Legal Department
Ramon Rivera, Township Attorney
Room 206
1 Civic Square
Irvington, New Jersey 07111
Telephone: 973-399-6636 or 6637
Fax: 973-399-6723
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The Township’s Law Department serves as the legal authority to both the Mayor and the City Council, advising the Mayor and the City Council on the form & sufficiency of all resolutions & ordinances; reviewing and approving all contracts, deeds & documents on behalf of the Township of Irvington; conducting appeals from orders, decisions or judgments; entering into agreements, compromises, or settlements subject to council approval; rendering legal opinions to the Mayor, Township Council, Township Administrator & Department Heads; maintaining records of all legal actions; conducting prosecutions as required and administering the municipal insurance fund.
Ramon E. Rivera, Esq. – Township Attorney – Chief Legal Advisor to Mayor Tony Vauss and all Municipal Department Directors including both Police and Fire Departments.
While Mr. Rivera focuses much of his private practice on labor and employment matters in both the public and private sectors, he also has significant experience in government relations in New Jersey. Having worked closely on both municipal and state elections, Mr. Rivera has forged many relationships with many elected officials and legislators throughout the State.
Mr. Rivera has represented numerous municipalities both as General Counsel and Special Counsel in various areas of the law. Further, Mr. Rivera represents several municipalities as Labor Counsel, wherein he provides legal advice and representation on employment matters. In addition he also represents numerous school boards as Special Counsel.
Mr. Rivera is a member of the Executive Committee of the Section on Labor & Employment of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He is admitted to practice law in New Jersey. Mr. Rivera has been practicing law for 14 years and has been with the firm of Scarinci & Hollenbeck for about 8 years.
Mr. Rivera received his Undergraduate Degree from Wesleyan University and his Juris Doctorate Degree from Rutgers University Law School. At Rutgers he was Vice President of the Association of Black Law Students and Treasurer of the Association of Latino Students.
AFFILIATIONS
- New Jersey State Bar Association (Member of the Executive Committee of the Section on Labor & Employment Member of the Minorities in the Professional Section)
- Essex County Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section, Scholarship Committee, Board Member of the Young Lawyers Division)
- Sidney Reitman Labor and employment Law American Inn of Court
Dwayne Warren, ESQ. – received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and his Juris Doctor Degree from Rutgers University School of Law, Newark, NJ. He earned the Certificate in Municipal Finances-Raising and Spending Money by Municipalities from the Center for Government Services Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy of Rutgers University (topics included: Municipal Budgets, Bonding, Property Tax Assessments, Tax Lien Enforcement and Public Contracts Law). He also completed advanced training at the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education. Mayor Warren is certified by the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts as a Mediator for the Superior Court of New Jersey Special Civil Part. Upon receiving his Juris Doctor, Mayor Warren was awarded a Judicial Clerkship with the Superior Court Judge Kenith D. Bloom. Thereafter, he served as a Prosecutor with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and became an Associate with a private law firm where he received extensive experience. He later became a partner with the law firm of Warren & Tosi, P.C. where his practice focused on representing non-profit organizations and public sector clients in providing legal advice and counsel to governing boards of public entities such as towns municipalities, counties and boards. Mayor Warren has been married to Dr. Karma Warren for over 14 years and are the proud parents of Dwayne Jr. and Nia Simone. The Warrens are active members of Clear View Baptist Church, NAACP, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Evelyn Akushie-Onyeani, ESQ. – is the Second Assistant Township Attorney for the Irvington Township Attorney’s Office. Ms. Onyeani is primarily responsible for managing litigation assigned to outside counsel. In addition, Ms. Onyeani handles municipal court, foreclosure litigation, bankruptcy, eminent domain, real estate, general litigation and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) matters for the Township of Irvington. Ms. Onyeani also serves on the New Jersey Attorney Ethics Committee where she investigates grievances filed against attorneys for alleged unethical attorney conduct. Ms. Onyeani volunteers her time by representing indigent clients in bankruptcy matters. She is also a certified Foreclosure Mediator for the State of New Jersey.
Ms. Onyeani obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University located in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. Thereafter, she obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School located in Lansing, Michigan. Ms. Onyeani is admitted to practice in all New Jersey State and Federal Courts. She is also admitted to practice in the Southern and Eastern District Courts of New York. Ms. Onyeani has been practicing law for over 9 years.
LEGAL ASSISTANTS
Shekenna Brown – is the senior member of the Township Attorney’s legal support staff. She has approximately twenty years working in office support and customer service. Ms. Brown previously worked in the Office of the Registrar at Montclair State University and for the State of New Jersey’s Office of Consumer Affairs. Her educational training took place at the Essex County College in Newark, N.J.
Tricia Ann Anderson – a member of the Township Attorney’s support staff, Ms. Anderson has prior experience working for private law firms and in the banking industry. She holds a Bachelors Degree and Masters of Science Degree from Kaplan University. She is the recipient of many academic and professional awards.