Bourne, Noll & Kenyon

Attorney James R. Ottobre

James Ottobre’s practice concentrates on the representation of individuals and entities in connection with business and real estate transactions, including purchases, sales, loans and leases.  He is the General Counsel for a substantial food manufacturing firm headquartered in New Jersey. He also represents financial institutions in both lending transactions and creditors’ rights matters, including foreclosures and bankruptcies, as well as commercial litigation.  Prior to joining Bourne, Noll & Kenyon, Mr. Ottobre served as judicial clerk to the Honorable Arthur C. Dwyer, who was a general equity judge in the 

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey State Bar Admission, 1982
• Florida State Bar Admission, 1983

Education:

• Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., 1982, cum laude)
• Georgetown University (B.S. B.A., 1979)

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• American, New Jersey, and Summit Bar Associations
• Florida State Bar Association
• Associate Editor, Seton Hall Law Review, 1981-1982

Attorney Edwin R. Matthews

Edwin Matthews’ practice focuses on litigation and municipal law.  He currently serves as Counsel to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. He served as Village Counsel for the Township of South Orange Village from 1994 to 2008 where he previously served as its Municipal Court Judge and as a member of its governing body.  He has served as counsel for a defendant in the Agent Orange product liability litigation, the hemophiliac factor litigation, the phen fen litigation and numerous toxic tort cases involving asbestos, silica and leaking underground tanks.  Ed has lectured frequently at seminars on trial tactics, product liability, rules of procedure and rules of evidence.  He is a Master of the Worrall F. Mountain Inn of Court and has been an adjunct faculty member of the School of Law and a Master of the Inn of Court at Seton Hall University School of Law.

Prior to attending law school, Ed served in the United States Marine Corps where he attained the rank of Captain.  His service in the Marine Corps included a thirteen month tour of duty in Viet Nam where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat V for Valor, Navy Commendation Medal with combat V for Valor, two Purple Heart Medals, the Combat Action Ribbon and the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal.

Upon graduation from law school, Ed clerked for Justice Mark A. Sullivan of the New Jersey Supreme Court, was an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and then was an associate and Partner with the law firm of Budd Larner prior to starting his own firms.  Ed has been recognized as a New Jersey Super Lawyer in the editions for 2009 through 2020.

Education:

• Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D. 1973)
• College of the Holy Cross (B.A., 1966)

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• Certified Civil Trial Attorney
• Counsel. New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (2012 to Present).  
• New Jersey State Bar
• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Southern District of New York and Eastern District of New York
• United States Court of Appeals Third Circuit and Second Circuit
• United States Supreme Court
• New York State Bar 
• Mediator, United States District Court
• Mediator, New Jersey Courts
• Arbitrator, United States District Court
• Member, Committee on Character, Appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court (1993-2009)
• Member, District VB Fee Arbitration Committee, appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court (2019 to Present)
• Member, Trial Attorneys of New Jersey, Board of Trustees(1988-Present), President (2004-2005) Parliamentarian 2005 to Present)

Attorney Peter W. Ulicny

Peter Ulicny has a transactional practice focused principally on estate planning and drafting, estate and trust administration and related tax matters.  Peter is a Professor at Seton Hall University Law School where he teaches Estate Planning and Drafting.  He previously taught an adult school course in Estate Planning for many years at the Summit-Area Community School until its doors closed in 2010.  A Pottersville resident and an avid fly fisherman, Peter serves as trustee and legal advisor to two private trout fishing clubs (501(c)(7) organizations) based in Morris County, New Jersey.  Peter also serves as frequent advisor to private family foundations and public charities.

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey Bar (1990)
• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (1990)
• United States Tax Court (1998)

Education:

• Villanova University School of Law (LL.M. in Taxation, 1997)
• Western New England College School of Law (J.D., 1990)
• Bates College (B.A., 1984)

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• AV (Preeminent) Peer Rating – Martindale Hubbell
• Adjunct Faculty Member – Seton Hall University School of Law
• Superior Court Probate Early Settlement Panel for Union County
• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Member
• New Jersey State Bar Association, Member (Taxation and Real Property, Trust and Probate Sections)
• Wildwood Foundation, Trustee
• Golden Retriever Rescue of New Jersey, Inc., Legal Counsel (former Intake Coordinator)
• Phi Sigma Iota, Foreign Language National Honor Society (German), Life Member

Attorney Ellyn A. Draikiwicz

Ellyn concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, estate and gift taxation, and trust and estate administration.  Her practice also focuses on the representation of individuals and entities in connection with business and real estate purchase and sale transactions.  She has extensive experience representing financial institutions in lending transactions.

Upon graduation from law school, Ellyn served as judicial clerk to The Honorable Robert E. Hamer, who was a Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, and then was an associate with the law firm of Kraft and Hughes, and its successor, McManimon & Scotland, from 1986 to 1991, where she specialized in public finance transactions and related tax issues.  Ellyn joined Bourne, Noll & Kenyon in 1991 as an associate and became a member of the firm in 1995.

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey State Bar, 1985
• New Jersey State Bar

Education:

• New York University School of Law (LL.M. Taxation, 1990)
• Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D. 1985)
• Georgetown University (B.S.B.A. 1981)

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• New Jersey State Bar Admission 1985
• New Jersey State Bar Association
• Summit Bar Association

Attorney Michael D. Mezzacca

A resident of New Providence and a graduate of New Providence High School, Mike was graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1989. He earned his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1992, and gained admission to the New Jersey and Federal District bars the same year. A career trial attorney, he earned his certification by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney in 2003. He has since been recertified in 2009 and again in 2013. Mr. Mezzacca has been handling a variety of complex matters since his admission in 1992 when he was associated with the firm of Fitzpatrick, Reilly, Supple & Gaul in New Providence – and even prior to that as a law clerk at Fitzpatrick Reilly, as well as with his father Anthony Mezzacca’s office in Edison.

