Our firm was founded by our current Chairman, M. Robert DeCotiis, as DeCotiis & Pinto, in Hackensack in 1986. Bob had experience as a partner at other New Jersey firms, primarily representing municipalities. Since then, Bob has expanded his practice and become a leader in the New Jersey government, legal and business communities. Our firm has also grown and added other legal and business leaders.
• In 1992, Alfred DeCotiis and Edward FitzPatrick joined the firm when Bob DeCotiis joined the administration of New Jersey Governor Jim Florio. The firm expanded from the original founding group to approximately 25 attorneys, and added the litigation and criminal defense practices.
• In 1994, DeCotiis merged with another New Jersey firm, adding 7 more attorneys with practices in municipal finance, and began to rapidly expand its work with the State of New Jersey, including the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which is still a client today.
• In 1997, Michael Cole joined the firm, and our practice expanded into administrative law, as well as experiencing very rapid growth in our trial and appellate litigation practice, representing numerous private and public sector clients. The firm expanded to 40 attorneys.
• This rapid growth continued through 2001, by which time the firm had doubled in size. The scope of our practices expanded as well, adding in particular a substantial real estate and redevelopment practice, along with several other specialties.
Today, the firm is still led by Firm Chairman, M. Robert DeCotiis with Managing Partners Joseph and Michael DeCotiis and leading White Collar Criminal Defense lawyer Alfred DeCotiis, along with an Executive Committee. The firm continues to grow in breadth and depth of expertise in corporate transactional work, finance, tax, environmental and labor & employment, while at the same time adding to our base of skilled litigators and government lawyers with unparalleled expertise in regulatory affairs, public/private partnerships and municipal law and in numerous industries, including real estate, energy, financial services, healthcare, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, retail and others.
