Stark & Stark is proud to announce that Chinsu Shajan, Esq. has been selected for the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Academy for the 2023-2024 year.

The AAJ’s Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Academy provides training to highly qualified and talented members, in particular those who are underrepresented within the association, to help make them more effective leaders in AAJ, in their law firms, and their communities. In Chinsu’s short tenure with AAJ, she has already served in multiple leadership roles within the Minority Caucus, the Women’s Trial Lawyer Caucus, and the New Lawyer Division. She also sits on multiple AAJ committees, including AAJ’s Law Students Committee and the Trial Lawyer Cares Committee.

Chinsu is a member of Stark & Stark’s Accident and Personal Injury Group where she concentrates her practice on catastrophic personal injuries. She is the Co-Chair of Stark & Stark’s Associates Committee and a member of the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

“Effective leaders motivate, inspire and positively impact others to be future leaders and push them to be the best versions of themselves. I am honored to have been selected for AAJ’s Leadership Academy,” said Chinsu. “With this opportunity, I hope to grow as a leader and improve on my leadership style which will allow me to become an effective and inspiring leader throughout AAJ and at Stark & Stark for years to come. Thank you to Stark & Stark for continuing to support my professional development and the American Association for Justice.”

Congratulations Chinsu!

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Stark & Stark’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee will be hosting a networking reception and fireside chat with Judge Zahid N. Quraishi at our Hamilton office on July 13, 2023 from 5:00-7:30pm. Shareholder Bhaveen Jani, Esq. will moderate the discussion.

Judge Zahid N. Quraishi is the United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey. He is the first Muslim Article III Federal Judge confirmed by the United States Senate.

Bhaveen Jani is a Shareholder in the Accident & Personal Injury Group at Stark & Stark. He focuses his practice in the areas of motor vehicle, tractor-trailer crashes, and premise liability matters which result in catastrophic spinal injuries and traumatic brain injuries

Thank you to the following sponsors for making this event possible: South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey (SABA-NJ), New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association (NJMLA), Garden State Bar Association (GSBA), Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey (AWBL-NJ), Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey (HBA-NJ), and Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey (APALA-NJ).

Seating is limited. Please click here to RSVP.

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Stark & Stark is proud to announce that the firm is continuing with its annual Summer Associate Program for the seventh year. Three Summer Associates will be joining the firm from June 5 through July 28. They will be gaining a broad range of legal experience over the course of the program by working with various practice groups at the firm.

“We are excited to welcome Robert Drake, Ezra Rothenberg, and Sarah Urie to our Summer Associate Program,” said Managing Shareholder Michael Donahue. “Stark & Stark is proud to be part of an initiative that encourages law student mentoring and education outside of the classroom.”

Having attended undergrad at Arizona State University, Robert Drake will be a third-year law student at The College of William and Mary. He previously served as a Special Litigation Intern for the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General Division of Law, where he conducted research and writing on constitutional law, administrative law, and federal civil procedure issues for appellate cases and investigations.

Ezra Rothenberg, who attended Bais Medrash Ateres Shlomo for his undergraduate degree, will be a second-year law student at Seton Hall University. He is the Founder and former President of Kollel Zichron Sender, a non-profit educational initiative geared towards creating practical Jewish Law programs for post-graduate Rabbinical students based in Israel.

Sarah Urie will be a third-year law student at Villanova University and received her undergraduate degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University. She currently serves as a Research Assistant for a boutique consulting firm that serves asset managers, financial data companies, financial technology companies, broker-dealers, and Registered Investment Advisors on a variety of regulatory matters.

Welcome to the firm!

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In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Stark & Stark’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee are shining a spotlight on some of our AAPI employees.

We sat down with Chinsu Shajan, a personal injury attorney in our Hamilton office, to discuss her favorite cultural traditions, and what AAPI Heritage Month means to her.

Stark & Stark (S&S): What is your cultural identity?

Chinsu Shajan (CS): Indian American (Malayalee)

S&S: What is your favorite cultural tradition?

