About Us

• About Us PRACTICE: Private practice of law for 35 years representing institutional and private clients General practice with an emphasis on education, planning and zoning, not-for-profit, corporate, and estate planning Mr. Brown has been honored to assist his clients over the decades in providing advice and the best possible professional services in an ethical and caring manner AV Preeminent lawyer rating in Martindale Hubbell* for highest ethical and professional standards COURTS: Admitted to practice in the State and Federal Courts in New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court Involved on behalf of governmental, corporate and individual clients in civil matters before all levels of the State and Federal trial and appellate courts, and also in administrative and arbitration proceedings. NOT-FOR-PROFIT EXPERIENCE: General corporate counsel to numerous not-for-profit entities Corporate counsel to state-wide United Methodist elder care system for over 20 years Legal counsel to United Methodist Church regional/state organization since 1996, and is counsel to its disaster relief organization Past President of the national organization United Methodist Church Conference Chancellors Association Has served as counsel to numerous churches and religious organizations over the decades, and as special counsel to the YMCAs in Monmouth County as well as to State and County conservation foundations CORPORATE EXPERIENCE: Has served as counsel to numerous corporate clients over the decades International counsel monitoring litigation and transaction matters around the globe Handled federal and state trial and appellate matters in intellectual property rights and contract matters along with arbitrations before the AAA Represents numerous smaller corporate entities in transactional, contract and employment matters EDUCATION LAW: Representing school districts for over 30 years Involved with many types of civil litigation and transactional matters, including the negotiation of contracts On a team of educators who have developed some of the leading magnet schools in the U.S. President-Elect of the New Jersey Association of School Attorneys PLANNING & ZONING: Representing planning boards and boards of adjustment for over 30 years Municipal attorney, general counsel to a regional sewerage authority, and a municipal prosecutor as a young attorney REAL ESTATE: Providing a broad range of services in commercial and residential real estate matters for over 30 years Former transaction counsel to lending institutions Represented state, regional and national institutional clients in Federal HUD 202 and 811 housing projects for senior citizens ESTATE & TRUSTS: Providing advice to clients regarding estate planning, trusts & wills and banking for decades Served as trust and litigation counsel for a regional bank Advisory board of Investors Bank BAR ASSOCIATIONS: Member, Monmouth County and New Jersey State Bar Associations Served on County Bar committees, including as chair of the education and labor & employment law committees Past panel chair of the New Jersey Supreme Court District Fee Arbitration Committee PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Attended the Asbury Park School system Graduated from Brown University, BA in History Seton Hall University, J.D., where he was Faculty Research Assistant Law Clerk for the Honorable Patrick J. McGann, Jr., J.S.C., Chancery and Law Divisions, New Jersey Superior Court Private practice of law in Freehold for over 20 years Became managing partner of the firm Cerrato, Dawes, Collins, Saker, Brown & Wilder, P.A. Established present firm in 2002