Lauren M. Manduke is a member in the firm’s Litigation, Construction, Employment and Real Estate Departments.

Experience

Lauren handles complex commercial disputes in both New Jersey and New York State and Federal courts including shareholder disputes, business divorce, licensing disputes, employment issues, commercial real estate matters, and land use litigation.

Lauren formerly represented New Jersey taxpayers against the State of New Jersey for improper retroactive taxation, and successfully defeated a proposed 100-unit development that was not compliant with local zoning in Somerset County, New Jersey. More recently, Lauren represents official committees in some of the most complex and high-profile chapter 11 cases in the country, including the creditors’ committees in the bankruptcy cases of Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt. Lauren has extensive experience before the American Arbitration Association (AAA), as well as appeals before both the New Jersey Appellate Division and New York Appellate Division, First and Second Departments.

Representative Matters

With the firm since 2009, Lauren has counseled clients in many complex litigation matters including:

• Stairway Capital – counsel to secured creditor in enforcement of loan obligation in actions before both the New York Supreme Court and AAA; obtained dismissal of lender liability counterclaims in New York Supreme Court;
• Successfully resolving a commission dispute on behalf of a national car dealership;
• Successfully negotiated a resolution between participants and the primary lender with respect to several participation agreements of an underling loan to a cannabis distributor;
• Obtaining an injunction on behalf of an officer/shareholder of a substantial real-estate holding company enjoining the other shareholders and third-parties from taking any action on behalf of the company without the client’s consent, quickly followed by a settlement in the client’s favor;
• Successfully prosecuted a wide variety of commercial landlord/tenant disputes for New Jersey commercial landlords;
• Negotiating a favorable settlement for New Jersey Mega-Million Lottery winners – Initiating litigation against the State of New Jersey for retroactively taxing New Jersey residents who won and began receiving lottery prizes prior to a change in the applicable law;
• Town Sports International, LLC (d/b/a New York Sports Clubs) – obtaining dismissal of claims in litigation initiated against our client relating to an exclusive use provision in a lease;
• Humanscale Corporation – obtaining dismissal of a fraud claim asserted against our client in connection with licensing agreements;
• Defended and prosecuted numerous breach of fiduciary duty and fraud claims for and against directors and officers of major corporations;
• Handled numerous highly complex will contests and estate lawsuits in both New Jersey and in Florida;
• Represented several real estate developers in disputes with their lenders;
• Represented shareholders and members of closely-held businesses fighting for control of those businesses and/or alleging they have been oppressed by the majority shareholders;
• Clark Commons, LLC – obtaining a favorable settlement allowing a multi-million dollar strip-mall development to proceed in Clark Township, New Jersey;
• Charles & Jared Kushner – obtaining a favorable outcome on behalf of our client in an employment dispute;
• On the eve of trial successfully mediated a licensing agreement dispute resulting in our client’s payment of only ten percent of the plaintiff’s damage claim;
• Obtaining an approximately $15.5 million buyout of our clients’ minority interest in several entities; and
• Obtaining dismissal of claims in litigation initiated against our client alleging tortious interference and other tort claims concerning a UPS franchisee.

Networks & Affiliations

Lauren is a member of the District II-B Ethics Committee, Bergen County – South, and is active in a host of important industry organizations. These organizations include the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association (2009-present), Bergen County Bar Association (2009-present), Co-Chair of the Civil Practice section of the Bergen County Bar Association (2013-2018), and Bergen County Chair of the Vincent J. Apruzzese Mock Trial Competition (2012-2015). While in law school, Lauren was the Director of Research, Education and Advocacy to Combat Homelessness and an Advocate with the Unemployment Action Center.

Lauren is also involved with her municipality, serving on the Bernards Township Affordable Housing Task Force for the 2019 term and former member of the Bernards Township Zoning Board of Adjustment (2012-2014), as well as former Republican Female Representative, District 20 for Bernards Township (2010-2014). Lauren currently serves on the Bernards Township Planning Board and frequently volunteers at St. James School in Basking Ridge, NJ. Lauren is a former Director at Large of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, Lehigh University (2014 – 2018) and was appointed Vice President of the Board for the 2018/2019 term and served as President in 2019/2020. Lauren began a three-year term on the Lehigh University Board of Trustees in June 2020. She is also the former President of the Young Alumni Council, Lehigh University (2014-2015).

HONORS & AWARDS

In 2023, Lauren was chosen as an honoree in the “Best Mentor” category for the Corporate Counsel Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards. Lauren has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a New Jersey Rising Star from 2018-2021. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

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See Award Methodology.