Ronald A. Berutti
For 30 years, clients have sought out Ron’s counsel in shepherding them through complex legal problems. Client focused and ethically creative, Ron looks for and finds solutions to the toughest problems. In those instances where an adversary refuses to avoid conflict, Ron’s philosophy is that he is the client’s sword and shield, and was taught as a young practitioner to “never stop swinging.” Thus, Ron acts with relentless and unyielding vigor in pursuing his clients’ interests and in vindicating their rights.
Ron heads the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Constitutional/Civil Rights law, and Employment Law sections. Ron’s focused determination has resulted in victorious trial and appellate outcomes, and in successful resolutions, of hundreds of cases in federal and state courts, including complex litigation involving issues such as fraud, racketeering, business disputes, constitutional law, partnership disputes, insurance coverage, malpractice, insurance defense, employment litigation, and international relations, to name a few.
Ron also is deeply committed to vindicating his clients’ constitutional rights. Stemming from a family background where his grandfather risked everything to escape a Communist dictatorship in the 1940s so that he and his family could be free, Ron has an abiding desire to honor his grandfather’s legacy and to see that in our constitutional republic, every American remains free, and that our nation’s civil society thrives and grows. Ask Ron about the Declaration of Independence, the Civil War, or issues related to the fall of Communism in the 1990s, and you will find that Ron is fully engaged in our nation’s history of promoting and advancing individual liberty both within its borders, and by inspiring those around the globe to seek and gain their own freedom under seemingly impossible circumstances. Ron has had several writings published on the topics of constitutional and national history, and brings his fierce passion for individual liberty to his legal work on behalf of those whose freedom and constitutional rights are jeopardized by overreaching government and private actors.
Ron also represents executives, employees, and business associates in negotiating employment agreements, employment separation agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, limited liability company agreements, and partnership agreements.
Ron is licensed to practice law in New Jersey, New York, and Kentucky. However, he practices nationally in conjunction with local attorneys and has appeared as lead attorney in various other states. Ron also is admitted to the Bars of several United States District Courts and Courts of Appeal throughout the United States, as well as the United States Supreme Court. Ron also has been a lecturer and moderator of Continuing Legal Education seminar panels, educating other attorneys on topics including Constitutional and Legal Issues Arising from the Covid-19 Pandemic, and Winning Strategies in Contract Dispute Litigation. He is the proud father of three adult children.
Bar Admissions
New Jersey (1993)
New York (1994)
Kentucky (2016)
Pennsylvania (1992) (retired)
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D. 1992).
University of Massachusetts, Amherst (BS 1988).
Active Professional Affiliations:
Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM);
Federalist Society.
BACKGROUND:
Thirty years practicing law, specializing in complex claims litigation, including trials and appeals in the federal and state courts of New Jersey, New York, and Kentucky. Areas of practice have include defense of individual liberty, complex insurance defense for commercial and personal lines including high value claims, insurance coverage litigation, and insurance coverage consultation. Commercial litigation experience includes business torts–such as RICO racketeering litigation, business interference litigation, restrictive covenant violations, and defamation–corporate and partnership disputes, fire loss, utilities litigation, real estate and construction disputes, employment and employment benefits disputes–including ERISA–and professional liability. Practice also includes counseling businesses, business executives and individuals, on employment agreements, severance agreements, and restrictive covenants.
LEGAL EMPLOYMENT
MURRAY-NOLAN BERUTTI LLC
(January 1, 2022 – Present)
Co-founding member and Co-Managing Partner of a litigation firm specializing in complex litigation, with an emphasis on preserving and protecting individual liberty and our free society. Offices are in New Jersey and New York, and we are licensed Kentucky, and D.C., and in numerous federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, as well. Further, we practice around the United States with the assistance and cooperation of local counsel. We are Ethical, Unafraid, and Creative.
WEINER LAW GROUP LLP (formerly Weiner Lesniak LLP)
(March 2005- January 2022)
Equity partner in this long-standing mid-sized New Jersey law firm, practicing within a group of complex litigators. Emphasis on high dollar defense claims and complex commercial litigation, all of which has entailed insurance coverage components. Representative cases have included successfully defeating the Republic of Turkey’s efforts to obtain jurisdiction of a Turkish citizen granted political asylum in the United States in a complex federal action, “no cause” jury verdicts in two complex, high dollar utilities defense litigations; successful defense of a $40 million legal malpractice claim against a patent attorney; successful defense of non-legal professionals, including accountants, insurance producers, and architects; successful defense of employment discrimination claims; and providing insurance coverage opinions for insurance carriers. Conducted hundreds of depositions, including the deposition of President Donald J. Trump in 2011, and tried numerous jury and non-jury cases; argued hundreds of motions; and filed and/or argued multiple appeals in state and federal courts, including the New Jersey Supreme Court, and the Second, Third and Sixth Circuit Courts of Appeal.
