My years of experience on the bench and in private practice have demonstrated the importance of fully understanding personalities and how relevant facts and applicable law impacts the ability to help resolve business and family law disputes.
Judge Kessler focuses his practice on resolving commercial and family law disputes through mediation and arbitration as an alternative to traditional litigation. His experience as a judge of the equity court enables him to deal with business disputes encompassing a broad range of matters, including those related to contracts, real property, construction, employment, unfair competition, intellectual property, corporate and LLC issues, and consumer fraud. In the area of family law, Judge Kessler's experience encompasses issues related to alimony, child support, custody, equitable distribution, relocation, domestic violence and reimbursement of counsel fees.
During his tenure on the bench, Judge Kessler conducted numerous trials, heard a wide variety of matters and settled hundreds of cases in both the Chancery and Family Divisions. In addition, he was frequently asked to lecture before bar and judicial groups on a variety of topics related to his areas of expertise and was also called upon to teach at New Jersey Judicial College and New Judge Orientation.
Prior to his service in the New Jersey Judiciary, Judge Kessler spent 35 years in private practice representing corporate and individual clients on complex litigation and business counseling. He represented clients in such matters as breach and enforcement of contracts, construction, business dissolution, enforcement of restrictive covenants, securities fraud, antitrust disputes, corporate theft, intellectual property, employment and business fraud. He also represented a hospital for 27 years and several physicians, physician practices, lawyers and law firms with respect to a variety of legal matters.
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Honors & Awards
- Inducted as a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals New Jersey Chapter (2022)
- American Bar Foundation Fellow
- Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent (a trademark of Internet Brands, Inc.) (1988 – present)
- Phi Beta Kappa Society
- Root-Tilden Scholar, NYU School of Law
Please visit our Award Methodology page for a description of the standard or methodology on which these accolades are based. Attorney Advertising: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Uniquely NJ
- Qualified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a R.1:40 mediator
- New Jersey State Bar Association; Dispute Resolution Section; Business and Commercial Litigation Special Committee; Equity Jurisprudence Special Committee; Family Law Section
- New Jersey Supreme Court; Committee on Complementary Dispute Resolution, Vice Chair; Committee on Women in the Courts Subcommittee on Judicial Education, Co-Chair; Family Practice Committee (former Member); Subcommittee on Domestic Violence and Non-Dissolution Matters (past co-Chair)
- Essex County Bar Association
- Justice Marie L. Garibaldi American Inn of Court for Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Barry Croland Family Law American Inn of Court
- New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners (Former Chairman and Member)
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark Board of Trustees (former Member)
More Activities & Experience
- American Arbitration Association; Commercial, Employment, Healthcare and Consumer Arbitration Panels; Commercial and Employment Mediation Panels
- American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Section
- Served as corporate counsel to Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains, NJ for over 25 years
Presentations & Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, 2021 Family Law Summer InstituteSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, July 27, 2021
- Sponsor: Middlesex County Bar Association, July 22, 2021
- Presenter, Hot Topics in Chancery PracticeSponsor: Essex County Bar Association, March 25, 2021
- Speaker, 2020 Family Law Summer InstituteSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, July 21-22, 2020
- Panelist, 2020 Family Law SymposiumSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, January 25, 2020
- Panelist, Forensic and Litigation SymposiumSponsor: Withum, December 6, 2019
- Speaker, Hot Tips in Family LawSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, November 11, 2019
- Sponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association Business Law Section, November 4, 2019
- Panelist, Dealing with LLC Disputes 2019Sponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 16, 2019
- Sponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 16, 2019
- Presenter, Is Justice Blind?Sponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, November 19, 2018
- Panelist, Avoiding and Dealing with LLC DisputesSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 17, 2018
- Panelist, Valuing Closely Held BusinessesSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 17, 2018
- Panelist, Hot Tips in Family LawSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, November 10, 2017
- Panelist, Valuing Closely Held BusinessesSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 18, 2017
- Panelist, Family Law Matters Involving LGBT LitigantsSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 18, 2017
- Presenter, Orders to Show Cause and Temporary RestraintsSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, April 5, 2017
- Presenter, Black Lives Matter: Historical and Legal PerspectivesSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, November 21, 2016
- Presenter, Valuing Closely Held BusinessesSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, November 21, 2016
- Presenter, Promoting Fairness: Diversity/Sexual Harassment/ADA IssuesSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, September 9, 2016
- Panelist, Valuation Issues in Chancery MattersSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 19, 2016
- Panelist, Overcoming Legal and Valuation Issues in Chancery, Business and Family ProceedingsSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, December 1, 2015
- Presenter, Bias Involving LGBT Litigants and AttorneysSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, November 23, 2015
- Panelist, May It Please (the Family) Court - A view of Family Law & Issues from the BenchSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, September 12, 2015
- Presenter, Promoting Fairness: Diversity/Sexual Harrassment/ADA IssuesSeptember 11, 2015
- Panelist, Family Law Matters Involving LGBT LitigantsSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 14, 2015
- Presenter, Understanding Micro-AggressionSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, November 25, 2014
- Speaker, Troubled Children in the Family PartSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, November 24, 2014
- Panelist, Les Enfants Terrible - Troubled Children in Family PartSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, November 5, 2014
- Presenter, Promoting Fairness: Diversity/Sexual Harassment/ADA IssuesSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, September 12, 2014
- Sponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 7.29.14 - 7.30.14
- Panelist, Family Law Bench Bar ConferenceSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, May 16, 2014
- Panelist, Matrimonial Early Settlement Panel - TrainingSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, April 12, 2014
- Panelist, The Pig Bowl - Interactive Hot Topics in Family LawSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, March 29, 2014
- Presenter, Prison TourSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, March 18, 2014
- Panelist, Matrimonial Early Settlement Panel - TrainingSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, February 22, 2014
- Presenter, Recognizing & Addressing LGBT Bias and Its EffectSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, November 26, 2013
- Presenter, Promoting Fairness: Diversity/Sexual Harassment/ADA IssuesSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, October 3, 2013
- Panelist, Recognizing and Addressing Gender BiasSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 16, 2013
- Panelist, Friday Night FlightsSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 15, 2013
- Panelist, Winning and Losing in RelocationSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 15, 2013
- Panelist, Understanding Parental Alienation in Custody CasesSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, April 6, 2013
- Presenter, How to Avoid Jeopardy Through Mentoring in Family CourtSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, November 20, 2012
- Presenter, Promoting Fairness: Diversity/Sexual Harrassment/ADA IssuesSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, September 12, 2012
- Panelist, 2012 Family Law Retreat - Settlement TechniquesSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, March 29, 2012
- Presenter, Promoting Fairness: Diversity/Sexual Harrassment/ADA IssuesSponsor: New Jersey Judicial College, September 14, 2011
- Panelist, Family Bench Bar - Best PracticesSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, May 20, 2011
- Panelist, Incivility & Gender Bias - Words & PerceptionsSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 19, 2011
- Panelist, Removal In Family Law CasesSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, February 11, 2011
- Panelist, Other Ways to Skin a CatSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, November 6, 2010
- Panelist, Divorce and the Special Needs ChildSponsor: New Jersey State Bar Association, May 19, 2010
- Panelist, Interstate & International Custody DisputesSponsor: New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, April 10, 2010
Departments
Practice Groups
Education
New York University School of Law, J.D., 1974
Union College, B.A., 1971
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey, 1974
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 1974
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 1979
Clerkships
- Former law secretary to The Honorable Harold Kolovsky, Presiding Judge, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division
Please visit our Award Methodology page for a description of the standard or methodology on which these accolades are based. Attorney Advertising: No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.