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The Association Lawyers - 
Fran is licensed to practice law in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.
After obtaining an undergraduate degree in business from Rutgers School of Business, Fran focused on business law and litigation at Rutgers School of Law. In 1990, Fran served as a summer law clerk for the Honorable William H. Gindin who was then the Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. In 1991, Fran served as a summer law clerk for Kenney & Kearney, a South Jersey litigation firm.
Fran began his legal career during the early 1990’s real estate slump. Initially he served as a residential foreclosure attorney in center-city Philadelphia and subsequently as a commercial foreclosure and bankruptcy attorney in Princeton, New Jersey.
Fran received his first exposure to community and condominium associations while representing banks against developers who failed to complete the developments. In the fall of 1995, Fran transferred from his firm’s banking and bankruptcy department to the fledgling “community associations” department and has practiced almost exclusively in the community associations field for the past twenty-five years. Fran has been very active in the Community Associations Institute’s New Jersey Chapter since 1995. Fran served on CAI-NJ’s Board of Directors for six years including in various officer positions. He has also served on the Legislative Action, Editorial and Membership Committees. Fran has been CAI-NJ’s Speaker of the Year on multiple occasions and, in 2016, he was awarded CAI-NJ’s highest honor, the “Hall of Fame Award”.
Fran founded McGovern Legal Services, LLC upon the premise that legal advocacy must be “Solution-Minded”, that is, the client’s goal must be determined, alternatives for reaching the goal formulated and one or more of the alternatives pursued to achieve the goal. Disputes need not trigger a race to the Courthouse.
Today, McGovern Legal Services, LLC is a professionally administered law firm of ten attorneys specializing in community association law. McGovern Legal Services represents associations throughout New Jersey with offices located in North Brunswick, Brick Township, Jersey City, and Brigantine. (Brigantine office is meeting location by appointment only.)
Pat is licensed to practice law in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Pat has been a litigation attorney since 1985. She tries cases before juries and judges and where necessary argues them on appeal. Among other things, Pat has handled cases involving construction defect, insurance fraud and SIU investigations, commercial litigation, shareholder disputes, products liability, contract disputes, premises liability, commercial subrogation, and insurance coverage issues. Pat also assists community associations through the transition process, or if the need to file an order to show cause arises. She was selected to serve as an arbitrator in the New Jersey Superior Court and the American Arbitration Association.
In 1994, New Jersey’s Supreme Court recognized Pat’s extensive trial experience and education by granting her the prestigious “Certified Civil Trial Attorney”. Pat was recertified as a certified civil trial attorney in 2001 and again in 2011.
Pat holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Catholic University of America and a Law Degree from St. Johns University School of Law.
Damon is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and the U.S. District Court for New Jersey.
Damon joined McGovern Legal Services shortly after its inception.
His education was business focused. He attended Rutgers College for undergraduate study where he received a B.S. in Business Management in May 1999. Damon then received his JD from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego, California and graduated Cum Laude in May 2004. His course work at Thomas Jefferson focused on business and bankruptcy law, and trial and appellate advocacy. While attending law school part-time Damon was also a full-time accountant for a telecom consulting firm in San Diego where his responsibilities included investigating instances of financial fraud.
Damon counsels McGovern Legal Services’ clients on all legal issues. Damon also actively participates in the Community Association Institute. Damon has served as a member of the Editorial Committee for CAI’s publication Community Trends® since 2006, and he Chaired the Committee during 2008. Damon also regularly contributes original articles for publication in the periodical.
Marlena is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey and is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association, the Young Lawyers Division, and the Middlesex County Bar Association.
Marlena received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Bernard Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business in 2007, where she studied Human Resources Management and Political Science. While studying at Zicklin, Marlena also worked full-time in the Human Resources Department of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York where she focused on Recruitment, College Relations and Staff Retention.
Marlena received her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2010. While studying at Seton Hall Law, Marlena worked on various state and national political campaigns in the New York and New Jersey area. After completing law school, Marlena had the great pleasure of working as a law clerk for four Superior Court Judges in Middlesex County over the period of two years, including the Hon. Edward J. Ryan, J.S.C., Hon. Martin Kravarik, J.S.C., Hon. James P. Hurley, J.S.C. and Hon. Richard F. Plechner, J.S.C.
Marlena joined McGovern Legal Services in June 2012 where she represents community associations throughout New Jersey.
Tiffany graduated from Rutgers School of Law – Camden in May of 2011. She is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and New York.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Tiffany joined McGovern Legal Service in the fall of 2004 as its first collection paralegal.
While working at McGovern, Tiffany earned her undergraduate degree in political science cum laude from Seton Hall University. Upon graduation from law school, Tiffany worked as a collection attorney for a large multi-state law firm.
She rejoined McGovern Legal in the spring of 2015.
David is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and New York.
David graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2013. During law school he prosecuted municipal court trials and preliminary hearings as a bar certified intern with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. David also interned with the Honorable Magdeline D. Coleman, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Following law school, David clerked for one year with Assignment Judge Ronald E. Bookbinder in the Burlington County Superior Court. David then clerked for a second year with Appellate Division Judge Richard S. Hoffman in Westmont, New Jersey.
David attended college at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. A member of the “Katrina Class,” David graduated summa cum laude in 2009 with a double major in Philosophy and Sculpture, as well as minors in Mathematics and Literature.
Prior to law school, David completed a certificate degree in Digital Forensics from Chestnut Hill College in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania. His coursework included forensic imaging, system architecture, search techniques, recovery of deleted files, cracking encrypted file systems, and document and metadata analysis.
David joined McGovern Legal Services in November 2015.
Bill is admitted to practice law in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. He is also admitted to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the United States Tax Court. Bill has achieved the highest review rating from his peers: AV Preeminent.
After obtaining undergraduate degrees in economics and finance from Rider University, Bill focused on commercial and tax law at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law. After law School, Bill worked in the Tax Services Group at KPMG, LLP. Thereafter, Bill joined a prestigious New Jersey and Northeast regional law firm where he practiced for more than 20 years. Eventually Bill became a Shareholder and Chair of that firm’s Collections Group.
In 2018 Bill opened William H. Brosha, PLLC, in Scottsdale, Arizona. There he continued to dedicate his practice to creditor’s rights and collections. Missing New Jersey, Bill and his family decided to return in the spring of 2019. Since Bill and Fran McGovern had worked together earlier in their careers and Bill’s education and experience fit with McGovern Legal’s Association representation, Bill joined McGovern Legal in the spring of 2019.
Bill has decades of experience representing New Jersey and national clients in the full collection process. Among other things, this experience includes collections law, claims management and regulatory compliance.
Bill is an active member of the National Creditor Bar Association and Receivable Management Association International.
Heather is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and is a member of the Middlesex County Bar Association. She is the former law clerk to Superior Court Judge Barbara C. Stolte, Middlesex County, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
A Staten Island native, now living in New Jersey, Heather has broad experience in real estate, litigation, and bankruptcy matters - having served as a paralegal for sixteen years with several Northern New Jersey law firms.
While working as a full-time paralegal, Heather attended Widener University’s law school and received her law degree along with Certificates of Achievement in Legal Writing and Federal Civil Rights Litigation. Heather also holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Seaton Hall University and a paralegal certification from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Heather focuses her practice on Association general corporate matters including contracts, resolutions, homeowner disputes, resolutions, amendments, elections, and board meeting attendance.
Weston is admitted to practice in New Jersey, is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association, the Burlington Bar Association, and Middlesex Bar Association.
Weston had the pleasure of clerking for Superior Court Judge Richard L. Hertzberg, Burlington County, New Jersey. Also, during his clerkship, he clerked for retired recalled Superior Court Judge John E. Harrington (former Presiding Judge of Civil) handling the special civil and landlord tenant dockets.
Weston attended Rutgers Law School in Camden where he received certificates in Corporate & Business Law and Criminal Law & Procedure. During his time at law school, he served as the managing editor of the Rutgers Journal of Law & Religion. He participated in Hunter Moot Court and was a volunteer mediator for Camden County in landlord tenant court.
Weston had the privilege of interning for Appellate Division Judge Richard S. Hoffman in Westmont, New Jersey, United States Bankruptcy Judge Michael B. Kaplan for the District of New Jersey (now Chief Judge), and Senior United States District Judge R. Barclay Surrick for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Prior to law school, he attained undergraduate degrees in biology, psychology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and physics. During his undergraduate tenure, he spent a year with the National Cancer Institute at Fort Detrick, Maryland as well as participating in Division III Cross Country and Tennis. He then went on to medical school for two-years before making the switch to law school.
Weston joined McGovern Legal Services in September 2022.
Michael is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey.
Michael attended The College of New Jersey for his undergraduate studies. While in college, Michael was a three-time NCAA Division III All-American track and field athlete and a member of the rugby team. In 2003, Michael graduated magna cum laude with degrees in criminal justice and business marketing.
Michael focused primarily on real estate law and business law while studying at Quinnipiac University School of Law. Michael served as the business managing editor of the Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal. During his second year, Michael served as a law clerk to the Honorable Barry R. Schaller in the Connecticut Appellate Court. Michael graduated magna cum laude from Quinnipiac University School of Law in May 2006.
Michael began his legal career with McGovern Legal Services in 2006 representing community associations throughout New Jersey. Michael is a frequent lecturer on a variety of community association issues at venues throughout New Jersey.
In 2013, Michael was selected by the Supreme Court of New Jersey to serve on the District IIIA Attorney Ethics Committee for a four-year term. The Ethics Committee is supported and overseen by the Office of Attorney Ethics.