Biography
Hon. Edward A. Jerejian, P.J.Ch. (Ret.), Chair, of the Firm’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice, serves as a neutral mediator and arbitrator, helping attorneys and individual parties resolve disputes more efficiently and cost-effectively than through traditional litigation.
Judge Jerejian is known for his business acumen and his ability to simplify complex legal issues by leveraging nearly two decades of judicial experience to empower the parties to find common ground in their disputes, fostering fair, cost-effective, and timely solutions.
Judge Jerejian mediates and arbitrates all aspects of general equity, probate, civil, and family litigation. He is also available as a special adjudicator for complex case management. During his tenure on the bench, he resolved thousands of cases, many involving complicated multi-party disputes, and presided over numerous trials, including some of the most complex and noteworthy cases in the state. He has also authored numerous opinions that are frequently cited.
The Judge was a distinguished member of the New Jersey Judiciary for nineteen years. He served nine of those years in the Bergen County Chancery Division, including almost seven years as Presiding Judge. He also served in the Family and Criminal Divisions and was designated by the New Jersey Supreme Court Assignment Order as Acting Assignment Judge.
Judge Jerejian has extensive experience handling business and real estate litigation, including oppressed shareholder suits, dissolution of LLCs, partnerships, and closely held corporations, buyouts, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, breach of contract, legal and equitable fraud, specific performance of real estate contracts, partition of real estate, environmental litigation, construction defects, easements, condos and co-ops, and commercial foreclosure.
He has also handled a wide range of civil causes of actions including, negligence, Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), Law Against Discrimination (LAD), intellectual property (IP), professional malpractice, consumer fraud, labor and employment, broker liability, nuisance, attorneys’ fees, and punitive damages.
Judge Jerejian also handles probate and family law cases, including will contests, guardianships, accounting actions, trusts, removal of fiduciaries, entitlement and calculation of spousal elective share, support, custody, and equitable distribution of assets.
Judge Jerejian is frequently a presenter for the New Jersey Judicial College, the Comprehensive Judicial Orientation Program (CJOP) for newly assigned Chancery Judges, the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE), the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), the Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), and other prestigious organizations.
In addition to his regular assignments, in 2016 Judge Jerejian was appointed by the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court and given statewide jurisdiction to review more than seven thousand cases arising from alleged improprieties at the New Jersey State Police Forensics Laboratory, an assignment that lasted more than six years.
Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Jerejian was a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney, handled many high-profile cases, and was widely recognized throughout his career as one of the premier trial lawyers in New Jersey.
Judge Jerejian has also been featured in many publications, including the New Jersey Law Journal, The Star-Ledger, New York Times Magazine, Bergen Record, and on network and cable television shows such as A&E’s American Justice: Death of a Bride, ID Network’s Unraveled: Forever Mine, NBC’s Dateline, and many others.
Judge Jerejian is available for in-person, remote (Zoom), or travel to accommodate counsel and their clients throughout the state.
