Judge Carol Catuogno received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Binghamton and her J.D. from Boston University School of Law. In 1991, Judge Catuogno began her career with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office in Staten Island, New York.

In 1998, Judge Catuogno joined the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office as an assistant prosecutor and served as chief of the Domestic Violence Squad, Trial Chief and beginning May of 2017, as Executive Assistant Prosecutor.

Appointed to the New Jersey Superior Court on February 5, 2018, Judge Catuogno was assigned to the Chancery Division – Family Part, where she handled domestic violence matters, applications pursuant to the Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act (SASPA), child support enforcements and post-judgment matrimonial motions.

At the close of 2019, Judge Catuogno was reassigned to the Law Division – Criminal Part, where she handled a post-indictment trial calendar, applications made pursuant to the Extreme Risk Protective Order Act (ERPOs) and was designated to hear Sexually Violent Predator Act (SVPA) matters.

Effective May 1, 2023, Judge Catuogno was elevated to the position of Assignment Judge for the Bergen Vicinage. In addition to her service as Assignment Judge, Judge Catuogno currently serves on the Supreme Court Model Criminal Jury Charge Committee and has been recently appointed to the Judicial Council Labor Relations and Personnel Committee and to the Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Education.

Judge Catuogno is a member of Women Lawyers in Bergen, the Bergen County Bar Association, and the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Andrew J. Cevasco has handled a broad array of matters over his 40-year career, representing businesses and individuals in a variety of transactional matters. Andrew appears regularly in Superior Court in will contests, trust litigation, and probate matters. He prepares Wills, Trusts, and related estate planning documents, and is experienced in the administration of estates and trusts. He also represents clients with regard to guardianship and elder law issues. He has been appointed by the Court to administer estates and to represent minors and allegedly incapacitated persons in both contested and uncontested matters.

Andrew provides a broad range of services to the firm’s commercial clients, including business planning, business formation and dissolution, employment and contract issues, and real estate matters. He has also appeared before the Disciplinary Review Board and the New Jersey Supreme Court to represent attorneys who have been charged with violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Andrew represents clients in trials in both the Law and Chancery Divisions of the N.J. Superior Court. He has also argued appeals to the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court and appeared before the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Andrew is AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell. He is listed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a mediator and mentor on its Roster of Mediators and also serves as an arbitrator in the New Jersey Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County. Throughout his career, Andrew has demonstrated dedication to public service, most recently through his work on the N.J. Supreme Court Committee on Character, which reviews applications for admission to the New Jersey Bar and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Bergen County Bar Association. Andrew served as President of the Bergen County Bar Association for the 2019-2020 term. He co-chairs the Association’s Professionalism and Estate Planning/Probate Committees. Andrew is a frequent lecturer for the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the National Business Institute in the areas of estate and tax planning, estate litigation, and trusts and ethics.

Nicole G. McDonough, a Member of the Sills Cummis & Gross Litigation Practice Group, has a diverse complex litigation practice, which includes commercial, trade secret, trust and estate, intellectual property, and real estate litigation matters.

Ms. McDonough represents companies from a broad range of industries in all stages of the litigation process in all state and federal courts in New Jersey and New York. Her extensive complex commercial litigation experience includes matters involving contract claims; corporate governance; LLC, shareholder and partnership disputes; dissolution, stock purchase and buyout matters; business tort claims; insurance disputes; fraud arising from the sale or purchase of a business; real estate disputes; and distributor, vendor, and business-to-business disputes.

Ms. McDonough also has considerable experience prosecuting and defending emergency actions before the Chancery courts in New Jersey, seeking emergent relief on behalf of her clients to protect their personal and business interests. Such actions include those necessary to protect confidential and proprietary business information and customer relationships; restrictive covenants; non-competition and non-solicitation agreements; and pre-emptive remedies such as freezing orders, replevin actions, and related proceedings. Ms. McDonough represents clients in these emergent matters, from initial investigation through resolution.

