Our Attorneys
Leeseberg & Valentine | German Rubenstein LLP | Janet, Jenner & Suggs
Steven J. German
Steven J. German specializes in complex litigation, concentrating in the areas of environmental, products liability and mass tort. Mr. German has served leadership roles in federal and state actions, including nationwide and multi-district litigation.
From 2004 through 2008, for example, Mr. German played a lead role in MDL 1358: In Re MTBE Products Liability Litigation, representing drinking water providers nationwide for damages resulting from the contamination of their water wells with the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether. He was a driving force behind the historic May 2008 settlement in which he and his co-counsel recovered $423,000,000 for their clients nationwide. In 2006, Mr. German was appointed as Special Counsel for the State of New Mexico for its MTBE litigation.
Mr. German also played a lead role in the trial of the landmark Interfaith Community Organization v. Honeywell. Mr. German’s trial and appellate victories in Interfaith resulted in one of the nation’s largest environmental cleanups including the excavation and removal of one million tons of chromium waste from Jersey City, N.J. , and the cleanup of chromium-contaminated groundwater and sediments in the Hackensack River. Mr. German’s unique knowledge of the environmental and health effects of chromium has made him a leader in chromium lawsuits and chromium issues in Jersey City.
Mr. German has also been active in the cleanup of contaminated property and has litigated numerous matters involving claims under state and federal environmental protection statutes and private-party cost recovery statutes, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, RCRA, CERCLA, NEPA, New York Navigation Law, and the New Jersey Spill Act.
Mr. German’s environmental cases have been covered by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The Newark Star Ledger, The Bergen Record, The Jersey Journal, The Dallas Morning News, The Associated Press, Reuters, and other media outlets nationwide.
Mr. German has also litigated numerous civil rights matters on behalf of victims of racial, religious and sexual discrimination.
Mr. German is a 1999 graduate of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he served as an editor of the Arts and Entertainment Law Journal. Mr. German graduated cum laude and with honors from Binghamton University (SUNY) in 1996. Prior to beginning private practice Mr. German served as a law clerk to the United States Department of Justice, Environmental Enforcement Section and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, New Jersey Superfund Branch. He has been a guest speaker at various law schools and professional symposia on the topics of environmental law and products liability.
Mr. German is admitted to practice in the State Courts of New York and New Jersey, the District of Columbia, and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the District of New Jersey, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits.
Joel M. Rubenstein
Joel M. Rubenstein specializes in complex litigation concentrating in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, birth defects, consumer protection, environmental and toxic tort, and consumer fraud.
Mr. Rubenstein spent the majority of the previous decade at one of Wall Street's most prestigious law firms where he negotiated some of the most complex corporate transactions in the United States and internationally on behalf of hedge funds, private equity funds and Fortune 500 companies.
For example, in 2004, Mr. Rubenstein was the lead associate representing one of the largest full-service energy trading companies in North America in its $1 billion credit facility with a consortium of financial institutions, a transaction that was awarded Deal of the Year by Trade Finance. Mr. Rubenstein has earned a reputation of being a tenacious advocate and negotiator.
Mr. Rubenstein also spent part of the previous decade serving as a pro bono trial attorney for the New York City Law Department, Manhattan Tort Division, where he represented the City of New York in civil litigation involving claims of negligent maintenance, negligent supervision, and labor law. Mr. Rubenstein's trial experience is complemented by state appellate experience, including argument before the New York State Appellate Division.
Mr. Rubenstein currently represents plaintiffs in Sher, et al. v. Raytheon Company, et al., a class action lawsuit seeking damages and medical monitoring on behalf of property owners and individuals who have been exposed to contaminants like trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride and 1,4-dioxane through groundwater contamination from a Raytheon plant in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Mr. Rubenstein is a 2001 graduate of the Fordham University School of Law, where he was a member of the Dean's List and the Fordham Intellectual Property Media & Entertainment Journal.
Mr. Rubenstein graduated with honors from the University at Albany (SUNY) in 1994. Prior to private practice, Mr. Rubenstein served as an infantry soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces. Mr. Rubenstein is admitted to practice in the State Courts of New York and New Jersey and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.