Education
University of Miami School of Law, J.D., 1985
Vassar College, A.B., Political Science, 1982
Amherst College, 1980-1981
Admissions
New Jersey
United States Supreme Court
United States 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals
United States District Court, District of New Jersey
United States Tax Court
Judge Jerejian’s Opinions:
• Namerow v. PediatriCare Associates, LLC 461 N.J. Super 133 (Ch. 2018)
• State v. Minotti, 2014 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2614
• State v. Clark, 2014 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2766
• Capital One. N.A. v. Fleckenstein, 2015 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 3041
• Anim Inv. Co. v. Shaloub, 2016 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2777
• Deutsche Bank Nat’I Trust Co. v. Hochmeyer, 2017 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 102
• Bank of Am. N.A. v. R.H. Surgent, LLC, 2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1615
• In re Estate of Rubin, 2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2381
• Go Express, Inc. v. AutoDrop, Inc., 2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2252
• Williams Drug, LLC v. Patel, 2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2499
• Tuli Realty, LLC v. Tower Saron Two 2015, LLC, 2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2519
• Tedesco v. Fieldstone Condo. Ass’n, 2018 N.J. Super. Un pub. LEXIS 2529
• In re Estate of Mayo, 2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2530
• Tamakuwala v. Suratwala, 2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2670
• Plaut v. Eye Inst. of Paramus, LLC, 2019 N.J. Super. Un pub. LEXIS 29
• 802 Absecon Blvd. v. Fairview Inv. Fund II. LP, 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 152
• Parente v. Garas Constr., LLC, 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 183
• In re Estate of Rosenthal, 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 531
• Cestone v. Cestone, 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1146
• In re the Estate of Tuzzolo, 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1288
• In re Estate of Giordano, 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1326
• Murphy Prop. Acquisition, LLC v. Pfister Chem. Inc., 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1483
• Odabash v. Brown, 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1576
• Presbyterian Church of the Palisades. Inc. v. Hwang, 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1877
• Marca( Mfg., LLC v. Constellation NewEnergy, Inc., 2019 N.J. Super. Un pub. LEXIS 2257
• Jackson v. Estate of Robinson, 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2258
• Petrella v. Hackensack Bd. of Educ., 2019 N.J. Super. Un pub. LEXIS 2687
• Deutsche Bank Nat’I Trust Co. v. Deangelis, 2020 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 652
• BV001 Reo Blocker, LLC v. HB United States Props, LLC, 2020 N.J. Super. Un pub. LEXIS 985
• Moradi v. Geroski, 2020 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1196
• Leonite Capital. LLC v. Martin, 2020 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1563
• 1530 Owners Corp. v. Americana Assocs., 2020 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1687
• Rasulova v. Aguila, 2021 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1121
• Gramkow, Carnevale. Seifert & Co. v. CPAs4MDs, P.A., 2021 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1767
• In re Estate of Dong Won Kim, 2021 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2584
• In re Estate of Hekemian, 2022 N.J. Super. Un pub. LEXIS 191
• East/West Funding, LLC v. 339 River Road Holdings, LLC, 2023 N.J.Super. Un pub. LEXIS 491
• East/West Funding, LLC v. 575 River Rd. Edgewater, LLC, et. al., 2024 N.J. Super. Un pub. LEXIS 588
• BUPM NJ Assets, LLC v. 15 Nkrth Dean Street, et. al., 2024 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 596
• Cynthia Birkitt v. Mohammad Adwan and HL Builders, LLC, 2024 N.J. Super Unpub. LEXIS 786
• East/West Funding, LLC, v. 339 River Road Holdings, LLC, 2024 N.J. Super. Un pub. LEXIS 948
• In the Matter of the Estate of Hariet Cohen
• Spencer’s Savings Bank, S.L.A. v. Arther Wein and Lawerence B. Seidman
Professional Speaking:
• Speaker, Chancery Roundtable, New Jersey Judicial College, November 26, 2024
• Speaker, Hot Topics in Chancery Practice in New Jersey, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), June 5, 2024
• Speaker, Chancery Hot topics, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), June 5, 2024
• What’s New With LLC’s in 2024, New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention, May 16, 2024.
