John V. Mallon

John V. Mallon chairs the firm's defense department, leading a group of 13 attorneys handling matters related to automobile, aviation, premises liability and insurance coverage disputes.  He has prepared hundreds of cases for trial in both the state and federal courts and has tried more than 60 to verdict.  In recognition of his extensive trial experience, he has been designated as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney by the New Jersey Supreme Court since 2001.  In a rigorous selection process conducted by Law Politics and published in New Jersey Monthly Magazine, John was designated as a Super Lawyer® in the area of insurance coverage in 2009.  Most recently, Martindale-Hubbell awarded its highest peer review rating to John for ethical standards and legal ability.  A Martindale-Hubbell AV rating is a significant accomplishment — a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.
 
John  has also defended numerous appeals on behalf of his clients.  In Buono v. Scalia, he successfully argued the doctrine of parental immunity before the New Jersey Supreme Court. In a matter of first impression, he persuaded New Jersey’s highest court that a parent’s determination to allow a child to ride his bicycle within the confines of a neighborhood block party was a valid exercise of parental decision-making, providing immunity from a negligent supervision claim.
 
John has served as a continuing legal education speaker to the legal community, most recently presenting at the New Jersey institute for Continuing Legal Education seminars "Keys to Focusing and Developing Your Case", “The Best Offense is to know the Defense" and “Hot Topics in Torts”.
 
A graduate of the University of Scranton in 1988, John earning a bachelor's degree cum laude.  He received his juris doctor degree from Rutgers University School of Law in 1994.  John began his career with Allstate Insurance Company in 1988, gaining vast experience in a wide array of insurance related areas.  He was later appointed as a trial counsel for Allstate’s legal department before joining Chasan Leyner & Lamparello, PC in 1997.  He became a principal with the firm in January 2001.

A member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, John was recently appointed vice chair of the Insurance Law Section.  He is a member of the Hudson County Bar Association, serving as co-chair of the Civil Arbitration Selection Committee. He is also a member of the New Jersey Defense Association.
 
In addition to his professional responsibilities, John currently serves as a coach in a Youth Instructional Soccer League and Little League Baseball.  He previously served as the program coordinator for the Boys Soccer Division.  He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, and  has been involved with the Boy Scouts of America for a number of years.  As a scout he achieved the Eagle rank.  He has served as an Assistant Cubmaster and Den Leader, and currently is an Assistant Scoutmaster with his son’s Boy Scout troop.