Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani welcomes Roy F. Viola, Jr. as a partner in the firm’s Florham Park, New Jersey office. He joins the firm’s Environmental/Toxic Tort, Product & General Liability, Construction, and Commercial Litigation practice groups.
As a first-chair trial lawyer for more than 25 years, Viola has tried 35 jury trials across the country. He handles all aspects of litigation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including toxic tort, asbestos, talcum powder, contaminated food, environmental, and construction defect cases. He has also been involved in the opioid litigation, representing wholesale pharmaceutical distributors in both state and federal courts. Viola joins the firm as part of a larger group of 11 other attorneys all of whom previously practiced with Hawkins Parnell & Young, LLP.
"Roy is an excellent attorney, and we are very pleased he has joined Gordon & Rees," said Ron Giller, Managing Partner of the New Jersey office. "His broad experience in environmental and pharmaceutical litigation will be a tremendous asset to clients both in New Jersey and across the country."
He also litigates commercial, D&O, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) cases. He actively participates in all areas of discovery, including depositions, motions, and strategy development. He frequently is local counsel in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for various firm clients, regularly appearing in court for motions, hearings, and trials.
Viola was a combat officer in the United States Army Air Defense Artillery before attending law school. He re-entered active service as an Army Judge Advocate where he served primarily as a trial counsel in 1996, he was also named a Special Assistant United States Attorney responsible for felony prosecutions on United States property. He was a Distinguished Military Graduate and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the Secretary of the Army.
After leaving active duty, he entered private practice and immediately began trying cases in New Jersey. He has been placed as the trial counsel in dozens of very complex multi-million dollar cases. He has also represented large corporations as national coordinating counsel, overseeing and directing litigation and defense strategy throughout the United States. He has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences and CLEs, including HarrisMartin and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
He is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
He earned his law degree from Rutgers University and his undergraduate degree from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.