Doing exactly what we say we are going to do, when we say we are going to do it. Doing it with absolute professional integrity, dedicated to the highest level of legal craftsmanship.  

A Diverse Practice That Places the Client First

In May 2004, a major new law firm, McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP, came into being. MDM&C is a combination of McElroy, Deutsch & Mulvaney, one of New Jersey’s fastest-growing law firms, with Carpenter, Bennett & Morrissey, one of New Jersey’s oldest and most respected law firms. The two firms share many cultural values and ethical standards and have a well-developed philosophy of placing the client first. MDM&C takes advantage of the talents and strengths of both firms to produce a unique legal and business synergy – a mutually advantageous combination of distinct organizations that produces a result greater than the sum of their individual strengths and capabilities. Together they form a legal powerhouse – the third largest law firm in New Jersey. With over 200 lawyers in six offices in four states, the firm offers a full range of legal services including litigation, labor and employment, insurance, fidelity and surety, construction, corporate transactions, white collar crime and corporate compliance, franchise, tax, private client services, real estate, environmental, banking, and hotels and resorts law.

Today, McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter is a diverse, full-service law practice with lawyers who place the client first, who are thoroughly professional, and who think strategically. MDM&C’s philosophy in practicing law provides clients with the critical edge they need to achieve their legal and business objectives. Clients who seek the assistance of MDM&C will discover a law firm with spirit and dynamism, with lawyers dedicated to providing superior service and personal attention to clients’ special needs and interests.

Placing the Client First

Why do clients turn to McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter? What is it about our firm that made it grow to over 200 attorneys today? What is it that transformed two New Jersey law firms into one with a national reputation offering full-service representation to Fortune 500 companies as well as to individual clients? What is it about our firm that generates such client loyalty that over eighty percent of our annual business comes from former or current clients and client recommendations?

The answer is that MDM&C has a tradition of providing exemplary service to clients, of placing the client first. In the practice of law, what does “placing the client first” really mean? It means a commitment to excellence. It means dedicated professionals who care about providing the best possible service to clients. It means a commitment to providing superior, timely, and effective assistance. It means lawyers who are “hands-on” practitioners involved full-time in providing solutions to client problems. It means having a shared vision and a shared purpose with clients and a dedication to achieving the clients’ goals.

Those are some of the attributes that have brought us the satisfaction and the loyalty of our clients, year after year. Our attorneys may engage in courtroom litigation, negotiate a complex contract, counsel on a tax or regulatory matter, or provide private client services. Whatever the legal or business situation, our lawyers understand that clients trust and appreciate lawyers who genuinely care about their problems and provide them with effective and innovative results.

We respond to our clients’ needs promptly and serve their interests efficiently. Effective communication with our clients marks the way we operate at McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter. We are determined to create successful and long-lasting relationships with the people and the business institutions we represent. The bottom line in our relationship with clients is, of course, “results” – the ultimate measure of the effectiveness of any law firm. Our lawyers at MDM&C are committed to overcoming difficult situations in achieving our clients’ goals – and to doing it time after time.

MDM&C: Respected Professionals

A brief look at the history of two law firms that combined to form McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter provides some insights into the legal and business strengths of the new organization.

Carpenter, Bennett & Morrissey was founded in Jersey City in 1898 when Lindley Miller Garrison, who later served as Secretary of War under President Wilson, formed a partnership with Francis P. McManus. The firm’s reputation for outstanding client service and cost-effective practice brought it a strong and growing list of domestic and international clients. Over the years, CB&M evolved into a diverse, full-service law firm with a wide range of legal skills and a depth of experience. James D. Carpenter, who managed a varied civil litigation practice, was with the firm from 1909 to 1972. Elmer J. Bennett, who was with the firm from 1933 to 1981, was a premier commercial litigator. Thomas L. Morrissey (1915-2006), counsel to the firm, joined CB&M after serving as a naval officer in World War II. He was an active civil litigator whose long career focused on labor matters and product liability cases. Mr. Morrissey led the firm for more than thirty years, and under his leadership CB&M not only grew but also led the way toward diversity by being the first major New Jersey law firm to elect women and African-Americans as partners.

McElroy, Deutsch & Mulvaney was founded in 1983 when Edward B. Deutsch and James M. Mulvaney met as opposing attorneys in a lengthy trial and, afterwards, agreed that New Jersey needed a new kind of law firm. The new firm’s methods and talents would address the needs of the modern business world by combining the ability to take on the most challenging litigation with the flexibility and innovation to achieve the business objectives of its clients.

In 1985 William T. McElroy joined the firm after a distinguished career as a trial and appellate judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey. MD&M soon became one of the best known law firms in New Jersey, establishing a statewide and national reputation for possessing excellent technical skills and achieving cost-effective outcomes in sophisticated litigation. Over the ensuing years, the firm grew rapidly and expanded its practice to offer services in a broad range of practice areas. Although our nation has experienced many legal and business changes since the firm was founded, the mission of MD&M remained steadfast: to provide innovative legal services of superior quality and exceptional value in a way that recognizes the client as the firm’s most important asset.

Our commitment to reliability and responsiveness to further our clients’ interests is at the heart of who we are and what we bring to the matters we handle. We meet the needs of our clients promptly and efficiently. Our clients can count on us to do exactly what we say we are going to do, when we say we are going to do it – and to do it with absolute professional integrity and dedication to the highest level of legal craftsmanship.

Applying our best professional efforts to everything we do is a major component of the strong reputation we have built in and out of the courtroom. Courtesy, trustworthiness, and good will are an integral part of all our dealings. The pursuit of our clients’ objectives is undertaken with unfailing attention to the highest standards of our profession.

It has been said that when engaging legal services, it is important to remember: “You do not hire a law firm – you hire lawyers.” Our lawyers at MDM&C are meticulous in preparation and forceful in advocacy. While they bring a wide range of legal experience and diverse backgrounds to the firm’s practice, the qualities they have in common are outstanding intellect, thoroughness, and good judgment. Counted among them are some of the most distinguished lawyers to have practiced in the State of New Jersey.

Partners and counsel for MDM&C include a former justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey and a former Dean of Seton Hall School of Law. Two of the firm’s partners previously served with distinction in the Office of the United States Attorney, and others have served in the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General or as Assistant Prosecutors in the Offices of County Prosecutors.

Eleven of our lawyers are Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers. (Fellowship in the College is considered the ultimate recognition of a trial attorney’s skills, ethics, and contribution to the profession.) Many attorneys in the firm have also been recognized by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as Certified Trial Attorneys, based on the number of cases tried, the result of a demanding examination, and other qualifications. Another lawyer is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Beyond their professional accomplishments, our firm’s attorneys are respected leaders in national, state, and local bar associations, ethics committees, and other professional organizations. One of MDM&C's partners is a former President of the New Jersey State Bar Association, and five partners are past and present presidents of county bar associations. Other lawyers at our firm have been appointed to the Supreme Court of New Jersey’s Committees on District Ethics, Judicial Conduct, and Professional Responsibility Rules. Our lawyers also serve on the boards of local businesses, financial institutions, and educational and charitable organizations.

The attorneys in our firm have been recognized for their integrity and dedication to the highest level of professionalism. While we are proud of their personal achievements and professional contributions, our collective focus is always on providing legal services of superior quality and exceptional value in a manner that places the client first.