A former Superior Court judge and three colleagues at her present firm have lost their bid to dismiss a former partner's suit accusing them of theft and computer hacking.

Former Essex County Superior Court Judge Carol Ferentz, Benjamin DelVento and DelVento's sons Benjamin Jr. and Matthew moved to dismiss the suit by Maurice Donovan, but Essex County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Mitterhoff denied their motions Thursday in a half-hour oral ruling.

The suit says Donovan, a personal injury lawyer at DelVento's Livingston firm from 1982 to 2016 who became an equity partner in 1993 under an oral partnership agreement, was denied his share of the firm's profits. The suit also claims the defendants improperly removed files from Donovan's computer. According to the complaint, Donovan's relationship with the firm began to sour in 2013, when he was told it was a difficult year and there were no profits to share with him. The following year, according to the complaint, DelVento became ill and his sons took over operation of the firm, making decisions that Donovan objected to and denying him access to the firm's records.