Norris McLaughlin Elects Melissa Peña to Management Committee

Norris McLaughlin Elects Melissa Peña to Management Committee Melissa A. Peña                                              [Photo Credit: Lynn Goodwin.]
Melissa A.  Peña , a partner and chair of the bankruptcy and creditors' rights practice at  Norris McLaughlin  in Bridgewater, was elected to the firm's management committee, the firm announced. She succeeds Robert C. Gabrielski, who has served on the committee for the past eight years.  Peña is a member of the firm's women's forum and diversity committee, and is committed to mentoring and developing women and minority attorneys through their course of their careers, the firm noteed. On the management committee,  Peña joins  John N. Vanarthos , chairman,  David S. Blatteis , Dolores A. Laputka , Bruce Londa , Robert Mahoney , and David C. Roberts , among other members, to collaborate and oversee the day-to-day operations of the firm with the goal of preserving the firm's values, mission, and culture, as well as implement strategic growth plans.  Peña joined Norris McLaughlin as a summer associate, returned as an associate following law school, and was then promoted to partner. Peña said in a statement, "I have been fortunate to be mentored by many attorneys at the firm, and I attribute my career path to the development efforts of this firm. It is important to me to continue to focus on women and diversity, and to support the firm's values." She is a member of the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, the International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation, the Turnaround Management Association (New Jersey), and New York County Lawyers' Association. In her practice,  Peña handles bankruptcy, commercial litigation, and mortgage foreclosures in state and federal courts, representing secured lenders, creditors' committees, debtors, trustees, landlords, and others creditors in Chapter 11 proceedings in New York, New Jersey, and Delaware.  Peña earned her J.D., cum laude, from The American University Washington College of Law in 2003, and her B.A., magna cum laude, from George Washington University in 2000. Peña added in the statement,  "I am humbled by the trust my colleagues have placed in me by selecting me to join the management team, particularly during such an unprecedented time for the legal industry and our clients. … The committee has already successfully navigated the firm through the early stages of the pandemic, focusing on our clients' evolving needs and the safety of our staff. I intend to contribute to our progress and focus on strategic planning to ensure the firm's future growth." Vanarthos  said in a statement that she "brings a wealth of business acumen and years of leadership experience. She has shown that she possesses a strategic vision and has a proven track record of success. … She will contribute a unique perspective to the Management Committee, and we look forward to benefiting from it."

Florio Perrucci Welcomes Two

Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC Welcomes Two New Attorneys Caitlin Pletcher[Photo Credit: J Taylor Design.]
Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor welcomed Caitlin Pletcher and Lena K. Kim. Pletcher, a partner in the firm's Cherry Hill office, focuses on education and school law, labor and employment, and local governments. Kim, an associate in the Rochelle Park office, focuses on education law and public entities. "With their background and knowledge, they will be great resources for our school clients," said Lester Taylor, chair of the firm's education law practice group, in a statement.

Pletcher, an experienced school board attorney, was previously in the Division of Field Services at the New Jersey Department of Education. There, Pletcher worked closely with the 21 County Offices of Education and regularly assisted the Executive County Superintendents with matters under their purview, such as the review of administrator contracts, homelessness determinations, and investigations under the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights. Pletcher handles requests requiring the education commissioner's approval pursuant to statute or regulation, and provides technical assistance to the state-

Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC Welcomes Two New Attorneys Lena K. Kim[Photo Credit: J Taylor Design.]
operated school districts. She is a member of the New Jersey, Camden County and Burlington County bar associations. Pletcher graduated from Boston College in 2005 and Rutgers University Law School-Camden in 2008.

Kim, previously with Scarinci Hollenbeck in Lyndhurst, has experience handling various education law, and public sector labor and employment matters. She clerked for Hudson County Superior Court Judge Lourdes I. Santiago. While attending Rutgers Law

School-Newark, where she earned her J.D. in 2018, Kim was an associate managing editor of the Rutgers University Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board. Kim was also a teaching fellow for the Minority Student Program and interned for U.S. District Judge Judge Jose L. Linares of the District of New Jersey. She graduated from New York University in 2014. She is admitted to practice in New Jersey.