DeCotiis

William Harla is a partner in the firm's Teaneck office and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He joined the firm in 1994 and is a member of the Government and Regulatory Affairs Practice Group.

Mr. Harla specializes in government and regulatory affairs and civil litigation.  He practices in both state and Federal courts, at both the trial and appellate levels.  He has presented many oral arguments before the New Jersey Supreme Court and the New York Court of Appeals, as well as Federal and state intermediate appellate courts.  He regularly appears before state agencies and the Office of Administrative Law.  Mr. Harla has written many legislative enactments and Executive Orders and has guided a variety of clients through the intricacies of the legislative and administrative practice in Trenton.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Harla had a lengthy and varied career in public service. He was an Assistant Attorney General in Charge of Administrative and Regulatory Matters in the Division of Law, Department of Law and Public Safety from 1987 to 1991. He served as an Assistant Counsel to Governor Thomas H. Kean from 1986 to 1987. He also served as Deputy Chief Legal Counsel to Governor James J. Florio from 1991 to 1994.

As a Deputy Attorney General in the Division of Law from 1979 to 1986, Mr. Harla acted as General Counsel to the State colleges.  He also represented the State Commission on Ethical Standards and the Department of Personnel.  Mr. Harla worked as a Research Assistant in the Office of Legislative Services for the New Jersey State Legislature from 1974 to 1977.  He is a former aide to a member of the General Assembly.  He also served as a member of the Governor's Study Commission on Discrimination in Public Contracts and Procurements.

Mr. Harla is an Associate Counsel of the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

Mr. Harla is a co-author of the following articles:

Planning for the Property Tax Bite, New Jersey Apartment Association Magazine, August 2010

Establishing Immunity for Discretionary Decision Under the Tort Claims Act:  Protect Your Municipality and its Officials From a Variety of Lawsuits, New Jersey Municipalities Magazine, June 2009

Sorting Through The Alphabet Soup of PERS and DCROP Eligibility for Employees, New Jersey Municipalities Magazine, November 2008.

Mr. Harla is a graduate of Rutgers College, where he received his B.A in Political Science with high distinction and was editor-in-chief of the Rutgers Daily Targum.  He is also a graduate of Rutgers-Newark Law School.

Professional Memberships, Associations and Activities:

Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated (Highest Rating for Ethics and Competence)

Member, New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law (January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2011)

Adjunct Professor, Rutgers-Newark Law School, Spring Semester, 2011 (“New Jersey State and Municipal Government”); CLE Instructor 2011 (“Attorney Professional Ethics”) National Business Institute ICLE Instructor 2012 ("Ethical Considerations for Government Attorneys")

Board Member, Dress for Success for Mercer County (2010 – Present)
 
New Jersey State and American Bar Associations

Bar Admissions:

State of New Jersey (1979) ;

U.S. District of New Jersey (1979);

U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals (1982)