News

Walsh Partner Peter J. Pizzi has been awarded the 2022 Yancey Award from the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), for excellence in Defense Counsel Journal writing.

His article, titled “Social Media Immunity in 2021 and Beyond: Will Platforms Continue to Avoid Litigation Exposure Faced by Offline Counterparts,” explained the elements of the statutory immunity granted by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 and summarized complaints against the current scope of Section 230 as interpreted by the courts. Pizzi also explored whether the problems observed with social media have resulted from Section 230 itself, from the engagement-focused technologies delivered by Silicon Valley, or from a combination of these and other factors.

He was presented the award while attending the 2022 IADC Annual Meeting in Berlin, Germany.

“Having been a litigator for many years and also student of the immunity from litigation which Section 230 grants to social media platforms, I was grateful for the chance to write a law review article about the consequences of Section 220,” Pizzi said. “The IADC gives members many, many opportunities to grow as a professional and as a person. I was surprised and honored to receive such recognition.”

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has been serving a distinguished membership of corporate and insurance defense attorneys and insurance executives since 1920. Its activities benefit the approximately 2,500 invitation-only, peer reviewed members and their clients, as well as the civil justice system and the legal profession. Moreover, the IADC takes a leadership role in many areas of legal reform and professional development.

NEWARK, N.J., July 13, 2022 – Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP welcomes Jordynn E. Jackson to the firm! Jordynn will be assisting with the Labor and Employment team, as well as with the Business and Commercial Litigation team.

Jordynn previously worked as Deputy Attorney General with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. During her time as a Deputy Attorney General, she represented the State of New Jersey in employment, civil rights, personal injury and constitutional matters before the Superior Court of New Jersey, the New Jersey Appellate Division, Division of Civil Rights, and the United States District Court of New Jersey. She also represented public entities in matters before the Office of Administrative Law and in various departmental hearings.

She earned her J.D. from Rutgers Law School and her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in English from Howard University.

NEWARK, N.J., July 5, 2022 – Billy Walsh of Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP paid tribute to late Hon. Joel A. Pisano, U.S.D.J. at this year’s Essex County Bar Foundation Memorial Service. The annual service, which took place in June, is held to remember Essex County lawyers, jurists, friends and colleagues, and to honor the lasting contributions they made to the practice of law.

After retiring from the bench in 2015, Judge Pisano reentered private practice as Counsel at Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP. The Essex County Bar Association quickly named him Professional Lawyer of the Year. Liza Walsh described Judge Pisano as “a friend to all and a loved member of the firm. His kindness, quick wit, and passion for the law will not be forgotten.”

“I’m just so humbled and grateful that the Judge’s beloved wife Bette gave me the honor of being able to say a few words about the great man I knew,” Billy said. “I know I speak for our entire firm when I say we miss him dearly every day.”

A link to the gallery from the memorial can be found here: Essex County Bar Association

A link to the live video can be found here.

NEWARK, N.J., June 29, 2022 – Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP’s Summer Associate, Carmen I. Abrazado, is of one of three recipients of the John J. Barry Memorial Scholarship, awarded by the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey at the 45th Annual William J. Brennan, Jr. Award Reception.

She was selected based on her academic experience, personal integrity, strength of character, leadership qualities, community service, and charitable endeavors.

“I am deeply grateful to the AFBNJ for recognizing my efforts with this scholarship. Their support makes it possible for me to give my daughter and my education both the attention they deserve,” Carmen said. “I am also thankful for the impromptu recognition that they gave my daughter at the Brennan Reception. She is the driving force and primary reason for everything that I do, and I wouldn’t accomplish half of it without her cheering me on.”

The John J. Barry Memorial Scholarship is awarded to one law student from each of New Jersey’s three law schools, underscoring the Association’s commitment to the development of New Jersey’s legal community. Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP would like to congratulate not only Carmen, but also the other two recipients, Luke D. Hertzel and Anna Maria Giblin, on their remarkable achievement.

Carmen I. Abrazado is a rising 3L student at Seton Hall Law School. Her undergraduate degree comes from Duke University, where she studied theatre. Carmen is returning to Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP for a second consecutive year as a Summer Associate.

What made you choose law?

Carmen made it her mission to improve the marketability of her undergraduate degree to support her daughter and improve their lives. She began tutoring students for SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, and LSAT. While tutoring her students for the LSAT, she found she quite enjoyed the contents of what she was teaching! “I thought to myself, ‘Maybe I’ll go to law school!’ So I went to law school,” she said. Since that day, her decision to attend law school has been confirmed as the right choice.

Why do you love working for Walsh?

Carmen likes working at Walsh because there’s a variety of specializations – she can never quite predict what type of project she will get to work on next. “Since I’ve started, I have worked on projects in bankruptcy, special education law, and employment law. Whatever comes across my desk is going to be new and interesting – variety is one of the things I most enjoy about working here,” she says.

She also enjoys her work at the firm because it’s where the rubber meets the road – she can apply what she’s learned in school to real-world practice.

