federal and state court. He practices in both New Jersey and New York state and federal courts.

David was also appointed by the Supreme Court to serve as Vice-Chair and Chair to its District V-A Ethics Committee, covering the City of Newark, and, during his six-year appointment, was responsible for overseeing the disposition of hearings involving allegations of attorney misconduct, as well as recruiting members and working to continually improve the efficiency of, and the public’s confidence in, our attorney-monitored disciplinary system. He also plays an active role in the firms Ethics-Conflicts Committee, providing guidance to the firm on various issues concerning the Rules of Professional Conduct, including conflicts in incoming matters and in connection with new attorneys joining the firm, and questions concerning the authorized practice of law in and outside of New Jersey.

David’s administrative responsibilities at CSG include implementing a comprehensive, Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program to teach CSG’s litigation department’s attorneys skills needed to have a successful litigation practice and to expose them to CSG’s multiple practice areas. David also works one-on-one with CSG’s newer attorneys to position them for success in and outside the firm and to ensure that their entry into private practice is rewarding and beneficial.

While attending Rutgers Law School, David was the Managing Editor of the Rutgers Law Review and won the G.A. Moore, Jr. Prize for Equal Opportunity Employment Law. He was also Committee Chair of the Moot Court Board and interned for Senior Judge Leonard I. Garth of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and District Judge Alfred J. Lechner of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

David was also elected to a three-year term on Branchburg’s Board of Education beginning January 2023 and is an adjunct professor of Professional Responsibility for Temple Law School’s Beijing LL.M. program. In 2022, David was invited to join and is now a member of the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation.