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Joseph A. Natale
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Joe is a rising talent in New Jersey’s litigation bar, having earned a strong reputation as a formidable advocate for his sophisticated handling of complex commercial litigation primarily involving business, construction, and real estate disputes. He brings a strategic, tenacious and detail-oriented approach to every aspect of his practice, which includes pre-trial, trial, chancery, and appellate litigation at both the state and federal levels, as well as in private arbitration and administrative law forums.

Joe provides pragmatic support to a diverse range of clients, including large and middle market businesses, entrepreneurs, real estate owners, land developers, commercial landlords and tenants, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, healthcare providers, professional services firms, and local government entities.

He maintains a diverse litigation practice, representing clients in a wide array of sophisticated commercial disputes. His experience encompasses the resolution of claims involving breach of contract, fraud, tortious interference, and unfair competition. Additionally, he provides strategic advocacy in the sensitive area of "business divorces," handling shareholder and partnership disputes that involve allegations of minority shareholder oppression, misappropriation, conversion, and breach of fiduciary duty.  Joe also defends professional liability actions, including high stakes claims of legal malpractice.

A significant portion of Joe’s practice is dedicated to the construction and real estate sectors. He represents clients in complex construction litigation, managing disputes related to payment, scope of work, defective design, and project delays or wrongful terminations. His property development expertise further extends to real estate litigation arising from purchase agreements, commercial leases, and redevelopment agreements. Joe also provides essential support in land use disputes involving challenges to either the approval or denial of land use applications, ensuring his clients’ property interests are protected throughout the administrative and judicial process.

Beyond the courtroom, Joe draws upon his construction litigation experience to protect his clients’ interests during the project planning phase by negotiating and drafting construction-related contracts. By combining his instincts as a litigator with a meticulous approach to contract drafting, Joe offers comprehensive counsel that addresses both the immediate and long-term legal needs of his clients.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Bar Admissions

  • New Jersey, 2018
  • New York, 2019
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 2019
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 2024
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 2024
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 2023
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 2023
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of New Jersey, 2023

Education

  • Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 2018
  • Tufts University, B.A., 2015

Recognition

  • Listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (a trademark of Woodward/White, Inc.) in the Commercial Litigation (2023 - present) and Professional Malpractice Law (2022 - present) practice areas  
  • Listed in Super Lawyers - New Jersey Rising Stars (a Thomson Reuters business) in the Business Litigation practice area (2023 - present)
  • Selected for inclusion by the New Jersey Law Journal for 2025 "New Leaders of the Bar," the publication's annual listing of outstanding attorneys under the age of 40 and practicing in New Jersey
  • Selected for inclusion by NJBIZ (a publication of Bridge Tower Media) for its 2025 “Leaders in Law” list
  • Recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, presented by the Morris County Bar Association

Ones To Watch - Lawyer Logo Rated By SuperLawyers Joseph A. Natale 2026

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.

Clerkships

  • Former law clerk to The Honorable Owen C. McCarthy, Superior Court of New Jersey, Monmouth County (2018 - 2019)

Representative Matters

As an associate, Joe provides essential support in the firm’s representation of clients in numerous matters, including the following: 

  • Representing a nationwide equipment distributor in multi-jurisdictional successor-liability litigation involving alleged exposure exceeding $150 million, defending claims that the client assumed liabilities of a separate company through intellectual property licensing arrangements. The matters include actions pending in New Jersey and California federal courts, with motions to dismiss pending, as well as representation of a company principal in a related Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding in New Jersey.
  • Represented the New Jersey Schools Development Authority in long-running condemnation and environmental remediation litigation, securing recovery of more than $4 million in escrowed funds to reimburse cleanup costs incurred by the client.
  • The firm represents residential property owners in a multi-million-dollar construction defect and consumer fraud action arising from a high-end renovation project in Glen Ridge, asserting claims for cost overruns, defective workmanship, unauthorized changes, and violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act. 
  • Represented a principal in a business divorce arbitration involving multiple real estate holding companies, obtaining a multi-million-dollar recovery. 
  • Successfully defended a prominent business litigation law firm against a federal legal malpractice action, prevailing on a motion to dismiss. 
  • Represented a minority shareholder of closely held entities in AAA arbitration and Chancery Division proceedings, securing a favorable buyout of the client’s ownership interests.  
  • Negotiated the return of a multiple six-figure permit fee over-assessment improperly imposed by a municipality against a construction company in violation of the Uniform Construction Code.  
  • Represented a law firm in federal litigation asserting violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, securing voluntary dismissal of all claims following summary judgment motion practice.
  • Represented the mayor of one of New Jersey’s largest cities in litigation brought by the city’s governing body concerning the delegation of statutory redevelopment authority. 
  • Successfully defended, on appeal, a municipal police department in connection with a Civil Service Commission decision upholding the removal of a police officer from employment. 
  • Contributed to the defense of a developer and general contractor in construction litigation brought by a specialty subcontractor on a six-story mixed-use project in Bayonne, asserting counterclaims and third-party claims for professional malpractice, breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, and Consumer Fraud Act violations. 

Memberships

  • New Jersey State Bar Association: Leadership Academy Fellow (2024-2025); Young Lawyers Division, Treasurer, former Secretary, Membership Committee Co-Chair, Dictum Newsletter Assistant Editor
  • Morris County Bar Association: Construction & Surety Committee Co-Chair; former Trustee
  • Morris County Bar Foundation Trustee
  • Essex County Bar Association

Announcements

Seminars & Events

In an evolving market where factors including remote work and digital data have shifted the rules of competition, safeguarding your company's proprietary assets is more critical than ever. Greenbaum litigators Darren Barreiro and Joe Natale discuss the strategic enforcement of restrictive covenants and the importance of acting swiftly to protect your business from threats such as unfair competition and trade secret misappropriation.

Of Interest