Long-standing New Jersey litigation firm Morgan Melhuish Abrutyn—facing partner departures, including firm leadership—has dissolved, the Law Journal has confirmed.

The Livingston-based firm, founded in 1910, ceased operating at the end of last month, according to firm co-managing partner Elliott Abrutyn, who as of Monday joined fellow litigation boutique Braff, Harris, Sukoneck & Maloof, also of Livingston.

"After more than 100 years of dedicated client service, the firm made the decision to close its doors as of Jan. 31," Abrutyn said in a phone interview. "Our focus at this time is ensuring the continued success of our clients."

Morgan Melhuish was listed with 25 attorneys as of late 2019, according to Law Journal data, though around that time, a five-lawyer group led by co-managing partner Meredith Stoma headed to the Newark office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith.

The decision to dissolve was made in early November, Abrutyn said. He said there had been other departures, and that Morgan Melhuish had tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a merger, though he declined to share specifics on either issue.

The situation is "obviously sad … but everyone seems to have taken good jobs," he said.

For Braff Harris, the additions of Abrutyn, a professional liability defense attorney, like many of his former Morgan Melhuish colleagues, and Richard Snyder, who handles coverage and construction litigation, pushes the firm's attorney head count to 23, according to name partner Brian Harris. Abrutyn joins his new firm as a partner; Snyder as senior counsel.

Abrutyn and Harris, who each have at least 50 years' experience in law practice, attended law school together and have been "friendly competitors for many years," Harris said in an interview.

"We've competed with each other for clients and defended cases with one another," Harris said. "Now we have an opportunity to end our careers together."

Late last year, when Morgan Melhuish was considering dissolution, the two lawyers had dinner to discuss a possible move, at the suggestion of plaintiffs litigator Jack Wurgaft of Javerbaum Wurgaft Hicks Kahn Wikstrom & Sinins, according to Harris.

While Morgan Melhuish had been struggling against the loss of work, Braff Harris "has more work, almost, than it can handle," Harris said.

Adding Abrutyn "helps us market professional liability work, where we had limited experience," while Snyder helps the firm strengthen its construction litigation practice, Harris said.

Harris said his firm, which represents insurance carriers in catastrophic and other types of claims, dates back to 1936, and continues to have a "very broad and active client base." He added that he's "tremendously confident" in its future.

Harris said Braff Harris was looking for lawyers to hire when Abrutyn became available, but the firm hasn't done a significant amount of lateral or new lawyer recruiting in recent years. The firm did bring on board partner Jack Maloof and two associates from Maloof, Lebowitz, Connahan & Oleske of Chatham in mid-2014, when that firm was in the process of splitting up. Maloof became a name partner at Braff Harris. He died in May 2018 at age 71.

In terms of succession, "we struggled with that but finally came to a resolution," Harris said. For the past couple years, a group of younger partners has been participating in firm management through a committee of which Harris also is a member. Those partners are Keith Harris (Brian's son), Adam Kipnis, Michael Goldenberg, Andrew Lusskin, Brian Maloof and Daniel Lynn. The group meets every two weeks and discusses such issues as billing, marketing and challenging cases.

Those partners will become equity partners through an agreement to be executed Friday, Harris said.

With rate pressures and carrier clients steeped in analytics, insurance defense work has become an increasingly challenging way to make a living in the law, though Braff Harris has worked to make progress, according to Harris.

"Each one of us has to be more economical than the next to survive," he said, adding that "you've got to work to improve each year," by training lawyers to be effective but also efficient, and to leverage technology.

Abrutyn mentioned several times his pride in Morgan Melhuish's accomplishments.

"I'm very proud of everything our firm has done," he said, adding that he intends to continue practicing for a number of years.