Hankin Sandman Palladino Weintrob & Bell announced that retired Superior Court Judge Nelson C. Johnson will join the firm as of counsel on Oct. 10. Johnson’s practice will be limited to mediation and arbitration of commercial litigation, general equity matters, and other civil disputes generally filed in the law and chancery courts, as well as federal court, excluding claims arising out of automobile accidents, according to the announcement. 

Prior to his appointment to the New Jersey Superior Court in 2006, Johnson practiced law for 31 years at large and small firms, according to the announcement. His practice entailed mostly civil litigation in the Law Division involving business disputes, land use matters, and equitable proceedings in the chancery court. During his 13 years on the bench, Johnson sat in the Law Division, and for eight of those years, he was conflict judge on chancery matters. Johnson was also designated by the New Jersey Supreme Court as one of three centralized mass torts judges in the state.