Andrea Sullivan

The 40-member New Jersey Senate approved the nomination of Andrea Sullivan, a Middlesex County litigator who has spent the last three decades at Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis in Iselin, to the Superior Court on Thursday.

The Senate approved the nomination by a 39-1 vote just after 3 p.m. at the Statehouse. Sullivan sat in the gallery and watched the voting board light up to clear her nomination at exactly 3:12 p.m.

A week earlier, Sullivan's nomination cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 7-0 vote.

Sullivan, 59, a former president of both the Middlesex County Bar Association (2016-17) and Middlesex County Bar Foundation (2007-08), has said she is very much looking forward to her new role after three decades focusing on commercial, matrimonial and estate litigation at Greenbaum Rowe.

"It's the pinnacle of a legal career," Sullivan told the Law Journal on July 22, the eve before her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. "I have spent 30 years in private practice and I love being a lawyer. I am very much looking forward to serving on the judiciary to continue to do my part for the legal community and citizens of New Jersey."

Sullivan's home senator, Sen. Bob Smith, D-Middlesex, endorsed Sullivan to his Senate colleagues before the vote, like he had done at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing a week earlier.

Smith said Sullivan is "an outstanding candidate to become a Superior Court judge."

The sentiment was second by Sen. Linda Greenstein, D-Mercer, who said she has known Sullivan for many years, and of her reputation as a great lawyer.

Smith also joked that Sullivan will go down in history as "a skin-of-the-teeth judge."

"I say that because Andrea turns 60 on Monday," Smith said. "She is coming before us literally by the skin of her teeth."

When asked for clarification, Sullivan said Smith was referring to the pension system. The "skin of her teeth" reference pertains to the ability to collect a full state pension. Sullivan needs to serve 10 years before she turns 70 to qualify for it.

Sullivan was confirmed for a seven-year term on the bench. When her first term ends, she must be renominated by the governor and reappointed. Sullivan can be a tenured judge until age 70, and after that would have to be brought back on recall status.

Sullivan joined Greenbaum Rowe in 1990 and was an associate until 1998. She made partner in 1999 and worked in the litigation practice representing individuals and business entities in commercial, estate, matrimonial, chancery litigation, and alternative dispute resolution.

On her resume, Sullivan states she has significant experience in handling contract and partnership disputes, actions involving closely held companies, oppressed minority shareholder litigation, hiring and termination of senior employees, noncompete issues, and other "business divorce" matters. Her clients have included attorneys and accountants in various actions, ranging from professional malfeasance to claims of fraud and alleged professional malpractice.

The year following law school, Sullivan served as law secretary to Superior Court Judge Erminie Lane Conley in the Chancery Division, General Equity Part, from 1989-90, handling all aspects of motions filed in the General Equity and Probate parts of the Superior Court and preparing research memoranda and drafted opinions.

Sullivan is licensed to practice in New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Her professional memberships include member and board of trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Association, board member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Board on Continuing Legal Education (2016-present) and board member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on the Rules of Evidence (2019-present).

Sullivan was named among the Law Journal's Top Women in Law in 2018.

On her drive home to North Brunswick from Trenton late afternoon Thursday, Sullivan said today was the fulfillment of a long-held aspiration.

"There is nothing better than the realization of a long-term goal. This position is one of great responsibility," said Sullivan. "I am very much looking forward to meeting that challenge."