Stephen P. DeNittis is a named shareholder with Shabel & DeNittis, P.C. An experienced consumer fraud class action litigator and catastrophic personal injury litigator, Mr. DeNittis has recovered millions of dollars for victims of severe injury or corporate fraud in federal and state courts across the country. He currently serves as lead or co-lead counsel in many class actions currently pending in federal and state court. Since 1998, Mr. DeNittis has successfully served as lead or co-lead counsel in over fifty (50) class actions involving consumer fraud, false advertising, construction defects, wage and hour violations, RESPA violations and mass tort litigation throughout the country.
Mr. DeNittis’ notable cases include:
- France v. Merrill Lynch, where Mr. DeNittis served as co-lead counsel in a wage an hour violation action and obtained final approval in 2009 of a $43.5 million class action settlement on behalf of a class of 22,000 Merrill Lynch stockbrokers in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.
- Ingling v. Ryder Truck Rental, where he obtained a $7 million dollar settlement on behalf a client who suffered a devastating brain injury as a result of a slip and fall that occurred in a parking lot in 2005. The settlement was recognized by The New Jersey Law Journal as the largest slip and fall settlement in the State of New Jersey for the year 2007 and still stands as the largest recovery for an individual in the State involving a person injured by a slip and fall;
- DeMarco v. National Collector’s Mint where Mr. DeNittis was lead counsel and obtained a settlement valued at $9 million dollars on behalf of a class of 176,000 class members who were defrauded into purchasing a fake coin allegedly issued by the U.S. Mint to commemorate the “9/11″ Terrorist Attack. The case was a matter of first impression in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York under the Hobby Protection Act 15 U.S.C. § 2101(b) and is now a published opinion in the Federal Reporters. 229 F.R.D. 73 (S.D.N.Y. 2005).
- Moore v. Sarappa Septics et al. was a construction case involving a 26 year old electrician who suffered severe back injuries when a dangerous condition at a residential construction site caused him to fall. Mr. DeNittis obtained a $500,000 settlement with the general contractor and one of the sub-contractors. Another subcontractor responsible for actually creating the dangerous only offered $10,000 to settle so the case went to trial. At trial, Mr. DeNittis won a $1,000,000 verdict for Mr. Moore. 9/23/2011
Mr. DeNittis was also plaintiffs’ trial counsel in Barkers v. Public Service Electric and Gas (PSEG) where he obtained an order for PSEG to install excess flow valves or place cement protective bollards to approximately 2,800 residential and commercial gas meter sets located throughout the State of New Jersey. PSE&G negligently placed meters in a dangerous condition, in close proximity to persons’ driveways, garage doors or parking areas. As a result of Mr. DeNittis’ efforts in the case, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities proposed and adopted new rules and regulations in December of 2004 prohibiting any new or existing gas meters from being installed in the State of New Jersey within 3 feet of any garage door, driveway or parking area. Mr. DeNittis was also co-lead and principal trial counsel in Schmoll v. J.S. Hovnanian, a class action that settled after four days of trial which resulted in J.S. Hovnanian repairing a construction defect found in 995 homes in the Holiday East development in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey.
He is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and before the United States Supreme Court and many other federal courts. He is rated AV, the highest rating given by Martindale Hubbell, the country’s foremost legal directory. He has also been named a “New Jersey Rising Star” by Law and Politics Magazine and from 2006 thru 2011 where he was recognized in the top 2.5% of attorneys practicing in New Jersey under the age of forty years old. AlsoNew Jersey Monthly he has been recognized in 2011 by SJ Magazine as Top Class Action lawyer and South Jersey Magazine as an “Awesome Attorney” in the field of Personal Injury.
Aside from his work, Mr. DeNittis financially sponsors and coaches his two daughters’ soccer and softball teams. He also is a lifelong rabid Philadelphia Eagles fan and has been a season ticket holder since 1997.
Bar Admissions:
- New Jersey, 1997
- Pennsylvania, 1997
- U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 1997
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2006
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2007
Education:
- Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1997
J.D. - Rutgers University, Camden, Camden, New Jersey, 1992
B.A. Major: Economics
Classes/Seminars Taught:
- Faculty Member, “Personal Injury Case Management for Seasoned Litigators”, National Business Institute Seminar, November 29, 2007
- Lecturer, “Personal Injury Trials: Getting the Most Out Of Your Evidence”, National Business Institute Seminar, October 13, 2008
- Lecturer, “Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Collective Actions”, Camden County Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Committee, November 12, 2008
- Lecturer, “Private Practice Professional Development Symposium- Class Action Litigation”, Rutgers-Camden University School of Law, February 28, 2009
- Lecturer, “Anticipating Class Actions”, Camden County Bar Association Class Action Practice Committee, March 23, 2010
- Lecturer, “Opposing Perspectives on the Tort Settlement Process – Legal and Practical Considerations” , The Sharper Lawyer, Continuing Legal Education, December 14, 2010
- Lecturer, “The Impact of Recent Developments in Class Action Law in the Interests of Plaintiffs and Defendants – New Jersey and Beyond”, Camden County Bar Association Class Action Committee, April 19, 2011
Professional Associations and Memberships:
- New Jersey Association for Justice
- American Association for Justice
- New Jersey State Bar Association
- Burlington County Bar Association: Personal Injury Committee
- Burlington County Bar Association: Civil Practice Committee
- Camden County Bar Association: Class Action Practice Committee
- Camden County Bar Association: Personal Injury Committee
- Camden County Bar Association: Civil Practice Committee
- American Bar Association
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- New Jersey State Bar Association: Class Action Law Committee
- New Jersey State Bar Association: Products Liability Law Committee