Shareholders

Philip A. Lundell, Jr.

Email: PLundell@grsl.com – Download vCard

Philip A. Lundell, Jr. is a Shareholder of GRSLBG&B and concentrates his practice in the areas of General Liability, Construction, Civil Rights, and Mediation/ADR.

Mr. Lundell was a judicial clerk to the Honorable John E. Keefe, J.S.C. (1983-1984) and joined the firm in 1984.

He is a 1980 magna cum laude graduate of St. Peter’s University and received his law degree from Seton Hall Law School in 1983.

Mr. Lundell was designated as a New Jersey “Super Lawyer” by “Super Lawyer” Magazine in 2006-2023. He is a Court Appointed Arbitrator in Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon and Mercer Counties, and serves on the Middlesex County Bench Bar Committee.

Mr. Lundell has continuously been a Certified Civil Trial Attorney since 1992. Only those attorneys who meet the high standards for experience, education, knowledge and skill in civil trial practice set by the New Jersey Supreme Court may be designated as a “Certified Civil Trial Attorney”. The certification is earned by only a few attorneys. As of August 1999, there were 68,700 attorneys in the state of New Jersey, of whom only approximately 1,450 (less than 3%) earned the designation of a Certified Trial Attorney. In 2014, Mr. Lundell obtained his OSHA 10-hour Construction Outreach DOL course completion card after successfully completing an OSHA Outreach Training program class for the construction industry.

Mr. Lundell is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Middlesex County Bar Association and the Somerset County Bar Association. He belongs to the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Middlesex County Trial Lawyers Association, the New Jersey Defense Association, and the Defense Research Institute.

Mr. Lundell is the head of GRSLBG&B’s Marketing Committee and is a member of GRSLBG&B’s Management Committee.

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E. Richard Boylan

Email: RBoylan@grsl.com – Download vCard

E. Richard Boylan is a Shareholder of GRSLBG&B and concentrates his practice in Workers’ Compensation, General Liability, and Asbestos/Toxic Tort. He represents insurance companies and self-insured companies in the defense of these claims.

Mr. Boylan was a Judicial Clerk in the New Jersey Superior Court, Middlesex County from 1985-1986 and joined GRSLBG&B in 1986.

Mr. Boylan graduated from The University of Scranton School of Business with a B.S., cum laude, in 1982 and received his law degree from Seton Hall University in 1985.

Mr. Boylan is a member of the New Jersey State, Middlesex County, and Somerset County Bar Associations; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Middlesex County Trial Lawyers Association; New Jersey Defense Association; Barrister in the Justice James H. Coleman, Jr. Workers’ Compensation American Inn of Court. Mr. Boylan has been appointed by the Director/Chief Judge of New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation to serve as the Chairman of the Judicial Performance Commission. He has been Designated by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Certified Workers’ Compensation Attorney. He regularly lectures and consults on trending issues concerning New Jersey Workers’ Compensation law.

Mr. Boylan is the managing shareholder of the Workers’ Compensation and Asbestos Department.

In 2014, Mr. Boylan obtained his OSHA 10-hour Construction Outreach DOL course completion card after successfully completing an OSHA Outreach Training program class for the construction industry.

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Philip A. Garubo Jr.

Email: PGarubo@grsl.com – Download vCard

Philip A. Garubo, Jr. is a Shareholder of GRSLBG&B and concentrates his practice in General Liability, Construction, Professional Liability, Civil Rights, and Mediation/ADR. He represents construction companies, business entities and product manufacturers in the defense of construction defect claims, general liability claims, and product liability matters.

Mr. Garubo joined GRSLBG&B in 1996.

Mr. Garubo is a 1985 graduate of Providence College and received his law degree from California Western School of Law in 1988. While in law school, Mr. Garubo was the Head Notes and Comments Editor of the California Western Law Review and received an award for Outstanding Service and Commitment to the Law School.

Mr. Garubo is the author of The Last Legal Monopoly: The NFL and its Television Contacts, 4 U. Miami Ent. & Sports L. Rev. 357 (1987).

Mr. Garubo was designated as a “New Jersey Super Lawyer” in the field of Civil Litigation and Insurance Defense Litigation by New Jersey Monthly Magazine in 2013-2023.

In 2016, 2017, and 2020 he was named to the “New Jersey Super Lawyers” Top 100 list.

Mr. Garubo is a member of the Middlesex County Bar Association, Somerset County Bar Association and the New Jersey State Bar Association. He is a member in the Middlesex County Trial Lawyers Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the New Jersey Defense Association. He is a member of GRSLBG&B’s Management Committee.

In December, 2009, Mr. Garubo was named to the Insurance Defense Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association. In 2014, Mr. Garubo obtained his OSHA 10-hour Construction Outreach DOL course completion card after successfully completing an OSHA Outreach Training program class for the construction industry.

