Cooper Levenson Attorneys named to NJ Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists
Atlantic City, N.J. — March 20, 2025— Cooper Levenson partners William S. Donio, Russell L. Lichtenstein, Jill T. Ojserkis, Justin D. Santagata, and John A. Talvacchia were named to the 2025 New Jersey Super Lawyers list, a designation awarded to just 5 percent of the lawyers in the state and published by a division of Thomson Reuters.
In addition, Brittany A. Bonetti, Samantha Edgell Carmody, Kasi Marie Gifford, Benjamin P. Ojserkis, Michael L. Salad, and Katlin Trout were named to the 2025 New Jersey Rising Stars list. This designation is given to less than 2.5 percent of New Jersey attorneys who are 40 years old or younger, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less.
“These attorneys consistently hold themselves to the highest professional standards,” said Kenneth J. Calemmo, Jr., chief operating officer, Cooper Levenson. “We applaud the hard work and skill that helped earn them this designation.”
The Cooper Levenson attorneys named to the 2025 New Jersey Super Lawyers list are:
William S. Donio joined Cooper Levenson in 2003 with the merger of his successful Hammonton, NJ-based practice into the firm. He chairs Cooper Levenson’s Education Law practice group. Mr. Donio represents dozens of school districts, large and small, in every part of New Jersey. He and the attorneys in his group have extensive experience in litigating special education matters, discrimination claims, sexual harassment claims, disability discrimination claims, construction matters, public bidding matters, family leave act violations, tort claims, and open public records claims.
Russell L. Lichtenstein is Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney, a partner in the firm, chair of the Employment & Labor and Hospitality & Casino Industry Defense Litigation practice groups, and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. 2025 marks the 21st consecutive year that Mr. Lichtenstein has been selected to the New Jersey Super Lawyer list. Mr. Lichtenstein is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell in Labor Law, Employment Law and Litigation.
Jill T. Ojserkis is a partner in the firm, chair of the healthcare law practice group, and a member of the cannabis law and tax groups. She represents hospitals, health systems, medical staffs and health information organizations in various matters. She also handles a wide variety of transactional, tax and corporate matters. Ms. Ojserkis is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell in Health Law and Tax Law and has been included in the Super Lawyers List each year since 2012.
Justin D. Santagata, is a partner and a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group. He is based in the firm’s Atlantic City office. Mr. Santagata has argued 25 appeals at the Third Circuit (5), Second Circuit (1), and New Jersey Appellate Division (19), with five published opinions. He is a professor at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in New York, NY, where he has taught legal research and writing since 2014, taught remedies in 2022, and participates in the intensive trial advocacy program.
John A. Talvacchia, a partner in the firm, is Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney. He is based in the Cherry Hill office. Talvacchia’s practice has focused on the defense of professional malpractice matters for 25 years. He has an extensive background in the representation of health care professionals and hospitals, and has tried more than 50 professional malpractice cases. Talvacchia has been selected for inclusion on the Super Lawyers list each year since 2013.
The Cooper Levenson attorneys named to the 2025 New Jersey Rising Stars list are:
Brittany A. Bonetti is a partner in the firm’s healthcare and cannabis law practice groups. She assists hospitals and health systems, medical staffs, individual physicians and physician groups in business and regulatory matters. In addition to her J.D., Ms. Bonetti holds a Master of Public Health with a concentration in health systems and policy. She has authored publications on a variety of topics for the American Health Law Association and serves on the New Jersey State Bar Association Cannabis Law Special Committee.
Samantha Edgell Carmody is an attorney in the firm’s Atlantic City office. She is a member of the firm’s Research and Appellate Law practice group. Ms. Carmody earned her J.D. from the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in international business, from American University – Kogod School of Business, and her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the American University – School of International Service. Samantha is licensed to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Kasi Marie Gifford is a partner in the firm and a member of the Education Law Practice Group. Ms. Gifford works with numerous New Jersey school clients. In this role, she guides school board members and school officials through the many aspects of education law that affect school boards and officials on a daily basis. Ms. Gifford serves as an Executive Board Member and Chair of the Young Lawyer’s Division of the Atlantic County Bar Association. She was selected for inclusion on the New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Star list each year since 2021.
Benjamin Ojserkis is an attorney in the firm’s Cannabis and Land Use Practice Groups. Ben’s experience includes researching and drafting pleadings for complex business litigation matters, cannabis research and analysis, assisting in preparation of applications for New Jersey CRC, municipal matters related to cannabis, and general health law and corporate research and drafting. A graduate of Indiana University, Ben has a B.A. in History, Minor in Central Eurasian Studies. He earned his J.D. from Rutgers Law School – Camden.
Michael L. Salad is a partner in the firm’s tax practice group. He concentrates his practice on business transactions, probate administration, tax matters, estate planning, asset protection, special needs, and business planning. Salad also handles general corporate matters and mergers and acquisitions. He regularly divides his practice between Florida and New Jersey and assists clients from the Northeast who are seeking to change their residency. Mr. Salad holds an LL.M. degree in Estate Planning and Elder Law.
Katlin Trout is an attorney in the firm and a member of the Casino & Hospitality Industry Defense Law and Employment and Labor Law Practice Groups. Ms. Trout serves as the Co-Chair of the Atlantic County Mental Health Advisory Board, a volunteer board that serves as an advocate and advisor to the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. She also serves on the Cooper Levenson Foundation Scholarship Committee, and as a mentor for the Stockton Women’s Leadership Council.
Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is described on their website as: a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.
*No aspect of this award from Super Lawyers has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey or the American Bar Association. To view a description of the standard or methodology used by Super Lawyers, click here.