Ivette P. Alvarado is a Member of the Sills Cummis & Gross Real Estate Department. She focuses her practice on multiple disciplines within commercial real estate law, mainly in New Jersey and New York. Beyond negotiating deals and drafting pertinent documents to memorialize terms, Ms. Alvarado takes a hands-on approach to serving her clients by advising them of potential risks, assisting them in problem solving and coordinating with their other professionals to successfully close deals. M...

Allan C. Bell is Chair of the Trusts and Estates Practice Group. Mr. Bell practices primarily in tax planning for individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, estates and trusts. He brings his innovative, in-depth tax planning experience as well as the ability to analyze, explain and implement sophisticated techniques to his clients. His insight into the government’s interpretations and views on issues allows him to provide efficient and thorough services and work product without t...

Joseph L. Buckley is a member of the Firm’s Management Committee and Chair of the Litigation Department. He has over 35 years of first chair trial experience in a wide variety of complex cases in federal and state courts in New Jersey and New York. He is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney.

Michael S. Carucci is a Member of the Sills Cummis & Gross Litigation, Appellate, and Corporate Investigations and Integrity Practice Groups. He handles complex business litigation and regulatory enforcement actions; conducts internal investigations of large private, non-profit, and public organizations; and advocates for clients on appeal. Mr. Carucci has successfully litigated a variety of cases both at the trial court level and the appellate level, including before the New Jersey Supre...

David L. Cook is a Member of the Sills Cummis & Gross Litigation Department. He primarily represents corporations and banks in litigation involving complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts throughout the United States. His extensive background involves a broad range of experience including representing Fortune 500 companies in antitrust class actions, major international banks and corporations in U.S. sanctions and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations, media compani...

Max Crane regularly counsels private and public companies and their executives on various aspects of law and business including corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, securities and crisis management. Working with companies in the banking, energy, gaming, insurance and retail industries, among others, Mr. Crane has been involved in equity and debt financings and energy projects aggregating in excess of $1 billion. These transactions have included initial public offerings, debt restructu...

Mark E. Duckstein has been affiliated with the Firm since 1987, during which time he has engaged in a wide variety of litigation matters pending in state and federal courts. Mr. Duckstein concentrates his practice on the representation of corporations and other business enterprises in complex litigation involving real estate, including complex commercial landlord-tenant issues, commercial torts and contract disputes. He has extensive experience representing commercial and retail landlords, in...

Richard H. Epstein is Deputy Managing Partner of Sills Cummis & Gross and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department, which received the Benchmark Litigation award for “New Jersey Firm of the Year” for nine consecutive years (2025-2017), and was named the New Jersey Law Journal “General Litigation Department of the Year, Midsize” in 2023 , 2020 , 2019 and 2016 . See Award Methodology . No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court o...