DeCotiis

Thomas A. Abbate is a partner in the Teaneck office of DeCotiis. He joined DeCotiis in 2002, and became a partner in 2007. His practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation on behalf of both private citizens and business entities at the trial and appellate levels of the state and Federal courts.  He is a member of the Litigation and Municipal Law practice groups.

Mr. Abbate has represented businesses in matters concerning administrative law, land use, insurance regulatory law and alcoholic beverage control law. Mr. Abbate’s practice also frequently involves regulatory matters that require appearances before state agencies and in the courts.      

Mr. Abbate also handles matters involving both state and local government entities. This representation has included matters involving public procurement law, civil rights, employment law, redevelopment and land use, ethics law and general municipal law. Mr. Abbate has successfully represented public entities both as a plaintiff in a multi-million dollar complex commercial litigation, and as a defendant in several public procurement and prerogative writ matters. He recently successfully tried to verdict a matter involving a novel as-applied First Amendment challenge to the civil enforcement of a criminal statute.    

Representative Cases:
Bumbaca v. Twp. of Edison, 373 N.J.Super. 239 (App. Div. 2004) (holding that job applicant had no cause of action against employer under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination for alleged hiring decision based upon nepotism).

In re Zisa, 385 N.J.Super. 188 (App. Div. 2006) (holding that municipal official was entitled to rely upon the advice of the City Attorney as a defense to a charge of violating the Local Government Ethics Law).

In re Meadowlands Xanadu, 392 N.J.Super. 577 (App. Div. 2007) (dismissing appeal of challenger to advisory opinion holding Meadowlands Xanadu tenants eligible for State-issued liquor licenses).

Mr. Abbate received a B.A. in Music with honors from the University of Miami in 1999. He received his J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law in 2002, where he was on the staff of the Fordham Urban Law Journal and a Legal Writing Teaching Assistant.  Mr. Abbate is a New Jersey native.

Bar Admissions:
New Jersey (2002)
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (2002)
New York (2003)
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (2007)
United States Supreme Court (2009)