Flaster Greenberg is proud to announce that six of its attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.
The nationwide list of attorneys included in the upcoming 27th edition is based on more than 4.3 million confidential and detailed evaluations from more than 41,000 leading attorneys on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. This year, Best Lawyers recognized Flaster Greenberg’s attorneys in ten practice areas. Additionally, Steven D. Usdin was named Best Lawyer of the Year in the area of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law for Philadelphia, a recognition awarded to individual lawyers with the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region.
The attorneys selected to The Best Lawyers in America ® 2021, listed by practice area and alphabetically, are as follows:
| Litigation - Intellectual Property | |
| Litigation – Patent | |
| Patent Law | |
| Trusts and Estates | |
| Environmental Law | |
| Environmental Litigation | |
| Copyright Law | |
| Trademark Law | |
| Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law | |
| Bankruptcy Litigation |
Michael J. Bonella is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department and serves as a member of the firm's Board of Directors. His practice focuses on complex patent litigation in diverse technology areas including, electrical hardware and software, medical device, consumer products, and telecommunications. With over 23 years of intellectual property experience, he has argued before the Federal Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and first-chaired multimillion-dollar patent cases. He has also been the lead attorney on a number of district court litigations, representing both the plaintiffs and defendants and is well-versed in all aspects of district court litigation as well as post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A registered patent attorney, Bonella is also certified by the U.S. Navy as a nuclear engineer.
Thomas J. Durling is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department and has more than 35 years of experience handling intellectual property and business development. A registered patent attorney and a former general counsel for a manufacturing business, he helps clients obtain and defend patents worldwide; performs patent validity and right to use studies for new and existing products; and negotiates and prepares business agreements across a wide range of industries and applications.
Jonathan H. Ellis is a member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates and Business & Corporate Departments. For more than 30 years, he has been assisting business owners, entrepreneurs, high-net worth individuals and their families in structuring their business affairs, estate planning and succession planning needs. He also concentrates his practice on elder law and the representation of closely-held businesses. An accountant by trade, Ellis has the unique ability to provide his clients with a well-rounded approach in regards to their tax and estate planning needs.
Marty M. Judge is chair of the firm’s Environmental and Real Estate Law Departments and focuses his practice on all facets of environmental litigation, transactional issues, and compliance and counseling on behalf of industrial, commercial and residential clients, including real estate developers and redevelopers. Practicing mainly environmental law for over 35 years, and barred in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Judge is a former Deputy Attorney General who at one time represented the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Aside from work for clients, he has been Counsel to and is presently a member of the Executive Committee of the Justice Stewart G. Pollock Environmental Inn of Court. He is also a current member of the Board of Directors of the Environmental Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He is also a member of the environmental committee of the New Jersey Builder’s Association and has published and spoken extensively on many environmental topics in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as nationally.
Jordan A. LaVine is chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department and serves on the Board of Directors,. He concentrates his practice on trademark, copyright and unfair competition strategic counseling, litigation, licensing, and prosecution matters. He represents public and private companies in such industries as media and publishing, technology and telecommunications, consumer products and services, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, financial services, automotive, automotive chemicals and accessories, retail and commercial services, apparel, jewelry, software, and food products. He has been named by the World Trademark Review as one of the top three attorneys in Pennsylvania for trademark prosecution, strategy, ranking in the World Trademark Review’s highest band (gold) for his work.
Steven D. Usdin is a member of the firm’s Bankruptcy, Financial Restructuring and Risk Management Department. He focuses his practice on commercial and personal bankruptcy, general corporate and transactional matters and commercial litigation. With more than 30 years of experience in the legal services industry, he has appeared on behalf of debtors, creditors and equity security holders’ committees, and secured creditors in a variety of proceedings at the Trial and Appellate levels in State and Federal Courts.