Mike has practiced extensively in State and Federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels. His experience includes handling different types of general commercial litigation including breach of contract claims between businesses and intra-company disputes among owners. Mike handles a variety of real estate-related litigation including title disputes, insurance claims, breach of contract, fraud, residential and commercial construction claims and related Consumer Fraud Act matters. He is well-versed in other forms of dispute resolution – arbitration and mediation – and continuously seeks the most efficient and cost effective resolutions to each dispute. In addition to his extensive trial practice, Mike has substantial experience in the Appellate Division and has numerous published opinions to his credit. Mike is a member of the State, Union County and Summit Bar Associations. 

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey State Bar, Admission 1992
• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Admission 1992

Education:

• Seton Hall University School of Law (LL.B., 1992)
• Virginia Military Institute  (B.A., 1989)

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• New Jersey, Union County and Summit Bar Associations

Attorney Elizabeth Locker

Elizabeth A. Locker, Esq., has joined Bourne, Noll & Kenyon, P.A., as a partner.   Betsy  has practiced law in Summit for 36 years, 32 of which were as a principal of Schatten & Locker, Esqs.   Betsy's practice focuses on family law and mediation; estate, guardianship and probate litigation and real estate.  She is a member of the Matrimonial Early Settlement Panels and a Blue Ribbon Panelist in Union and Somerset Counties.  She is also a member of the Probate Early Settlement Panel in Union County.   Locker was graduated from Rutgers Law School - Newark, and she completed intensive divorce mediation training at the Institute for Dispute Resolution at Seton Hall University Law School. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Drew University. 

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey, 1981

Education:

• Institute for Dispute Resolution Family Mediation Training (1993)
• Rutgers Law School (J.D., 1981)
• Drew University (B.A., 1978)

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• New Jersey State Bar Admission, 1981
• New Jersey, Union County and Summit Bar Associations (President 1993-1994)
• Superior Court Matrimonial Early Settlement Panels for Union and Somerset Counties
• Superior Court Probate Early Settlement Panel for Union County

Attorney Melissa A. Spurr

Melissa Spurr’s practice focuses on representing privately-held businesses and individuals with closely-held business interests. As outside general counsel, she assists her clients with corporate structuring, planning, employment compliance, and contracts. She also advises individuals and business owners as regards their business holdings, estate planning, and real estate.

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey (2012)
• New York (2013)

Education:

• Fordham Law School ( J.D., 2012)
  • Fordham Law Review, Notes & Articles Editor
• Boston University (B.A.)
  • Anthropology, Italian Language & Literature

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• Admitted to practice law in New Jersey and New York
• Trustee & Development Chair, Reeves-Reed Arboretum
• Co-Founder, Green Summit
• Member, City of Summit Environmental Commission
• Member, Summit Downtown Inc. Design & Beautification Committee

Attorney Joanne M. Sarubbi

Joanne M. Sarubbi, Esq., concentrates her practice in the area of elder law, focusing on representing all generations of a family and particularly seniors, individuals with special needs, and their families in connection with life care planning, trust and estate planning; public benefits, and long-term care advocacy.

Joanne is one of the few Certified Elder Law Attorneys (CELA) in the Country to be certified by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) which is approved by the American Bar Association.  

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey (1982)

Certification:

• Certified Elder Law Attorney, American Bar Association 

Education:

• Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., 1985)
• Seton Hall University, School of Business (Masters of Science in Taxation 2002)

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• New Jersey State Bar 
• American Bar Association 
• NAELA
• NJNAELA
• CELA

Attorney Claire E. Toth

Claire has focused her career on privately held businesses and individuals.  In this capacity, her practice has run the gamut from business formation to retirement plans to estate planning.

Claire will continue as Vice President of Point View Wealth Management, Inc., a Summit Registered Investment Advisory firm.  In that role, she heads up financial planning services for individuals and families.  She has held that position since 1999.

Prior to moving to New Jersey, Claire spent twelve years in the Office of IRS Chief Counsel, where she oversaw rulings and regulations for partnerships, S corporations, estates, and trusts.  She also spent a number of years in private practice.

Claire is a graduate of the University of Chicago, where she was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa, and the University of Chicago Law School.  She received her Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University.  Claire has published scholarly articles on partnership allocations, asset preservation, and bankruptcy.  She contributes quarterly to Point View Investor, which is reprinted in the local press.

Claire is Treasurer Summit Downtown, Inc., Assistant Treasurer of SAGE Eldercare, and Secretary of the Summit Historic Preservation Commission.  She sits on the finance committees for Family Promise, St. Teresa of Avila Parish, and Impact 100 Garden State.

Bar Admissions:

• New Jersey State Bar, Admission 1996
• Illinois State Bar, Admission 1982
• United States Tax Court, Admission 1986
• United States Supreme Court, Admission 1990

Education:

• Georgetown University (Master of Laws in Taxation, 1987)
• University of Chicago Law School (J.D., 1982)
• University of Chicago (A.B., 1980)

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• New Jersey State Bar
• Illinois State Bar