ROSELAND, N.J./December 23, 2010 -- Connell Foley partner Richard J. Badolato was honored by the Middlesex County Trial Lawyers Association with the 2010 Herman L. Breitkopf Trial Lawyers of the Year Award.
"Recognition of one's work among peers is a deep honor," stated attorney Richard J. Badolato, about the occasion of his naming by the Middlesex County Trial Lawyers Association as one of two chosen 2010 Trial Lawyers of the Year.
In the organization's 50th year, the Herman L. Breitkopf Award was jointly bestowed to Badolato, one of the founders of the Middlesex County Trial Lawyers Association and Certified Civil Trial Attorney, and Robert G. Goodman, Palmisano & Goodman P.A. The distinction is accorded annually to trial lawyers who embody the characteristics of "honesty, integrity, intelligence, and an unwavering concern for the welfare of both the bar and its members" − those exemplified by the award's namesake.
During the event held at the Colonia Country Club on October 21, remarks were offered by Glenn T. Dyer, Trustee of the Middlesex County Trial Lawyer's Association and Connell Foley partner, and Heidi Willis Currier, Middlesex County Superior Court Judge and former partner of Connell Foley.
"The achievement is even more personally humbling as it is tendered by the most powerful trial lawyers’ association in New Jersey," stated Badolato.
Badolato's lengthy record of service in the practice of law encompasses current presidency of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation (NJSBF), along with past positions as vice president, treasurer and secretary. He has served as a trustee of the NJSBA, as well as chair and member of a number of committees and position as officer of the NJSBA’s Civil Trial Bar Section. For the Essex County Bar Association, his leadership roles have included president, vice president, secretary and trustee. On behalf of the American Bar Association (ABA), Badolato is a past member of the House of Delegates and a member of the Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution, and is a current member of the ABA's Standing Committee on Constitution and By-Laws and its Litigation Section. He serves as a member of the National Conference of Bar Presidents Executive Committee and is a member of the Membership and Program Committees. He is the State Chairman of the Fellows of the ABA and is a sustaining member.
In his position as partner of Connell Foley LLP, Badolato focuses his practice on product liability, and on tort law and insurance law.