CS: One of my favorite cultural traditions is Onam. Onam is the biggest festival of the year in Kerala, which is where my family is from. The purpose of the festival is to celebrate the end of the monsoon season and welcome the harvest season. Onam is celebrated during August and September for 10 days full of festivities including prayers, cultural programs, boat races, dance performances, and the creation of floral designs called pookkalam. The main food eaten during the celebration is the Onam Sadhya, a meal that traditionally includes several vegetarian dishes served on a banana leaf!

S&S: What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?

CS: AAPI Heritage Month is the time to highlight all of the positive contributions that our culture has given to the world. Asian-American and Pacific Islander encompasses so many diverse groups of peoples and cultures which provides society with so many to learn about and explore during this month. For me personally, I take this month as an opportunity to share and expose our culture to others through food and educating people on our history.

S&S: The theme for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year is advancing leaders through opportunity. How do you think we can all work to achieve this goal?

CS: The way to work to advance leaders through opportunity is to make sure there is always a seat at the table for AAPI individuals. Making sure that the table is full of diverse individuals will provide a unique group of strengths and perspectives that help make programs or policies more effective. It is also important to make sure that different leaders are given the same opportunities instead of just one individual because the perception may be then seen that company is taking a tokenistic approach versus an inclusive approach.

S&S: How do you think your culture has influenced you in your professional life?

CS: As my culture has influenced my views and values, I think it also has definitely influenced my professional life. Being a first generation Indian American, my parents immigrated to the United States so that their children could have access to better education and opportunities. My parents taught me two things that have impacted my life and career. The first is my work ethic. My parents worked tirelessly to make ends meet without any complaints and so they instilled in me to work hard for whatever I wanted, because nothing will ever be handed to me. The second thing is to always be kind and respectful to everyone regardless of status because you never know what someone went through or is going through. These attributes have helped me in my professional life and especially with my clients by being able to give them a different perspective based on my upbringing and the values that were instilled in me.

S&S: What do you hope to see for the AAPI community in the future?

CS: I would like to see more AAPI representation in all facets of the legal community.

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In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Stark & Stark’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee are shining a spotlight on some of our AAPI employees.

We sat down with Colleen Park, a mass torts paralegal in our Hamilton office, to discuss her favorite cultural traditions, and what AAPI Heritage Month means to her.

Stark & Stark (S&S): What is your cultural identity?

Colleen Park (CP): Korean-American

S&S: What is your favorite cultural tradition?

CP: Chuseok is Korea’s version of Thanksgiving in the sense that it’s a time for family to come together and have a big meal. Usually, we spend the whole day cooking, eating, and catching up with family.

S&S: What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?

CP: It’s a great way to bring light to all the different AAPI cultures and traditions.

S&S: The theme for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year is advancing leaders through opportunity. How do you think we can all work to achieve this goal?

CP: Making an effort to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity for jobs, resources, and representation.

S&S: How do you think your culture has influenced you in your professional life?

CP: I grew up learning that Korean culture puts a heavy emphasis on respecting others and that helped me a lot when interacting with colleagues and clients.

S&S: What do you hope to see for the AAPI community in the future?

CP: I would love to see it continue to grow and be celebrated by everyone.

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Stark & Stark is proud to congratulate Shareholder Andrew Podolski for being selected by the Community Associations Institute New Jersey Chapter (CAI-NJ) as a recipient of the 2023 Speaker of the Year Award*.

Andrew received his Speaker of the Year Award* based on his presentation at the 2022 CAI-NJ High Rise Summit, “Aging Infrastructure and Structural Integrity of Buildings”. He currently serves as Vice President of the CA-PAC and is a member of the CA-LAC. This is Andrew’s second award from CAI-NJ, he previously received the 2022 Author of the Year award*.

Andrew is a member of the firm’s Construction Litigation Group. He concentrates his practice on representing multi-family residential and commercial property owners in construction related conflicts

Congratulations!

