Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. recently announced the addition of eight new associates to its Newark office, significantly bolstering the firm’s capabilities across several key practice groups, including litigation, corporate and real estate.
The new attorneys joining the firm are Erin Barrett, Laura Bellini, Braden Couch, Cisse Diawara, Megan Galante, Hana Jeong Pak, Kush Parikh and Gisselly Perez-Astwood.
The new associates bring a wealth of judicial experience to the firm. Several of the new hires have served prestigious clerkships in New Jersey’s state and federal courts, providing them with invaluable insight into the litigation and bankruptcy processes.
Strengthening litigation and corporate teams
The largest group of additions joins the Litigation Department, including Erin Barrett, who rejoins Sills Cummis after serving as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Brian Martinotti in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Her practice focuses on complex commercial, construction, and real estate litigation.
The litigation department also welcomes:
- Braden Couch, a former assistant prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and a clerk in both the Chancery and Appellate Divisions.
- Hana Jeong Pak, whose practice covers complex commercial litigation and appellate matters. Pak brings unique experience as a former investment banker with a major financial institution in Korea.
The corporate department is strengthened by Kush Parikh, who focuses on mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing and corporate governance.
Bolstering specialty practice groups
The new hires also enhance several specialty areas:
- Creditors’ Rights/Bankruptcy Reorganization: Cisse Diawara joins the firm after clerking for the Honorable Michael B. Kaplan in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.
- Employment and Labor: Laura Bellini will represent management-side clients in employment litigation matters, including discrimination and retaliation defense, and internal investigations.
- Real Estate Department: The team welcomes two new attorneys:
- Megan Galante, who concentrates her practice on land use, zoning, and redevelopment matters.
- Gisselly Perez-Astwood, who focuses on a wide range of commercial real estate transactions and corporate finance matters, including commercial mortgage loans and acquisitions.
The addition of these eight attorneys underscores Sills Cummis & Gross’s commitment to strategic growth and its ability to attract top legal talent across diverse and critical practice areas in the region.
