Julie B. Dorfman

Shareholder

    As an experienced shareholder, Julie focuses her practice in the areas of personal injury, premises liability, sidewalk liability, condominium/community association law, product liability, retail liability, restaurant/bar liability, dram shop/liquor liability, automobile negligence, marine, inland marine, construction accidents, and insurance coverage. She routinely represents a variety of clients from individuals, to small businesses, to large public companies, quasi-governmental agencies, and insurance companies.  Julie has defended civil actions against individuals, contractors, large supermarket chains, big box retailers, department stores, national sporting goods stores, real estate developers, hotel chains, fast food chains, international property management companies, bulk liquid storage facilities, marine terminals, and worldwide telecommunications companies.  Julie is known by her clients for her intellectual and thoughtful approach to defending cases, her thoroughness and attention to detail, her persistence and tenacity, and her relentless pursuit to obtain successful results for her clients.

    Throughout her career, Julie has developed a subspecialty in defending premises liability and sidewalk liability cases, focusing on the specific duty of care owed by the client with respect to the plaintiff's classification upon the property and the nature of the alleged hazard.  As a result, Julie was asked to prepare and present a CLE course on Sidewalk Liability Law to a group of practicing attorneys. She is also well versed in the Landowner Liability Act, Social Host Doctrine, and Doctrine of Mode of Operation, which are critical to understanding and defending premises liability actions. 

    Julie has successfully litigated cases involving disputed issues of contractual and common law indemnification as well as additional insured status. She has also developed significant experience in defending all types of common interest communities and their officers and directors in a wide variety of legal issues, including alleged breaches of fiduciary duties and negligence actions.  She has litigated numerous novel issues related to common interest communities, including issues concerning tort immunity, alternative dispute resolution policies, and the business judgment rule.

    Prior to joining the firm, Julie served as a law clerk for the Honorable Thomas J. LaConte, J.S.C, where she worked on cases involving environmental law, complex insurance coverage issues and other complex commercial matters. Julie was responsible for managing the judge's docket, drafting written opinions, researching applicable case law and statutes, and advising the judge on the appropriate dispositions on motions and trials.

    Julie graduated cum laude from Seton Hall University School of Law where she earned her juris doctor in 2010.  As a member of the nationally recognized Interscholastic Moot Court Board, Julie and her teammate won Third Place Team in the Eastern Regional of the Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition.  Julie also finished as a semi-finalist in the Eugene Gressman Moot Court Competition and received an award for runner-up Best Respondent Brief.  During her final year of law school, Julie also served as the Gressman Director of the Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Board where she authored the problem and bench memorandum and organized all the rounds of competition, including the final round which was presided over by judges from the Third Circuit Court and the New Jersey Supreme Court.

    Julie is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and New York.

     

    Significant Representative Matters

    Secured summary judgment in an action for breach of contract and indemnification in a multi-million dollar inland marine action involving severe injuries to a lasher working on a vessel.

    Successfully defended a cooperative in a case involving a novel issue of law as to whether a cooperative should be treated as residential or commercial for purposes of sidewalk liability.

    Negotiated a stipulation of dismissal with prejudice without any monetary contribution on behalf of a large real estate developer sued in a personal injury matter where there were allegations of defective construction.

    Obtained a dismissal for a condominium association in a case where the plaintiff was carjacked and kidnapped from the association's parking lot.  The dismissal was affirmed by the Appellate Division.

    Negotiated a stipulation of dismissal with prejudice without any monetary contribution from a bulk liquid storage facility in an action involving the sale of aviation gasoline at gasoline service stations throughout New Jersey in alleged violation of the Consumer Fraud Act, Motor Fuels Regulations, and Advertising Regulations.

    Obtained a dismissal of 35 plaintiffs in an action with 60 plaintiffs alleging that they were surreptitiously recorded while using the restroom in a commercial office building.

    Secured summary judgment for a homeowner's association in a personal injury action where the plaintiff was alleging severe injuries by successfully arguing that new law in the area of sidewalk liability that was unfavorable to the association was not applicable.

    Representative Cases

    Dotter v. A&P, 2019 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 928 (App. Div. April 23, 2019)

    Visconti v. Lake Wallkill Cmty., 2017 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2502 (App. Div. Oct. 4, 2017)

    Classes/Seminars Taught

    Tort Immunity in Community Associations, Marshall Dennehey Client Presentation, May, 2020

    New Jersey Sidewalk Liability: A Defense Lawyer's Guide, Marsahall Dennehey Client Presentation, 2015

    Admissions
    New Jersey
    2010
    U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
    2010
    New York
    2011
    Education
    Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2010)
    University of Maryland (B.S., 2007)
    Honors & awards
    The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
    2021-Present

    The Best Lawyers list is issued by Woodward & White. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

    New Jersey Super Lawyer Rising Star
    2018-2020

    The Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

    Associations & memberships
    American Bar Association
    Year joined
    2011