Dennis S. Deutsch Esq.
Dennis S. Deutsch is a partner at Kaufman, Semeraro, Bern, Deutsch & Leibman, LLP and the head of the litigation practice. Mr. Deutsch's has more than thirty years of commercial litigation experience in both state and federal court. Mr. Deutsch's commercial litigation knowledge is vast and encompasses all aspects of business law, computer law, real estate law, employment law, personal injury law, condemnation law, zoning/ land use, and appellate procedure. Aside from a general litigation background, Mr. Deutsch devotes a significant portion of his practice to employment law matters. Mr. Deutsch advises both employers and employees on issues associated with discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge and wage disputes. In addition to specializing in employment law matters, Mr. Deutsch is proficient in the area of computer law. Specifically, Mr. Deutsch has considerable transactional and litigation experience in the preparation and licensing of software, software acquisition, and the protection of intellectual property.
Mr. Deutsch also sits as the planning board attorney for the Township of River Vale and advises the board on various zoning and land use matters. Mr. Deutsch also represents commercial and residential clients before several municipal planning boards throughout Bergen County.
Mr. Deutsch's legal background also extends into the political arena. Mr. Deutsch served as both the Mayor of Hillsdale, New Jersey from 2003-2007 and a member of the Hillsdale Planning Board from 2003-2007. Prior to his tenure as Mayor, Mr. Deutsch was a councilman in Hillsdale from 1999-2003.
In addition to a busy law practice, Mr. Deutsch also recognizes the importance of giving back to the legal community and molding the future lawyers of tomorrow. Mr. Deutsch is a former trustee of the Bergen County Bar Association and a Past President of the Young Lawyers' Division of the Bergen County Bar Association. Mr. Deutsch also served as Pro Bono Legal Counsel and a member of the Board of Directors for the Tourette Syndrome Association of New Jersey, Inc. From 1989-2003, Mr. Deutsch served as an Associate Adjunct Professor of Computer Law at Fordham University School of Law in New York. From 1997-2003, Mr. Deutsch was an Associate Adjunct Professor of Computer Law at Rutgers School of Law in New Jersey. Mr. Deutsch has lectured on Computer Law issues at the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education and was a past member of the Editorial Advisory Board of The Software Law Journal at the John Marshall Law School and Center for Computer Law. Mr. Deutsch has also prepared video tape seminars on software licensing and protection issues for the Technology Interchange Group, Inc. in Clifton New Jersey, the Computer Channel, Inc., in Syosset, New York and the Data-Tech Institute in Nutley, New Jersey.
Mr. Deutsch received his B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, cum laude in 1971, his M.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1972, where he served as a graduate teaching fellow and his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law in 1975. Mr. Deutsch is a member of the state and federal bars of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida and continues to be affiliated with the Bergen County Bar Association.
Areas of Practice
- Internet & Technology
- Civil Litigation
- Personal Injury
- Employment
- Land Use
Litigation Percentage
- 75% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania, 1975
- Florida, 1975
- New Jersey, 1979
- New York, 1982
- U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 1979
Education
- The Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
- J.D. - 1975
- Law Journal: The Software Law Journal at the John Marshall Law School and Center for Computer Law
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- M.A. - 1972
- Major: Diplomatic History
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- B.A. (Cum Laude) - 1971
- Major: Political Science
Published Works
- "Risk Management for Computer Software Errors and Omissions" , The Risk Report, International Risk Management Institute, Vol. XI, No 4, December, 1988
- "The 'Demo' as the Basis of the Fraud and Breach of Contract Claim" , The Computer Lawyer, Law & Business, Inc., Vol. 8, Number 5, May, 1991
