About Buchan, Palo, & Cardamone
Strong, dependable attorneys finding your path to resolution.
Kevin A. Buchan, Esq
P: 732-328-8700 ● F: 732-328-9933 ● E: kbuchan@bpclawnj.com
New Jersey native Kevin A. Buchan concentrates his legal practice in the areas of criminal defense, administrative law, and ethics proceedings. He regularly handles all phases of criminal litigation at both the state and federal levels.
Kevin’s interest in criminal defense work began in law school when he served as an intern in the office of the Union County Prosecutor. From that time on, he knew that he wanted to devote his career to criminal law. Following law school, Kevin served as a criminal law clerk for the Honorable William L’E. Wertheimer, J.S.C. This experience gave him further insight into the workings of the criminal justice system.
Kevin takes pleasure in his ability to help others, particularly at a time in their lives when they may have stumbled or made mistakes. Colleagues describe Kevin as practical, approachable, and knowledgeable in the day-to-day practice of law. Clients appreciate that he cares about them and is attentive to the details of their cases, as well as being quietly tenacious in his pursuit of justice on their behalf.
Kevin is decisive and always goes the distance to gets things done for his client. These traits have served him well in his criminal defense practice, as well as during his tenure as the Municipal Prosecutor for Franklin Township, New Jersey. He was appointed to that position in January, 2009. Kevin has been consistently recognized for his proficiency in the practice of law. Kevin has regularly been honored in New Jersey Monthly Magazine as a “Super Lawyers – Rising Star” since 2009. In 2014, Kevin was elected as a Trustee to the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey.
Kevin resides in Holmdel, New Jersey with his wife and four children. When he is not working, Kevin, a former member of the Rutgers Varsity Lacrosse team, he enjoys watching Rutgers football and coaching his kids’ sports teams.
Practice Areas
Family Law
Criminal Defense
Municipal Law
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 2004
Rutgers College, B.A., cum laude, 2001
Admissions to Practice
New Jersey, 2005
New York, 2005
United States District Court, District of New Jersey, 2005
United States District Court, Southern District of New York, 2007
United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, 2007
United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 2012
Professional Memberships and Associations
Trustee, Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (ACDLNJ)
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
Association of the Federal Bar
New Jersey State Bar Association
Honors and Publications
New Jersey Monthly Magazine’s “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars,” 2013 – Present
Co-author, Tax Consequences of Forfeiture, Penalties, and Restitution, TAX NOTES, January 21, 2013 (John H. Skarbnik, Kevin A. Buchan)
Stephanie Palo, Esq.
P: 732-328-8700 ● F: 732-328-9933 ● E: spalo@bpclawnj.com
Stephanie Palo, Esq. devotes her practice to the litigation of family law, criminal defense, and commercial civil litigation matters. Although Stephanie always strives to efficiently resolve cases in her clients’ favor, she is an experienced litigator who when necessary zealously advocates for her clients in court. She is admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey, the District Court of the District of New Jersey, and the State of New York.
While attending Rutgers School of Law-Newark, Stephanie served as Co-Chair of the Moot Court Board, a Legal Research and Writing Teaching Associate, and a Submissions Editor on the Women’s Rights Law Reporter. Stephanie additionally served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Katharine S. Hayden of the District Court of the District of New Jersey.
After graduating from Rutgers School of Law – Newark in 2009, Stephanie was a judicial clerk to the Honorable Rudy B. Coleman of the New Jersey Appellate Division. As a law clerk, Stephanie was dedicated to conducting legal research, drafting bench memoranda, and assisting Judge Coleman in the composition of judicial opinions. The skills Stephanie developed as an Appellate Division law clerk have been invaluable in her appeals practice.
In her family law practice, Stephanie prides herself on assessing and attentively addressing the unique challenges of each case. Stephanie is prepared whether the case presents with contested child custody issues, complex distribution of marital property, cash-flow disputes, marital business distribution, domestic violence, or need for appeal. She is also dedicated to resolving disputes through alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation, arbitration, cooperative divorce, and collaborative divorce.
Stephanie also regularly serves as a mediator and as an Early Settlement Panel panelist in Monmouth County. Stephanie is an energetic and compassionate advocate who takes pride in assisting her clients during what, for many, is one of the most difficult times in their lives.
Practice Areas
Family Law
Criminal Defense
Municipal Law
Education
Rutgers School of Law-Newark, Newark, New Jersey, 2009 J.D.
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 2006 B.S.
Major: Mass Communication – Minor: International Relations
Admissions to Practice
New Jersey, 2009
New York, 2010
S. District Court District of New Jersey, 2010
Awards
New Jersey Monthly Magazine’s “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars,” 2017 – Present
National Academy of Family Law attorneys Under 40 Top 10, 2017
Professional Memberships and Associations
New Jersey State Bar Association
New Jersey Association of Women Lawyers
Family Law Committee Co-Chair, Monmouth County Bar Association
Vice President, Jersey Shore Collaborative Law Group
Collaborative Divorce Professionals of New Jersey
Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (ACDLNJ)
Articles and Publications
A Charade of Change: Honor Killings Go Unpunished in Pakistan, 1 U.C. Davis J. Int’L Law & Pol’y 93 (2008)
Still Citizens After Marriage: Exploring Women’s Nationality Rights, 30 Women’s Rts. L. Rep. 673 (2009)
Speaking Engagements
Presenter, New Jersey Association for Justice 2018 Annual Boardwalk Seminar
David R. Cardamone, Esq.
