Woodmont GC, Duane Morris Partner Latest to Join Murphy Team

ALM Media
Updated

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Stephen Santola
Stephen Santola

Stephen Santola[/caption] Two more New Jersey lawyers have joined the transition team of Democratic Gov.-elect Phil Murphy. Paul Josephson, of the Cherry Hill office of Duane Morris, will serve as senior adviser and counsel to "Transition2018," Murphy's transition team. Josephson had served as counsel to Murphy's campaign. Stephen Santola, the executive vice president and general counsel at Woodmont Properties, a Fairfield-based development company, will serve on the transition team's Housing Advisory Committee. Josephson had served as chief counsel to former Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine and also was the director of the Division of Law.

“Having represented the governor-elect since he announced his candidacy, it is an honor to now assist him in the transition effort,” Josephson said in a statement.

Josephson will assist transition staff in a review of the more than 50 independent authorities, the firm said in the statement. Those authorities include:

  • The Casino Control Commission, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.

  • The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Delaware River Port Authority, the Delaware River and Bay Authority, and the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

  • New Jersey Transit, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the South Jersey Transportation Authority and the Motor Vehicle Commission.

  • The New Jersey Economic Development Authority, as well as authorities that finance health care, higher education, and K-12 school facilities.

“The independent authorities play a key role in New Jersey infrastructure, economic development, and gaming policy," Josephson added. "They are responsible for some of the most visible government projects and services that residents and businesses count on.”

Josephson is a litigation and regulatory partner in the firm's trial practice group.

At Woodmont, Santola manages the company's legal affairs and entitlements. He also plays a role in managing the development division, guiding new business opportunities and formalizing corporate strategy, according to a statement released by the company. Before joining Woodmont, Santola was a partner with what is now Lindabury, McCormick & Cooper, where he focused on real estate, land use, zoning and commercial litigation. Santola was mayor of Livingston and also served on the township’s council for 12 years. “I’m honored to be appointed to the governor-elect’s Housing Advisory Committee,” Santola said in the statement. “I pledge to work alongside my industry peers to ensure that pressing issues, such as smart growth and transit-oriented development, receive a fair share of the new administration’s attention.” The roster of New Jersey attorneys tapped by Murphy has been growing. Retired state Supreme Court Justice Gary Stein and retired Chief Justice James Zazzali were named ethics counsel to the transition team. The team's Law and Justice Committee includes Michael Stein, chairman of Hackensack’s Pashman Stein Walder Hayden and son of the retired justice; Ronald Chen, co-dean at Rutgers University Law School; former U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman; former First Assistant Attorney General Ricardo Solano; and Ehsan Chowdhry, president of the New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association.

Frank Giantomasi of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi in West Orange was appointed to the Transition Counsel Committee; John Fanburg and Mark Manigan of Roseland’s Brach Eichler were appointed to the Healthcare Transition Subcommittee; and Stephen B. Genzer of the Newark office of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr’s utilities practice was appointed to the Committee on Environment and Energy’s transition team. Rajiv Parikh, a partner at Newark’s Genova Burns, was named the transition team’s senior counsel, and Peter Cammarano, formerly Gov. Richard Codey’s chief of staff and currently a lobbyist with CLB Partners in Trenton, was named chief of staff. Also, Matt Platkin, previously with Debevoise & Plimpton in New York, was named chief counsel.