Leah A. Brndjar
Partner
Leah Brndjar has a diverse litigation and business background, with a practice that includes defending matters in areas such as product liability, bankruptcy, and appeals. She is a trusted counselor to major product manufacturers, consumer brands, fitness facilities and organizations, and a range of other commercial entities.
Leah defends active litigation, but also seeks to help clients avoid suits through claims management and by reviewing their policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the most up-to-date legal constructs. She frequently appears before state and federal courts, on both the trial and appellate levels, and helps clients resolve their legal disputes through mediation and arbitration. An author and presenter on topics related to product liability, bankruptcy, e-discovery, and legal project management, Leah also provides clients cogent analysis of emerging compliance issues to help them craft litigation avoidance strategies.
In addition, Leah draws on her pre-legal career business background in the logistics and insurance industries to help facilitate the practical and legal implications of an ever-changing field of play for her clients. This inside experience lends itself to an intimate understanding of business and operating procedures facing companies today, which she uses throughout her practice.
Experience Highlights
An experienced trial attorney and appellate advocate, Leah focuses a significant portion of her practice on defending high-stakes product liability suits. Her clients include major consumer products and clothing brands and retailers as well as trucking companies, manufacturers of household products, life sciences companies, and food and beverage producers.
Leah is a leader in the firm’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring, and Creditors’ Rights team, and interdisciplinary group of attorneys backed by the full strength of the firm’s Corporate Law and transactions and Commercial Litigation and Arbitration practices, and boasting deep experience in a variety of sectors and industries. Her bankruptcy work includes assisting creditors navigate various scenarios in Chapters 7, 11, and 13 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, such as defending preference actions and asserting claims, when applicable. She can advise companies on the intersection between their business practices and likely bankruptcy-related outcomes. She also works to resolve matters as quickly and efficiently as possible through alternative court-approved methods whenever these best suit her clients’ immediate and long-term strategic interests.
Leah currently serves as the Attorney to the New Jersey Board for USA Gymnastics. Her lifelong experience in the sport combined with her legal practice helps her to create unique solutions specifically catered to clients including gymnastics clubs, sporting and fitness equipment manufacturers, and sports organization governing bodies.
Admissions
- New York
- New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Education
- Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 2010
- George Washington University, B.A. (International Affairs), cum laude, 2003
Professional Affiliations
- New Jersey Defense Association
Community Involvement
- Attorney to the New Jersey Board for USA Gymnastics
Languages
- French
Publications & Events
- “E-discovery and the Defense of a Product,” Co-Author, DRI The Voice, July 2019
- Mentioned in “Goldberg Segalla Elevates Seven NJ Attorneys to Partner,” NJBIZ, December 20, 2018
- “Bankruptcy and International Shipping Issues: Three Things for a Non-Industry Person,” American Bankruptcy Trustee Journal, Fall 2018
- “How to Win a Dismissal When the Plaintiff Declares Bankruptcy” (Co-Author), chapter in Product Liability Litigation: Current Law, Strategies, and Best Practices, Practising Law Institute, January 2015
- “The Economic Loss Rule in NJ and the ‘Integrated Product’ Doctrine” (Co-Author), New Jersey Law Journal, December 10, 2014
- “Going Global: Navigating Import and Export Safety Regulations“ (Co-Author), Food Manufacturing, February 10, 2014
- “COVID-19 and Bankruptcy Issues,” State Board of MD USA Gymnastics, April 5, 2020
- “COVID-19 and Bankruptcy Issues,” State Board of NJ USA Gymnastics, April 2, 2020
- “Importing Organic Foods into the United States, Regulations, Compliance Issues and Labeling,” European American Chamber of Commerce, New York, NY, September 30, 2015
- “Labeling Natural and Organic Products Imported to the United States,” Polish American Chamber of Commerce
Recent Insights
December 20, 2018