Rachel Lu is a rising 2L student at Cornell Law School. She isn’t a stranger to Ithaca, NY, as her undergraduate degree also comes from Cornell University in Operations Research and Information Engineering. At Cornell Law, Rachel is actively involved in the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and the Women of Color Collective and looks forward to serving as a mentor for these clubs in the future.

What made you choose law?

Rachel says that during her undergraduate program, she was able to take specific law courses towards her major. She enjoyed the analytical concepts and logical reasonings of law from those courses and decided early on in her curriculum that she would make it her goal to attend law school after graduation.

Why do you love working for Walsh?

“So far, I’ve gotten a few different research assignments,” she says. “The experience is very different from when I have to read assigned cases for class.” Rachel loves her experience because she is getting to practice the application of law for real clients.

Additionally, Rachel says that her mom, an attorney, has worked directly with Walsh and spoke very highly of the firm.

Nick Ebel is a rising 3L student at Boston College Law School. He received his bachelor’s degree in History from Seton Hall University. At Boston College Law School, Nick writes for the Uniform Commercial Code Reporter-Digest, a research tool used by practitioners to find case law on various commercial law topics. Serving as the publication’s Training Management Editor, he both annotates significant commercial case law each week and trains the publication’s new writers.

What made you choose law?

Nick recalls that even from a young age he knew he wanted to pursue law. “I knew by high school I was going to go to law school,” he says. However, it was when he started his Legal Studies in Business minor in his undergraduate program that really solidified his passion for law. He enjoys the ability to dissect, think analytically, and present information with different approaches within the practice of law.

Why do you love working for Walsh?

Nick notes that Walsh has a big presence in many different sectors of law – he enjoys the variety of projects that are offered. Additionally, he’s impressed with the firm’s culture and mentions that every single attorney is available and open to answering any questions he may have.

He also says that he’s happy to observe attorneys at the firm and often sees them step outside of their “typical wheelhouses” to collaboratively accomplish tasks with confidence in their work.

NEWARK, N.J., June 8, 2022 – Chambers and Partners has recognized Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP as a Leading Firm in its Chambers USA 2022 Guide. In addition, Chambers and Partners recognizes founding partners Liza Walsh and Stephen Falanga.

Liza Walsh is ranked as a Leading Lawyer in the Litigation: General Commercial (New Jersey) category. Liza offers significant experience representing corporations in an array of disputes, including IP litigation and class actions. According to Chambers, Liza is a “lawyer’s lawyer.” This is her fifth year ranked in the Chambers USA 2022 Guide.

Stephen Falanga was recognized as a top lawyer in Bankruptcy/Restructuring – New Jersey. He is highlighted for his ability to advise debtors and creditors on a range of matters. He is renowned for his ability to handle Chapter 11 cases. Chambers and Partners identifies Stephen as a “smart and effective attorney.”

Chambers USA is the leading legal directory, ranking the top lawyers and law firms across the USA.

Per Committee on Attorney Advertising Ethics Opinion 42, this advertising is not approved by the New Jersey Supreme Court.

NEWARK, N.J., June 1, 2022 – Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP hosted the annual meeting and election for the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey (APALA-NJ) last week.

The event introduced the 2022-2023 APALA-NJ Officers and Directors. The oath of office was administered by the Honorable Edward S. Kiel, U.S.M.J., the first Korean-American Federal Judge in New Jersey.

Walsh Associate Francis Yook was sworn in as the President-Elect for the 2022-2023 year. “I am thrilled to be taking on a leadership role in APALA-NJ and am grateful to my firm for their support and enthusiasm for this opportunity,” he said.

Yook notes that one of his goals is to boost membership, particularly among young lawyers and law students who have not yet settled on career trajectories and aspirations. “The organization has tremendous resources and provides invaluable networking opportunities. Whether you are seeking a mentor, career guidance, a referral, or a job opportunity, APALA-NJ is your one-stop shop. I look forward to working with my fellow officers and directors in the coming years,” Yook said.

The Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, Inc. is New Jersey’s only Pan-Asian bar association serving Asian American attorneys throughout the state. APALA-NJ, founded in 1985 and incorporated in 1993, is the largest specialty bar association that collectively represents the interests of Asian and Pacific American lawyers in the State of New Jersey.

NEWARK, N.J., May 23, 2022 –Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP announced that Best Lawyers® has selected four Walsh partners for inclusion in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.  Attorneys are selected based upon rigorous peer review and the annual list recognizes those who exemplify the highest standards of outstanding work in their respective practice areas.

Walsh partners named as Best Lawyers® include:

Liza Walsh: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, ERISA Litigation, Patent Litigation

Stephen Falanga:  Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

M. Trevor Lyons:  Labor and Employment Litigation, Labor Law-Management

Tricia O’Reilly:  Commercial Litigation, Employment Law-Management

Partners Liza Walsh, Stephen Falanga, M. Trevor Lyons, and Tricia O’Reilly were previously named as Best Lawyers®.

In addition, Associate Jessica Formichella was recognized by Best Lawyers® as “Ones to Watch” for her work in Commercial Litigation and Professional Malpractice Law.

Recognition by Best Lawyers® is based entirely on peer review, a consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. The Best Lawyers in America® was first published in 1983 and publishes top legal talent in more than 70 countries around the world.