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Catherine M. Shiels

Email: CShiels@grsl.com – Download vCard

Catherine M. Shiels is a Shareholder of GRSLBG&B and concentrates her practice in Workers’ Compensation and Insurance Coverage. She represents insurance companies and self-insured companies in the defense of these claims.

Ms. Shiels was a Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Paul Kapalko from 1996 to 1998 and joined GRSLBG&B in 1998.

Ms. Shiels is a 1992 graduate of Moravian College, magna cum laude, and received her law degree, cum laude, from Widener University School of Law in 1996. While in law school, Ms. Shiels was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society from 1995 to 1996 and an Associate Editor of the Widener Law Symposium Journal from 1994 to 1996.

Ms. Shiels is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and the Somerset County Bar Association. She has been a Barrister in the Justice James H. Coleman, Jr. Workers’ Compensation American Inn of Court. She is a member of GRSLBG&B’s Marketing Committee and GRSLBG&B’s Technology Committee.

Ms. Shiels was selected by the New Jersey Law Journal in 2009 as the Top 40 Under 40. In 2010, Ms. Shiels was included on the “Super Lawyer” Magazine “Rising Star” list and in 2011-2020 was designated as a “Super Lawyer” by New Jersey “Super Lawyer” Magazine.

Ms. Shiels co-authored Chapter Four of “Construction Insurance: A Guide for Attorneys and Other Professionals” on the subject of Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Insurance in the construction litigation context.

In 2014, Ms. Shiels obtained her OSHA 10-hour Construction Outreach DOL course completion card after successfully completing an OSHA Outreach Training program class for the construction industry.

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Jeffrey S. Bell

Email: JBell@grsl.com – Download vCard

Jeffrey S. Bell is a Shareholder of GRSLBG&B and concentrates his practice in areas of General Liability, Construction, Professional Liability, Labor & Employment, Civil Rights, Municipal/Traffic, and Mediation/ADR. Mr. Bell’s practice is devoted exclusively to representing defendants in civil litigation and municipal court. He also serves as a Mediator and Court Appointed Arbitrator in Middlesex, Somerset, and Hunterdon Counties.

Mr. Bell was a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Jack L. Lintner, PJAD (ret.) in 1996-1997, and joined GRSLBG&B in 1998.

Mr. Bell is a 1993 graduate of the University of Delaware and received his law degree from Widener University School of Law in 1996.

Mr. Bell is a member of the Middlesex County Bar Association, Somerset County Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association and New Jersey Defense Association, The Defense Research Institute. He is also a Barrister in the The Joseph Halpern American Inn of Court (1999-2000). Mr. Bell was designated as a New Jersey “Super Lawyer” by “Super Lawyer” Magazine in 2012-2023. He was also named to the “New Jersey Super Lawyers” Top 100 list in 2020-2023. In 2014, Mr. Bell obtained his OSHA 10-hour Construction Outreach DOL course completion card after successfully completing an OSHA Outreach Training program class for the construction industry.

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Audrey L. Shields

Email: AShields@grsl.com – Download vCard

Audrey L. Shields is a Shareholder of GRSLBG&B and concentrates her practice in Insurance Coverage, Professional Liability, General Liability, and Construction. She represents major insurance companies, insurance agents and brokers, and self-insured entities in the defense of coverage disputes, errors and omissions claims, bad faith litigation, and other insurance related issues. Ms. Shields also handles general liability claims including personal injury actions, automobile liability, property damage, premises liability, liquor liability, construction defect, and warranty litigation.

Ms. Shields was a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Ellen L. Koblitz, J.S.C., and joined GRSLBG&B in 2000.

Ms. Shields is a 1987 graduate of Douglass College, Rutgers University and received her law degree from Claude W. Pettit College of Law at Ohio Northern University in 1993. While in law school, Ms. Shields served as the Presiding Judge of the Moot Court Board of Advocates and led her Spring National Team to the Quarter Finals of the National Competition which was held in San Francisco, California in 1993.

Ms. Shields is a member of The Defense Research Institute (DRI) and The Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), and serves on the Insurance Bad Faith subcommittee for CLM. She has been recognized by Strathmore’s Who’s Who with Worldwide Honors as well as the Social Network of Who’s Who. She is also a frequent guest speaker for numerous insurance companies and related trade organizations.

Ms. Shields is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and Somerset County Bar Association. She attended the Justice Robert L. Clifford American Inn of Court from 1997-1999, and is a member of Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity.

She was designated as a “New Jersey Super Lawyer” by New Jersey Monthly Magazine in 2015-2023. Ms. Shields has also been recognized as one of the top attorneys in New Jersey in 2016-2021 by New Jersey Monthly Magazine.

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Eric S. Schlesinger

Email: ESchlesinger@grsl.com – Download vCard

Eric S. Schlesinger is a Shareholder of GRSLBG&B and concentrates his practice in the General Liability, Construction, Insurance Coverage, Labor & Employment, and Municipal/Traffic. He represents commercial and entertainment/hospitality clients in both New York and New Jersey in the defense of general liability claims, along with developers and general contractors in the defense of general liability and construction defect claims, especially those that encompass insurance coverage issues.

