The Honorable Thomas V. Manahan, J.A.D., (Ret.) brings over four decades of legal and judicial experience to his role as Special Counsel at Fava Law. A retired Judge of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, he now focuses on Mediation, Arbitration, Appellate Matters, and General Legal Advice, offering clients a rare blend of deep legal insight and practical problem-solving.

Appointed to the bench in 2003, Judge Manahan served in the Trial Division of the Morris/Sussex Vicinage, presiding over civil, family, and criminal matters. He later became the Presiding Judge of both the Civil and Criminal Divisions, and ultimately served on the Appellate Division, where he reviewed numerous family law appeals and complex civil matters.

His leadership extended beyond the bench, including key roles such as Chair of the Conference of Criminal Presiding Judges, Co-Chair of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Internal Speedy Trial Working Group, and Chair of the Bail Subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Criminal Justice.

Before his judicial service, Judge Manahan was the Union County Prosecutor, an Assistant Attorney General, and Director of State Police Affairs. In private practice, he was a partner at Satterlee, Stephens, Burke & Burke, where he focused on employment law, commercial litigation, insurance defense, and personal injury.

He also served as a Special Ethics Master after chairing the District 12 Ethics Committee and has been an Adjunct Professor at Cornell Law School since 2018.

Judge Manahan is admitted to the Bar of New Jersey and retired from the Bar of New York. His federal admissions include the United States Supreme Court, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Southern District of New York, and the District of New Jersey.