Riker Danzig is pleased to announce that it has elected two new partners, and appointed seven new counsel, effective January 1, 2025. Michael S. Kettler and Robert P. Vacchiano have been elevated to partner. Labinot A. Berlajolli, Daniel A. Bloom, Linda M. Herlihy, Robert J. Magrane, Siobhan A. Neary, Steven M. Oran and Christen L. Rafuse have been promoted to counsel.
Firm Managing Partner Michael P. O’Mullan said, “We are thrilled to announce the promotion of these exceptional attorneys, whose outstanding legal expertise and unwavering dedication to our clients have truly set them apart. As a full-service law firm, we are proud to cultivate the next generation of leaders, embracing their diverse backgrounds and perspectives. These individuals are poised to continue building on our legacy, driving success across a wide range of practices and industries.”
Riker Danzig’s newly elected partners are:
Michael S. Kettler is a Partner in the Firm’s Environmental Law Group. Mike represents national and multinational corporations, public utilities, developers, and small businesses in both litigated and transactional matters. He advises clients regarding the numerous regulatory obligations of federal and state environmental law, and regularly guides clients through the complex and ever-changing requirements of the New Jersey site remediation program.
Mike earned his law degree from Columbia University School of Law in 2012, where he served on the editorial board of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
Robert P. Vacchiano is a Partner in the Firm’s Insurance and Reinsurance Group and Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Group. Robert represents insurers and reinsurers in a broad range of complex insurance matters. He also assists businesses with legal issues relating to cyber insurance, cyberattacks, ransomware, data breaches, and other privacy and security-related matters.
Robert graduated magna cum laude from Fordham University School of Law in 2011. He earned his B.A. from George Washington University in 2008, cum laude. He serves as a barrister and treasurer in the Brennan-Vanderbilt Inn of Court, a trial inn and chapter of the American Inns of Court.
Appointed to Counsel are:
Labinot A. Berlajolli is Counsel in the Firm’s Commercial Litigation Group.
Prior to joining Riker Danzig, Labinot served as Deputy Attorney General – Affirmative Civil Enforcement at the Office of Attorney General, Division of Law, from 2012 to 2016 and from 2017 to 2019, investigating and prosecuting civil enforcement actions for violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, New Jersey False Claims Act, New Jersey Antitrust Act, New Jersey Uniform Securities Law, New Jersey Uniform Enforcement Act, New Jersey Computer Related Offenses Act, HIPAA/HITECH, COPPA, and other statutes and regulations. He also acted as both lead and co-lead in federal/state multistate investigations of data breaches. From 2016-2017, he was Assistant Counsel, Authorities Unit at the Office of Governor Chris Christie.
Labinot received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2011. He graduated from Seton Hall University in 2004 with his Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Montclair State University in 2002.
Daniel A. Bloom is Counsel in the Firm’s Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring Group. Daniel has extensive experience representing debtors and secured and unsecured creditors, committees, indenture trustees, bondholders, trade creditors, landlords, and other key stakeholders in bankruptcy and corporate restructuring matters.
Daniel received his J.D., cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law in 2008. He graduated cum laude from Yeshiva University in 2003 with his B.A. in Economics. While in law school, Daniel was a summer law clerk for the Honorable Allan L. Gropper, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, S.D.N.Y., and served as ADR Editor of the Fordham Urban Law Journal.
Prior to joining Riker Danzig, Daniel was a bankruptcy and restructuring attorney at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP and Kaye Scholer LLP. He was also Staff Counsel for UJA-Federation of New York. He is currently Co-Chair of the Partnerships and Outreach Subcommittee of the Jewish Bar Association of New Jersey and an elected member of the Democratic Committee of Bergen County.
Linda M. Herlihy is Counsel with the Firm’s Real Estate Group. She has significant experience in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, with a focus on leasing and land use, development and redevelopment matters.
Linda earned her law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1993 and her undergraduate degree from St. Bonaventure University in 1990.
She represents the Midland Park Zoning Board of Adjustment after having served on the Board for 13 years, 10 of them as the Board’s Chairperson.
Robert J. Magrane is Counsel in the Firm’s Securities Litigation Group. His practice focuses on representing broker-dealers and registered representatives in a range of matters, including sales practice arbitrations, employment disputes, and regulatory enforcement defense.
In addition to his securities law practice, Robert handles complex estate and trust litigation and commercial litigation matters. His practice also includes counseling clients with respect to shareholder and corporate governance matters.
Robert received his J.D. from New York Law School in 2013. He graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 2009 with a B.A. in Economics and Government.
Siobhan A. Neary is Counsel in the Firm’s Commercial Litigation Group. Siobhan has considerable experience handling complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts, including breach of contract, fraud, tortious interference, defamation, antitrust, and other business torts. She also regularly defends private companies and government agencies in employment litigation involving claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, misappropriation of trade secrets, and litigation involving restrictive covenants. Siobhan also maintains an extensive appellate practice throughout state and federal courts. She regularly briefs and argues appeals, and acts as appellate counsel at trial.
Siobhan received her J.D. from Rutgers Law School – Newark in 2012, where she served as the Senior Notes and Comments Editor of the Women’s Rights Law Reporter and was on the Moot Court Board. She received her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Fordham University in 2009.
Following law school, Siobhan was a Law Clerk to the Honorable Clarkson S. Fisher, Jr., P.J.A.D., Superior Court – New Jersey, Appellate Division.
Steven M. Oran is Counsel in the Firm’s Real Estate Group, with experience in commercial and residential real estate transactions including drafting and negotiating purchase agreements, lease agreements and amendments, and easement agreements.
Steven received his J.D. from Rutgers Law School – Camden in 2012. He graduated from Brandeis University in 2009 with a B.A. in Politics, Economics, and History.
Prior to joining Riker Danzig, Steven was General Counsel to the Silverman Group in New Jersey.
Christen L. Rafuse is Counsel in the Firm’s Insurance Litigation Group. Christen has over a decade of experience in insurance defense and insurance coverage litigation. Her experience includes a variety of defense matters, including construction defect, contract, personal injury, premises liability, and automobile accident claims. Her experience also includes counseling and representing insurers on a variety of coverage issues, including additional insured coverage, construction defect, insured contract and indemnification, and bad faith.
Prior to joining Riker Danzig in 2017, Christen worked as an associate attorney at Methfessel & Werbel, P.C., and from 2013 to 2014, she worked as a Law Clerk to the Hon. Thomas V. Manahan, J.A.D., with her clerkship spent partly in both the Law Division and the Appellate Division.
Christen received her J.D. from The Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law in 2013. She received her B.A. from Rutgers University in 2010, summa cum laude, with a double major in English and Classical Humanities.