Mr. Schlesinger joined GRSLBG&B in 2004.

Mr. Schlesinger is a 1992 graduate of Trenton State College, where he was a Dean’s List Student and received his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1997. While in law school, Mr. Schlesinger was a Member of the Appellate Moot Court Board, as well as a Director of the Ronald A. Riccio 1-L Moot Court Competition.

Mr. Schlesinger is a member of the New Jersey and New York State Bar Associations, as well as the Somerset County Bar Association. He also served as a member of the District XIII Ethics Committee (2007- 2008).

Mr. Schlesinger is a member of GRSLBG&B’s Technology Committee.

He was designated as a “New Jersey Super Lawyer” in the field of Civil Litigation Defense by New Jersey Monthly Magazine in 2015-2023. In 2016, He was named to the “New Jersey Super Lawyers” Top 100 list.

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Rey O. Villanueva

Email: RVillanueva@grsl.com – Download vCard

Rey O. Villanueva is a Shareholder of GRSLBG&B and concentrates his practice in areas of General Liability, Construction, Labor & Employment, and Municipal/Traffic.

Mr. Villanueva was a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Daniel P. Mecca, P.J.S.C., Superior Court, Law Division of Bergen County and joined GRSLBG&B in 2006.

Mr. Villanueva is a 2001 graduate of The George Washington University, Washington DC, and received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School, Brooklyn, NY in 2004.

Mr. Villanueva is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association. In 2014, Mr. Villanueva obtained his OSHA 10-hour Construction Outreach DOL course completion card after successfully completing an OSHA Outreach Training program class for the construction industry.

Mr. Villanueva was selected as a “Rising Star” by the “New Jersey edition of Super Lawyers” in 2012-2018. In 2022-2023, he was designated as a “New Jersey Super Lawyer” by “Super Lawyer” Magazine.

In 2015, Mr. Villanueva received the “Attorney of the Year, East Coast Region” Award given by Old Republic Construction Program Group.

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Daniel B. McMeen

Email: DMcmeen@grsl.com – Download vCard

Daniel B. McMeen is a Shareholder in the Litigation Department of GRSLBG&B. He concentrates his practice in the defense of General Liability, Products Liability, Professional Liability, Dram Shop, Employment Discrimination, and Civil Rights actions in both State and Federal Court. Mr. McMeen has successfully defended matters involving catastrophic personal injury, food product contamination, and harassment/hostile work environments.

Mr. McMeen serves as the Chief Privacy Officer of GRSLBG&B. He ensures compliance with client Cybersecurity requirements, and oversees both internal and external penetration testing and annual Risk Assessments of the Firm’s technological infrastructure.

Prior to joining GRSLBG&B, Mr. McMeen served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Francis P. DeStefano. He joined GRSLBG&B as an Associate in 2007.

Mr. McMeen is a 2002 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He received his law degree from Widener University School of Law, where he served on the Editorial Board of the Law Review. He is admitted to practice law both in the State of New Jersey as well as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Mr. McMeen has been selected as a “Rising Star” by the New Jersey edition of Super Lawyers from 2012–2020. In 2022-2023, he was designated as a “New Jersey Super Lawyer” by “Super Lawyer” Magazine.

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Russ M. Patane

Email: RPatane@grsl.com – Download vCard

Russ M. Patane is a Shareholder in GRSLBG&B’s Litigation Department, and concentrates his practice in areas of General Liability, Construction, Professional Liability, and Asbestos/Toxic Tort. Mr. Patane has successfully represented a wide variety of clients, in matters involving claims for construction defect, construction site accidents, premises liability, personal injury, and products liability in both New Jersey and New York.

Mr. Patane has expanded his practice to include the representation of owners, design professionals and contractors in all matters arising from Sustainable Construction practices. Mr. Patane has been accredited as a LEED Green Associate by the Green Building Certification Institute. Mr. Patane has regularly spoken on various construction related issues, including legal risks associated with sustainable construction to professional trade organizations.

Mr. Patane joined GRSLBG&B in December 2009. Mr. Patane is a 1996 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, and a 2006 graduate of Pace University School of Law. He is admitted to the bar of the States of New Jersey and New York. Mr. Patane is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association and a member of New Jersey Chapter of the US Green Building Council. Mr. Patane was named as a “Rising Star” by the” New Jersey edition of Super Lawyers” in 2013-2016. In 2023 he was designated as a “New Jersey Super Lawyer” by “Super Lawyer” Magazine.  Mr. Patane has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Reviews in 2017-2020. He earned a Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP) designation from the CLM Litigation Management Institute in 2019.

Prior to entering the practice of law, Mr. Patane was a Junior High School Teacher and High School Football coach in the Lodi Public School System for 8 years. He is the past President of the Glen Rock Jaycees, an officer of the Glen Rock Little League, and a former Trustee of the Glen Rock Education Foundation.