Five CSG Law Attorneys Recognized Among 2023 NJBIZ Law Power 50
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC (“CSG Law”) is pleased to announce that five of the firm’s attorneys were named to NJBIZ’s 2023 Law Power 50 – a list of New Jersey’s most influential attorneys in private practice, public service, corporate law departments and nonprofit organizations. These attorneys include Francis J. Giantomasi, a Member with the firm’s Real Estate, Development & Land Use Group and CSG Law Executive Committee member; Patricia K. Costello, Managing Member; Dennis Toft, Chair of the Environmental Law Group; Adam K. Derman, Chair of the Litigation Group; and Peter E. Nussbaum, Chair of the Trademarks & Copyrights Group.
Giantomasi has been a mainstay among the NJBIZ Law Power 50 for years, and he was again recognized in the publication’s Power 100 earlier this year, which features the State’s most influential people in business. This is the second appearance in Power 50 for Toft and Costello, and a first for Derman and Nussbaum.
NJBIZ lauded Giantomasi’s remarkable history as “a recognized leader in planning, zoning and development law, including tax abatement law for the City of Newark and urban areas and has served as chief development counsel for some of the region’s major real estate projects, such as the planning and development of Prudential’s Newark Headquarters.” The publication also highlighted his role as head of the firm’s Lease Committee in the development of CSG Law’s new, state-of-the-art, 120,000 SF headquarters in Roseland.
NJBIZ also praised Costello, Toft, Derman and Nussbaum for their work.
“In her current role [as the firm’s first female Managing Member], Costello oversees the operations of 325 employees and offices in two states, which together bring in more than $100 million in revenue,” NJBIZ said. “Other firms can look at CSG’s roster and take notes if they want to enhance their own gender diversity: 31% of CSG’s members are women, above the 25% national average. What’s more, 58% of the firm’s practice group leaders are women, as are 50% of the firm’s C-Suite management team. All of which undoubtedly contributed to CSG being named as one of New Jersey’s Best Places to Work for 2023.”
For Toft, the publication noted his extensive experience “providing counsel on all aspects of environmental law including regulatory proceedings, environmental due diligence, permitting, enforcement and environmental litigation, development/redevelopment and environmental insurance.”
“In 2002, he was appointed by former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman to serve on the New Jersey Brownfields and Contaminated Site Remediation Task Force, a group created by state law to identify and market brownfields sites,” NJBIZ said. “Toft regularly appears before the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, municipal land use boards, and the Office of Administrative Law, and in state and federal courts.
Derman and Nussbaum were included on the list for their team effort in protecting clients’ intellectual property. Earlier this year, CSG Law’s Trademarks & Copyrights Group helped singer and rapper Lizzo trademark the phrase “100% That Bitch,” a lyric from one of her songs, despite opposition from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
“CSG Law’s IP group recently made another splash, this time with a high-profile trademark infringement lawsuit against LIV Golf and Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC,” NJBIZ said. “For the case – which accuses the golf league of stealing a logo used for the last 20 years by skateboarding brand Fallen Footwear – Nussbaum’s team includes litigation group chair Adam Derman, who brings extensive experience as lead counsel in areas such as contract and commercial disputes, intellectual property and restrictive covenant litigation.”
For the full 2023 Law Power 50, please visit NJBIZ’s website.
Visit csglaw.com/award-methodology for additional details on the selection process for the above-mentioned recognitions. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.