A New Jersey appeals court has refused to overturn sanctions against an Edgewater law firm and its head partner for being “vexatious” in efforts to defend itself in a defamation lawsuit filed by a rival firm.

The two-judge Appellate Division panel, in an unpublished ruling, said a trial judge acted correctly in dismissing multiple motions and demands for discovery filed by the firm, Abrahamsen Law Firm, and its founder, Richard Abrahamsen.