P: 732-328-8700 ● F: 732-328-9933 ● E: dcardamone@bpclawnj.com
David R. Cardamone, Esq. focuses his legal practice on family law, real estate, and estate planning, administration and litigation. Dave’s approach to each case is to first learn his client’s needs and goals before seeking to craft an efficient, cost-effective strategy for obtaining a desirable outcome. He approaches each case with the mindset that by seeking win/win, creative solutions expensive litigation can be avoided, while understanding that he must prepare each file on behalf of his client as if the case will proceed to trial.
In handling his transactional files, Dave’s focus is to ensure that his client feel knowledgeable about the process and, most importantly, to remain readily available to them to make the process efficient. Dave recognizes that our homes are often are biggest investment/asset and, therefore, appreciates the client’s need for a caring, reliable attorney in the purchase/sale of a home. Ultimately, Dave recognizes that each client and each case is unique, so Dave’s approach to each case is unique. He is not just your attorney, and you are not just his client; rather, he is your partner in navigating through whatever legal situation you find yourself facing.
Education & Qualifications
R. 1:40 Qualified Mediator
Wake Forest University School of Law
New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Bachelor of Science in Finance and Marketing
Memberships
Jersey Shore Collaborative Law Group, Vice-President
Monmouth County Superior Court and Ocean County Superior, Early Settlement Panelist
Honors
New Jersey Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2013-Present
Kerdesha Desir, Esq.
P: 732-328-8700 ● F: 732-328-9933 ● E: kdesir@bpclawnj.com
Associate
Kerdesha Desir, Esq. devotes her legal practice to matrimonial and family law. She is admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey.
While attending Seton Hall University School of Law, Kerdesha served as the Attorney General for the Black Law Students Association and Secretary for the Family Law Society. She also worked as a Legal Research Assistant for the American Law Institute’s Restatement on Children and the Law. Moreover, Kerdesha handled matrimonial matters as a student attorney and Public Interest Scholar in the Center for Social Justice Family Law Clinic.
Upon graduation from Seton Hall Law School in 2021, Kerdesha served as a law clerk for the Honorable Lisa F. Chrystal, P.J.F.P. (retired) in the Union County Family Part working on pre-dissolution matters. As a law clerk, Kerdesha assisted the presiding judge by conducting legal research and drafting letter opinions, court orders, and tentative dispositions.
Robert Penza, Esq.
P: 732-328-8700 ● F: 732-328-9933 ● E: rpenza@bpclawnj.com
Of Counsel
Robert Penza, ESQ. is a practicing matrimonial litigator and former new jersey superior court judge. his practice areas include divorce and dissolution; custody and parenting time issues; division of assets and equitable distribution; alimony, spousal and child support; domestic violence, mediation and arbitration; prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
Most recently, Robert was partner & Matrimonial litigator at Gomperts, Penza & McDermott LLC starting in 2011. Before that, he served as a Matrimonial Litigator at Walder, Haden & Brogan P.A. from 2000 to 2011, where he was also managing partner in the family law department. from 1998 to 2000, he was of counsel as a litigation attorney for Stein, Bliablias, McGuire, Pantages & Gigl, where he performed litigation services in the areas of criminal defense, plaintiff’s personal injury and matrimonial matters. prior to that, he was partner at Weinstein & Penza P.A.
From 1992 to 1994, Robert was the Presiding Judge of the Morris County Family Part as a Judge of the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey. Prior to that, he was founding partner at Penza & Penza, a boutique law firm, from 1979 to 1992. His other experiences include working as Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Jacques Gascoyne in Morris County and heading the Prosecutors Official Corruption and Economic Crime Department as Assistant Essex County Prosecutor.
After graduating from Rutgers University, Robert attended Seton Hall Law School. His numerous affiliations include the New Jersey and New York Bar Associations; Essex and Morris County Bar Associations; Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey; United States District Court, District of New Jersey; and more. Robert has been recognized by New Jersey Monthly Magazine’s “Super Lawyers” every year since 2009 and has held AVVO’s preeminent rating in legal ability/ethical standards and the Martindale Hubble peer review rating since 2008.
Alychia Buchan, Esq.
P: 732-328-8700 ● F: 732-328-9933 ● E: abuchan@bpclawnj.com
OF COUNSEL – EMPLOYMENT LAW
Alychia Buchan, ESQ. comes to Buchan, Palo, & Cardamone with over 15+ years of extensive litigation experience. She has appeared in New Jersey and New York state and federal courts, appellate courts, arbitral tribunals (e.g., FINRA and AAA) and state and federal administrative agencies (e.g., Department of Labor, New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, and New York State Division of Human Rights).
Prior to joining Buchan, Palo, & Cardamone, Alychia was a Senior Associate in the Labor & Employment Law Department for a major international law firm. Alychia was selected to the New Jersey Super Lawyers and Rising Star lists (2010 to 2019) and named as a “New Leaders of the Bar” by the New Jersey Law Journal (2014).
CONTACT US
Buchan, Palo, & Cardamone’s central New Jersey office location in Shrewsbury, allows them to serve clients throughout the State of New Jersey. They often represent clients in Monmouth County, Ocean County, Middlesex County, Union County, Bergen County, Passaic County, Morris County, and Hudson County.
ADDRESS:
750 Broad Street, Suite 202
Shrewsbury, NJ 07702
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday-Friday, 8 AM – 6 PM
PHONE NUMBER:
Office: 732-328-8700
Fax: 732-328-9933