TRENTON
– Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa
today announced the appointment of veteran
litigator Christopher S. Porrino as Director
of the Division of Law. He is expected to
begin working in his new position by the end
of February.
Porrino, 44, currently is a member of Lowenstein
Sandler PC, one of the state’s largest
law firms. He has co-lead the firm’s
100-attorney Litigation Department, and
serves as a member of Lowenstein Sandler’s
Board of Directors and Operating Committee.
In addition to his roles in management,
Porrino has represented public and private
businesses and individual clients in a wide
array of civil, criminal and regulatory
disputes involving securities, banking,
insurance, tax, antitrust, real estate and
environmental matters, among others. Porrino
also has extensive experience in conducting
internal investigations for businesses faced
with allegations of wrongdoing or suspected
wrongdoing by insiders.
“Chris
Porrino is an outstanding attorney who has
established a track record as an excellent
litigator, a leader, and someone who holds
himself to the highest ethical standards.
As Director of the Division of Law, I am
confident he will serve this department
and the citizens of New Jersey well,”
said Attorney General Chiesa.
“Leaving
the private sector to serve the citizens
of New Jersey with Attorney General Chiesa
and his extraordinary team is an honor and
a privilege for me, and I am grateful to
the Attorney General for this opportunity,”
said Porrino. “I look forward to working
to confront the challenges facing our numerous
departments and agencies, while working
to advance the public interest in a fair
and diligent manner.”
The
Division of Law provides legal representation
and counsel to departments, boards, offices,
commissions and other entities of state
government, as well as its officers and
employees. As part of its mission, the Division
represents the state in all legal matters
including actions to enforce the law, defend
state statutes and protect state interests
in contractual matters.
Prior to entering private practice, Porrino
served as a law clerk to then Magistrate
Judge Freda L. Wolfson, U.S. District Judge
for the District of New Jersey.
Porrino graduated from Lehigh University
in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts, and received
a Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University
School of Law in 1992. He is admitted to
the bars of the State of New Jersey, the
State of New York, the U.S. District Court
for the District of New Jersey, the U.S.
District Court for the Southern District
of New York, and the U.S. Court of Appeals,
Third Circuit.
Porrino is a member of the Board of Trustees
of the Summit Speech School, a non-profit
educational institution which serves deaf
and hard of hearing children from numerous
counties within New Jersey. He is also a
member of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s
Committee on Model Civil Jury Charges.
Born in Teaneck and raised in Fort Lee and
Englewood Cliffs, Porrino currently resides
in Union County with his wife, Christina
Shenouda, and their two children.
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