*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Award Methodology:

Speaker of the Year- This award is presented to the program or seminar speaker who delivered the most outstanding speech, panel presentation or lecture at a chapter program during the past year.  Consideration is based upon the evaluation forms at our scheduled seminars, workshops, or the Annual Conference & Expo.

Author of the Year- This award is selected by the Editorial Committee and is given to the member who has contributed a single article, or a series of articles, that has greatly benefited the community association industry and has been published in the chapter magazine, Community Trends®, during the preceding year.  The recipient must be a member of CAI in good standing.

The post Shareholder Andrew Podolski, Esq. Receives 2023 Speaker of the Year Award from CAI-NJ appeared first on Stark & Stark.

Stark & Stark is proud to congratulate Shareholder Andrew Podolski for being selected by the Community Associations Institute New Jersey Chapter (CAI-NJ) as a recipient of the 2023 Speaker of the Year Award*.

Andrew received his Speaker of the Year Award* based on his presentation at the 2022 CAI-NJ High Rise Summit, “Aging Infrastructure and Structural Integrity of Buildings”. He currently serves as Vice President of the CA-PAC and is a member of the CA-LAC. This is Andrew’s second award from CAI-NJ, he previously received the 2022 Author of the Year award*.

Andrew is a member of the firm’s Construction Litigation Group. He concentrates his practice on representing multi-family residential and commercial property owners in construction related conflicts

Congratulations!

*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Award Methodology:

Speaker of the Year- This award is presented to the program or seminar speaker who delivered the most outstanding speech, panel presentation or lecture at a chapter program during the past year.  Consideration is based upon the evaluation forms at our scheduled seminars, workshops, or the Annual Conference & Expo.

Author of the Year- This award is selected by the Editorial Committee and is given to the member who has contributed a single article, or a series of articles, that has greatly benefited the community association industry and has been published in the chapter magazine, Community Trends®, during the preceding year.  The recipient must be a member of CAI in good standing.

The post Stark & Stark Shareholder Andrew Podolski, Esq. Receives 2023 Speaker of the Year Award from CAI-NJ appeared first on Stark & Stark.

Stark & Stark is proud to congratulate Shareholder Christopher Florio for being selected by the Community Associations Institute New Jersey Chapter (CAI-NJ) as a recipient of the 2023 Hall of Fame Award*.

Christopher has been involved with CAI-NJ for many years and has held several roles within the organization, including President and Treasurer. He currently serves as a member of the Community Associations Institute Political Action Committee (CA-PAC) and the Community Associations Institute Legislative Action Committee (CA-LAC).

Christopher is Chair of the firm’s Community Associations Group. He has substantial experience in the negotiation of loan transactions, collections, workouts, and real estate law, including foreclosures.

Congratulations!

*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Award Methodology:

Hall of Fame- The recipient, chosen by the CAI-NJ Board of Directors, must be a member who has served the chapter over an extended period of years and who has consistently been of service and value to the chapter and its leaders in many capacities.

The post Shareholder Christopher Florio, Esq. Receives 2023 Hall of Fame Award from CAI-NJ appeared first on Stark & Stark.

Stark & Stark is proud to congratulate Shareholder Christopher Florio for being selected by the Community Associations Institute New Jersey Chapter (CAI-NJ) as a recipient of the 2023 Hall of Fame Award*.

Chris has been involved with CAI-NJ for many years and has held several roles within the organization, including President and Treasurer. He currently serves as a member of the Community Associations Institute Political Action Committee (CA-PAC) and the Community Associations Institute Legislative Action Committee (CA-LAC).

Chris is Chair of the firm’s Community Associations Group. He has substantial experience in the negotiation of loan transactions, collections, workouts, and real estate law, including foreclosures.

Congratulations!

*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Award Methodology:

Hall of Fame- The recipient, chosen by the CAI-NJ Board of Directors, must be a member who has served the chapter over an extended period of years and who has consistently been of service and value to the chapter and its leaders in many capacities.

The post Stark & Stark Shareholder Christopher Florio, Esq. Receives 2023 Hall of Fame Award from CAI-NJ appeared first on Stark & Stark.