DeCotiis

Catherine Tamasik is a partner in the firm’s Teaneck office. She joined the firm as a partner in 1999 and is a member of the Litigation and Green practice groups.

For the past 10 years, Ms. Tamasik has represented public entities including the State of New Jersey and various state agencies, counties, municipalities and independent authorities.    Her litigation practice includes an emphasis on employment discrimination and civil rights violations in the public workplace.  She also has extensive experience in litigation arising out of redevelopment projects and other land use matters involving public entities and public financing.   Ms. Tamasik has experience with all levels and aspects of trial and appellate practice, and regularly appears in state and federal courts. 

In addition, Ms. Tamasik specializes in municipal law.  She served for five years as Essex County Counsel in the mid-1990’s and has represented many municipalities since becoming a partner at DeCotiis.     Her experience in the public sector includes public procurements, bid challenges, election disputes, land use, planning and zoning and redevelopment issues.  She also has represented public clients in mediation and arbitration construction disputes.  Prior to embarking on her legal career, Ms. Tamasik was a senior executive at Josiah Wedgwood & Sons in New York City. She is active in two non-profit organizations – the Newark Renaissance House in Newark, New Jersey, and the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit in Verona, New Jersey.

Ms. Tamasik received her B.A. magna cum laude from Hunter College. She was awarded her J.D. from Rutgers University in 1990, where she was New Jersey Developments Editor of the Rutgers Law Review. She is a New Jersey native and lifetime resident. She served as a councilmember on the Verona Township Council for two terms, 1983--1986 and 1991--1995. She also served as Essex County Counsel for the 1995–1999 term.

Representative Cases:
Ms. Tamasik has defended the  New Jersey Division of State Police in several lawsuits alleging instances of racial profiling and others involving violations of federal and state law prohibiting discrimination, retaliation and civil rights violations.   One significant published opinion is Estate of John Oliva v. State of New Jersey, et al., 579 F. Supp. 2d 643 (D.N.J. 2008), in which the court dismissed a 20-count complaint against the defendants represented by Ms. Tamasik, awarding them summary judgment.  In 2007, in Gibson v. State of New Jersey, et al., an unpublished opinion available on WESTLAW, the New Jersey Appellate Division affirmed the summary judgment awarded to Ms. Tamasik’s client  in an employment matter alleging gender discrimination.   

In addition, Ms. Tamasik has substantial experience with land use and redevelopment matters.   In 2007, she successfully litigated the breach of a unique redevelopment agreement, in which the defaulting redeveloper strove to compel her client, the Mercer County Improvement Authority, to foreclose on property the redeveloper failed to develop.  The Agreement at issue required the redeveloper to simply convey title to the property to the Improvement Authority upon notice of default.   See Mercer County Improvement Authority v. Trenton Studios, Inc. (Westlaw, N.J. App. Div. 2007).

Bar Admissions:
New Jersey (1990)
New York (1990)
Third Circuit Court of Appeals (1998)
United States District Court for the Districts of New Jersey, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York (1990)
United States Supreme Court (1999) 

Professional Memberships, Associations and Activities:
New Jersey State Bar Association
Trustee of Newark Renaissance House
Former Councilmember, Verona, New Jersey
Former Public Defender, Verona, New Jersey
Former member of the Planning Board, Verona, New Jersey
Former member and Chair, Zoning Board, Verona, New Jersey