Representing both institutions and individuals, Ms. McDonough’s practice also includes assisting clients in trust and estate litigation involving probate matters, estates, trusts, and fiduciaries.

Ms. McDonough’s intellectual property practice is focused on disputes related to trademark infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, unlawful business practices, antitrust claims, defamation, and rights of publicity. She has experience serving as local counsel in patent infringement matters on behalf of pharmaceutical companies, working closely with national patent counsel.

Ms. McDonough has extensive experience managing electronic discovery in complex state and federal matters. She effectively and efficiently implements solutions concerning general document management focused on the individual business needs of her clients. She guides clients through problems and disputes affecting their business matters, providing assistance that includes data preservation, data collection and storage, electronic and hardcopy document review and production, and assistance with and management of internal investigations, third party subpoenas, and civil litigation.

During law school, Ms. McDonough served as a judicial intern to the Honorable William J. Martini, United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey. Ms. McDonough was also a member of Seton Hall’s Interscholastic Moot Court Board, where she received advocacy and writing honors in multiple national competitions. She enjoys giving back to students interested in the legal profession by serving as a Bergen County Co-Coordinator for the Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition

James B. Seplowitz has practiced exclusively in the field of criminal law throughout his career. Before founding the criminal defense firm of Foy & Seplowitz LLC with Jason E. Foy, Mr. Seplowitz worked at the Rem Zeller Law Group for nine years, the first five as an associate and the last four as a partner. Mr. Seplowitz served as a law clerk in the Criminal Part of the Superior Court of New Jersey for the Honorable Donald R. Venezia, J.S.C.

Mr. Seplowitz is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York, the United States District Courts for the District of New Jersey and the Southern District of New York, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Municipal Court Law Attorney.

Anthony Talarico is an Assistant Prosecutor at the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office where he currently serves in the Narcotic Task Force and as the chief legal advisor to the North Jersey Regional Cold Case Task Force. His previous assignments include the Major Crimes Unit and Trial Section Team Leader. Anthony serves as a co-chair of the BCBA Criminal Practice Committee and is an instructor at the Bergen County Police Academy. He clerked for the Honorable Ellen Koblitz, J.A.D., and is a graduate of Fordham University (where he was the “Fordham Ram”) and Rutgers Law School.

The Officers and Trustees of the Bergen County Bar Association are pleased to announce that Bruce E. Chase, Esq., is the recipient of this year's prestigious Honorable Peter Ciolino Professional Lawyer of the Year Award.

Bruce's remarkable career in the legal field has been marked by a consistent display of exceptional professionalism, unwavering dedication, and a profound commitment to the principles of justice and integrity. His contributions to the legal community in Bergen County and beyond have left an indelible mark, and his peers hold him in the highest regard.

Bruce's journey in the legal profession was deeply influenced by his father, Seymour Chase, the 80th President of the BCBA, who served as his mentor and a shining example of professionalism, civility, courtesy, and what it means to be a "lawyer's lawyer." In 1978, following his father’s guidance, Bruce became a member of the BCBA on the day he was admitted to the Bar. Like his father, Bruce became actively involved in the BCBA, culminating in his position as the 99th President of the BCBA. Following his tenure as an officer, Bruce continued his service as the BCBA’s representative to the New Jersey State Bar Association for six years. He takes particular pride in his role as the BCBA’s Chair or Co-Chair of its Family Law Committee, where he dedicated more than two decades of his time and expertise.

Beyond his involvement with the BCBA, Bruce has also made significant contributions as a trustee and later as President of Bergen County Legal Services. At his father's suggestion, Bruce undertook the state and national exams to become a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys (AAML). In his journey with AAML-NJ, he held various esteemed positions and eventually ascended to the presidency in 2015. Bruce’s dedication to the field is evident through his numerous publications and wide-ranging lectures for the BCBA, NJSBA, and AAML-NJ.

We cordially invite you to join us in celebrating Bruce’s outstanding achievements and recognizing his profound contributions to the legal profession. The award ceremony will occur on Monday, November 6, 2023, at Seasons. Please save the date.