- "When a Vendor Files for Bankruptcy", Computerworld, Vol. XXV, No. 11, March, 18 , 1991
- "Protect the Source Code of Software Investments", Computerworld, Vol. XXV, No. 12, March 15, 1991
- "Litigate and Arbitrate: A Hybrid Method of Alternative Dispute Resolutions", Computer/Law Journal, University of Southern California, Vol. X, Number 4, December, 1990
- "Computer and EDP Claims: Risk Management, Coverage and Potential Liabilities" , Software Law Journal, The John Marshall Law School, Vol. IV, Number 2, April, 1991
- "Litigate and Arbitrate: A Hybrid Method of Alternative Dispute Resolutions,", Computer/Law Journal, University of Southern California, Vol. X, Number 4, December, 1990
- "An Introduction to Current Issues in Computer Law", Journal of Paralegal Education and Practice, American Association of Paralegal Education, Vol. 5 #1, October, 1988
- "How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Computer Contracting", INC., June, 1981
- "A Legal Primer for the OEM", DATAMATION (OEM Ed.), March, 1984
- "Time Considerations and Computer Purchase Litigation", New Jersey Lawyer, Spring Issue, No. 115., May, 1986
- "Time Considerations and Computer Purchase Litigation", Journal of the New Jersey Bar Association, Spring Issue, No. 115., May, 1986
- "Key Elements of Information Technology System Acquisition", CyberSpace Camp, Computer Law Association and The Santa Clara University School of Law, September, 1998
- "Limitation of Liability Clauses: Will they Ever Be Effective Again?" , The Computer Lawyer, Law & Business, Inc., Vol. 3, No. 1, January, 1986
- "Contracts" , Computer Negotiations Reports,, Vol. 7, Issues 12 and 13, August and Sep, 1984
- "Preparing the Breach of Contract Computer Law Case" , Trial Diplomacy Journal, Northbrook, Ill., Vol. 8, No. 2, Summer, 1985
- "Computers and Medical Malpractice", Medical Electronics, April, 1986
- "Simple Yet Savvy: Four Adjustments Add More Flexibility to Your Software Site Licenses", ComputerWorld, Vol. 28, No. 40, October, 3, 1994
- "How Vendors Increase Their Profits in Today's Marketplace", Data-Tech News, Winter, Volume 1 Number 1, Page 3, 1995
- "Typical Contract Clauses in Web Site Agreements” , Drafting Web Site Agreements, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, September, 23, 1999
- "A Policy to Protect Against Improper Employee Computer Use” , New Jersey Municipalities: Magazine of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, November, 2000
- "A Policy to Protect Against Improper Employee Computer Use” , Pennsylvanian: The Magazine for Local Governments, November, 2000
- "Standard Clauses for Website Development Agreements", Gigalaw, 2001
- "A Proposal: Serving Process by E-mail”, New Jersey Lawyer, May, 20, Page 7, 2002
- Protect Yourself: the Guide to Understanding and Negotiating Contracts for Business Computers and Software, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1984
- "Legal Considerations" in How to Start A Word Processing Business at Home (Chapter One) (Co-Author with John J. Branson III), Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1985
- ComputerWorld, DATAMATION, Miscellaneous Publications
Representative Cases
Classes/Seminars
- "Understanding and Negotiating Contracts for Business Computers and Software", Data-Tech Institute, Nutley, New Jersey
- "Software and the Law", Data-Tech Institute, Nutley, New Jersey
- "Buying and Selling Rights to Software, Hardware and Services" , Data-Tech Institute, Nutley, New Jersey
- "Software Licensing Agreements" , Data-Tech Institute, Nutley, New Jersey
- "Software Licensing Agreements" A Two Hour Video Tape Seminar on Software Licensing and Protection Issues, Technology Interchange Group, Inc., Clifton, N.J., 1995
- "Negotiating Effective Software Contracts", Computer Channel, Inc., Syosset, N.Y., 1998
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Bergen County Bar Association, 1979 - Present
- The Software Law Journal, Member, Editorial Advisory Board, 1987
Past Employment Positions
- Mayor of Hillsdale, New Jersey, 2003 - 2007
- Hillsdale Planning Board, Member, 2003 - 2007
- Hillsdale , Councilman, 1999 - 2003
Pro Bono Activities
- Counsel - Tourette Syndrome Assoc. of NJ
- Counsel - Hillsdale Centennial Committee, 1997 - 1998
Fraternities/Sororities
- Zeta Beta Tau
