Spotlight on Rose Suriano

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Many of my cases come from client referrals and former adversaries who have seen firsthand my tenacity and relentless quest to deliver a win. I took a ten-year-old case that resulted in a multi-million-dollar judgment against my client and had the judgment reversed, which resulted in the payment of substantial legal fees to my client. When the prior attorneys ran out of options and gave up, I stepped in and won the case.

In another matter, a large client in the automotive industry had a class action lawsuit brought against it based on a claim of consumer fraud. There was an arbitration provision in the sales agreement and I decided to file a motion to dismiss the complaint in favor of arbitration. There were other cases and unpublished opinions dealing with the exact same sales contract. After the trial court denied the motion to dismiss, I took up the case on appeal. I successfully persuaded the panel to overturn their prior opinions and send the case to arbitration. As a result of this decision, the plaintiff decided to drop the class action against my client, which had the potential for substantial class action damages.

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I came to the U.S. at age five with my family from southern Italy. My parents sought a future away from the rigors and limitations of a rural, agrarian lifestyle. Where I came from, there were no basic amenities like plumbing and electricity.

When I arrived in the U.S. in the late 1960s, the lack of a politically correct climate toward immigrants was daunting. I faced challenges in elementary school because I spoke little English and was overlooked by teachers who did not treat me like someone who should—or could—succeed.

Another impediment included some family members who did not believe that women should go to college, let alone law school. They preferred that I marry, like many of my female cousins who were not given the opportunity to pursue an education.

Despite these obstacles, I persisted in my quest to attend college and then law school. Ultimately, I paved the path for many of my younger female family members to attend college without the challenges I experienced.

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After a judicial clerkship in the Superior Court of New Jersey-Chancery Division, General Equity Part, I began my career with a mid-sized law firm, where I began to learn the ropes in commercial litigation. Then it was on to Hannoch Weisman, the second largest NJ law firm at the time, known for their aggressive approach. There, I successfully tried my first jury trial and learned how to practice law from some of the best lawyers in NJ. Next, I spent 18 years at another well-known mid-sized firm, where I was given the ability to really hone my commercial litigation skills and begin focusing on construction litigation. In 2013, I joined a small Newark firm that recruited me to build its business litigation and construction practice group. In this role, I was able to exceed the firm’s expectations and double my practice.

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About four years ago, I was looking for a well-known, respected firm with a larger footprint in the market, so I joined Brach Eichler. Here, I have been able to successfully continue to build my practice and I am on track to realize a substantial increase in originations this year. My practice has grown because of my strong relationship with my clients. I am a trusted advisor to my clients and strive to meet their daily needs and goals, while helping them avoid lawsuits. And when a lawsuit cannot be avoided, I help them successfully navigate through it. I have built my practice through years of hard work, winning strategies, targeted marketing and networking, and referrals; but most importantly, by providing personal service to my clients, many of whom are Fortune 100 and 200 companies.

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I was involved for many years with various women’s groups, including, Dress for Success where I counseled women who were battered emotionally and physically. I helped them with their finances and encouraged them to stand on their own and not be a victim. I also mentored many young women about their careers in the law and was a mentor and former Director of the Girl Scouts of New Jersey when my daughters were young.

I am also a board member of the Trinitas Regional Medical Center, where I assist the charity hospital as they fulfill their mission of providing meaningful services in their community. I am also an active participant in many organizations including the New Jersey State Bar - Business Law Section, Material Handling Society of New Jersey; Professional Women in Construction, New Jersey Chapter; Executive Women of New Jersey; Industrial/Commercial Real Estate Women (Former Director); and the Essex County Bar Association. In 2017, I was elected to serve as a director of the New Jersey State Bar Association Business Law Section for a three-year term.

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I’m very proud of being named among a Top 20 Women in the Law by the New Jersey Law Journal in 2018 and being selected a “Top 25 Leading Woman Entrepreneur in NJ” in 2017. I was also pleased to be honored as a 2019 Outstanding Woman in Construction by Professional Women in Construction – New Jersey in recognition of my exceptional work with construction companies, many of whom are my clients.

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Our litigation practice is second to none. We are proud to have some of the state’s best litigators practicing at Brach Eichler. Our mission is to provide the best and most cost-effective legal representation when litigation cannot be avoided and to counsel our clients on winning strategies. Our goal is to ensure that all our litigation attorneys know each client and understand each client’s needs and risk tolerance, to achieve the best result in and outside of a courtroom. And as we grow, we remain committed to providing the exceptional legal services to our clients for which Brach Eichler is known.