VERDE, STEINBERG & PONTELL LLC
(October 1994-March 2005)
Took over as lead counsel of a major caseload following the untimely passing of the spouse of one of the firm’s partners, thus requiring the undertaking of great responsibility as a young associate. The diverse litigation practice included complex commercial trial work, real estate litigation, business litigation, construction litigation, personal injury, and consumer credit litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts of New Jersey and New York.
KAUFMAN, GOLDSTEIN, GARTNER & TAUB (formerly Taub & Fasciana)
Associate (October 1993-October 1994)
General practice associate aiding partners in a small Manhattan firm in all matters of litigation and transactional work. Studied for and passed the New York Bar Exam while so employed.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
Law Clerk to Honorable Conrad N. Koch, J.S.C. (September 1992-August 1993)
Performed all manners of legal research, took and maintained trial notes, coordinated motion schedules, reviewed motion papers, prepared His Honor for oral argument and trials, and drafted decisions subject to review and approval in Essex County, New Jersey. Served as court-appointed Special Civil Part mediator, and as intake official for domestic violence restraining order applications.
ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
Law Clerk (August 1990-August 1992)
Law Clerk in the Appellate Section of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, responsible for drafting appellate briefs on behalf of the State of New Jersey in opposition to appeals of convicted felons, ranging from drug crimes to murder; argued Municipal Court appeals to the Superior Court on behalf of the State related to issues such as drunk driving, public drunkenness, and domestic disputes.
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Research Assistant (September 1991-August 1992)
Research Assistant to Professor Terence Blackburn (future Dean of Michigan State University
College of Law) concerning his examination of, and recommendations to, the European Union regarding labor laws and protections.
PROFESSIONAL:
Moderator and Panelist:
Constitutional and Legal Issues Arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education. June 1, 2020.
Panelist:
Contracts that Get the Job Done: Drafting Contracts that Stop Litigation and Stand the Test of Time, and the Risks if you Don’t, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education.
April 22, 2020; March 12, 2019; April 30, 2019.
Critical Issues to Prevent or Win Contract Litigation, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal
Education, June 22, 2017.
Representative Cases:
Dixon v. De Blasio, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 196287 (E.D.N.Y. 2021) (currently on appeal)
Republic of Turkey v. Cicek, No. CV1920107ESSCM, 2020 WL 8073613 (D.N.J. June 4, 2020)
Laudien v. Caudill, 92 F. Supp.3d 614 (E.D. Ky. 2015).
Seals v. County of Morris, et als., 210 N.J. 157 (2012); 417 N.J. Super. 74 (App. Div. 2010)
BMW Bank v. G&B Collision Center, 46 A.D.3d 875, 850 N.Y.S.2d 470 (2nd Dept., 2007).
Chao v. New Jersey Licensed Beverage Association, 461 F.Supp.2d 303 (D.N.J. 2006).
Allstate Ins. Co. v. Orthopedic Evaluations, 300 N.J. Super. 510, certif. granted and summarily remanded, 151 N.J. 67 (1997), on remand, 304 N.J.Super. 278 (App. Div. 1997).
Author:
Our Lives, Our Fortunes, Our Sacred Honor, 222 N.J.L.J. 2087 (July 4, 2016);
Abraham Lincoln’s Advice for Lawyers, 187 N.J.L.J. 475 (February 12, 2007)
The Cherokee Cases: The Fight to Save the Supreme Court and the Cherokee Indians,
17 American Indian Law Review 291 (1992)
Federal: United States Supreme Court, Third Circuit Court of Appeals; Second Circuit Court of Appeal, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals; District of New Jersey, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York; Northern District of New York; Eastern District of Kentucky.
- All state Bar admissions were obtained following passage of each state’s Bar Examination and passage of Character& Fitness review; I was not admitted to any state’s Bar by waiver.
- Have been lead counsel in complex claims before all the above Federal appellate and trial courts, other than the Supreme Court of the United States and the Northern District of New York.
- Have tried complex cases to verdict in New Jersey and Kentucky.
- Have briefed and/or argued appeals in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the New Jersey Supreme Court, and the New York Appellate Divisions (First and Second Departments).