• Speaker, Hot Topics in Estate Litigation, Webinar, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, March 28, 2024
• Speaker, Complimentary Dispute Resolution, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), October 6, 2023
• Speaker, Chancery Kickoff, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), September 14, 2023
• Keynote Speaker, Judge Robert Wilson Retirement Dinner, May 4, 2023
• Keynote Speaker, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA) Formal Dinner, May 4, 2023
• Speaker, Business Litigation, The Good, Bad and the Equity, New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention, May 18, 2023
• Speaker, What’s New with LLC’s, New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention, May 18, 2023
• Speaker, Hot Topics in Estate Litigation, Webinar, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), March 30, 2023
• Speaker, Crossover Between Chancery and the Business Court, Speaker, Civil Judges Conference, July 20, 2022
• Speaker, General Equity Case Management Best Practices, Chancery and Civil Judges Conference, July 20, 2022
• Speaker, Guardianships, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), June 15, 2022
• Speaker, Business Litigation, The Good, Bad and the Equity, New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention, May 19, 2022
• Speaker. Hot Trends in Chancery, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), April 27, 2022
• Speaker, Crossover Between Chancery and the Business Court, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), March 29, 2022
• Speaker, Definitive Guide to Chancery Practice in NJ, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), January 26, 2022
• Speaker, Chancery Updates: Guardianships & General Equity Practice Going Forward, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), June 16, 2021
• Speaker, Chancery Update, New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention, May 19, 2021
• Speaker, Avoiding LLC Litigation with Properly Drafted Operating Agreements, New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention, May 19, 2021
• Speaker, Chancery Practice During the Pandemic, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), June 17, 2020
• Speaker, Estate Litigation and Guardianships, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), January 28, 2020
• Speaker, Chancery 2020: Pandemic Practice, New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention, May 15, 2020
• Ins and Outs of the Chancery Practice, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), Young Lawyers Meeting Section, January 27, 2019
• Nuts and Bolts of Chancery Practice, New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention, May 16, 2019
• Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Shareholder Oppression Litigation from a Judicial Perspective, Chancery and Civil Judges Conference, April 3, 2019
• Ins and Outs of the Chancery Practice, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), Young Lawyers Meeting Section, February 25, 2019
• 2018 New Jersey Judicial College, Foreclosure Update, November 20, 2018
• Foreclosure Update, New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention, May 17, 2018
• Chancery Practice: All your Questions Answered, Bergen County Bar Association (BCBA), April 11, 2018
• Special Luncheon Presentation, 11th Annual Criminal Law Institute, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), Scheduled for November 18, 2017
• Faculty, 10th Annual Criminal Law Institute, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), Scheduled for November 19, 2016
• Speaker, Using Electronic information in Criminal Investigations and Prosecution, Webinar, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), June 14, 2016
• Faculty, 9th Annual Criminal Law Institute, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), and three New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) Criminal Law & Certified Attorneys Sections, November 21, 2015
• Evidentiary Issues Concerning Social Media, New Jersey Association for Justice, Boardwalk Seminar, May 1, 2015
• Criminal Trial Practice-The Judicial Perspective, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), April 12, 2014
• Faculty, 7th Annual Criminal Law Institute, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), and three New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) Criminal Law & Certified Attorneys Sections, November 23, 2013
• Advanced Criminal Practice, Bergen County Bar Ass. (BCBA), April 11, 2012
• Keynote Speaker, Peter Ciolino Professional Lawyer of the Year Award, “A Salute to Frank Lucianna, Esq,”,October 19, 2010
• Guest Lecturer, Family Law, “Domestic Violence”, Rutgers Law School, October 30, 2008
• Instructor, Criminal Trial Skills Program, Bergen County Bar Association, 2001-2002
• Moderator, “Litigating a Homicide Case”, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), September 16, 2000
• Instructor, Skills and Methods Training Course, “New Jersey Trial Preparation”, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), May 8 and 9, 2000
• Speaker, Bergen County Bar Foundation Community Legal Series, Bergenfield High School, October 5, 1999
• Moderator, “Litigating a Homicide Case”, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), August 11, 1999
• Instructor, Skills and Methods Training Course, “New Jersey Trial Preparation” New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), May 17 and 18, 1999
• Speaker, “Litigating a Homicide Case”, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), August 12, 1998
• Instructor, Skills and Methods Training Course, “New Jersey Trial Preparation New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), April 6 and 7, 1998 Published & Unpublished Opinions
• Instructor, Skills and Methods Training Course, New Jersey Trial Preparation” New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), April 14 and 15, 1997
• Instructor, Skills and Methods Training Course, New Jersey Trial Preparation” New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), October 21 and 26, 1996
• Moderator, Winning Your Criminal Trial Through Effective Opening and Closing Agreements” New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), December 2, 1995
• Moderator, “Seventh Annual Super Saturday Seminar”, Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, (ACDL-NJ), November 4, 1995
• Speaker, “Seminar in the Rockies”, Vail, Colorado, “The Indefensible case”, Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, (ACDL-NJ), February 18, 1995
• Instructor, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), Skills and Methods Training
Course, “New Jersey Trial Preparation”, February 4, 1995
• Moderator, “Sixth Annual Super Saturday Seminar”, (Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, (ACDL-NJ), November 5, 1994
• Speaker, “Criminal Practice Forum”, New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education, (NJICLE), September 24, 1994