Hon. Donald A. Kessler (Ret.)

Judge Kessler focuses his practice on resolving commercial and family law disputes through mediation and arbitration as an alternative to traditional litigation. His experience as a judge of the equity court enables him to deal with business disputes encompassing a broad range of matters, including those related to contracts, real property, construction, employment, unfair competition, intellectual property, corporate and LLC issues, and consumer fraud. During his tenure as a Judge, Judge Kessler conducted numerous trials, heard a wide variety of matters and settled hundreds of cases in both the Chancery and Family Divisions. In addition, he was frequently asked to lecture before bar and judicial groups on a wide variety of topics related to his areas of expertise, and was also called upon to teach at New Jersey Judicial College and New Judge Orientation.

Prior to his time on the bench, Judge Kessler spent 35 years in private practice, representing corporate and individual clients on complex litigation and business counseling. He represented clients in such matters as breach and enforcement of contracts, construction, business dissolution, enforcement of restrictive covenants, securities fraud, antitrust disputes, corporate theft, intellectual property, employment and business fraud. He also represented a hospital for 27 years and several physicians, physician practices, lawyers and law firms with respect to a variety of legal matters.

Judge Kessler is a member of the American Arbitration Association Commercial, Employment, Healthcare and Consumer Arbitration Panels and Commercial and Employment Mediation Panels and is qualified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a R.1:40 mediator.

• New York University School of Law, J.D., 1974 (Root-Tilden Fellow)
• Union College, B.A., 1971 (Magna Cum Laude)
• Member, Phi Beta Kappa Society

• Former Vice Chair (2 years) and Member (6 years), New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Complementary Dispute Resolution
• Former Member and Chair Judicial Education, New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Women in the Courts
• Garibaldi Inn of Court for Alternative Dispute Resoltution 
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• American Bar Association (Member, Dispute Resolution Section)
• New Jersey Bar Association (Member, Dispute Resoltuon Section, Business Litigation Committee and Chancery Committee)
• Former Chairman (2 years) and Member (8 years), New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners

$475 per hour