We’re committed to providing you with top-notch legal support. We approach every client with a focus on integrity, advocacy, and understanding. We fight for you! Our legal team has a well-deserved reputation of excellence in providing smart, sensible, and cost-effective legal and business solutions for our clients.

JUAN L. ICAZA, was born in Cuba in 1965. He and his family came to America in 1971 and resided in New York City. He graduated from Seton Hall University and Seton Hall Law School. Mr. Icaza then joined the Newark firm of Bross, Strickland, Cary & Grossman as an associate and rose to become its managing partner at the age of 29. He and Robert R. Cary formed the firm of Cary & Icaza in 1996 and in 2009 renamed the firm to Icaza & Burgess maintaining a relationship with Robert Cary as office counsel. Mr. Icaza has been practicing law since 1990 specializing in personal injury cases involving medical malpractice, lead and toxic torts, automobile accidents and products liability. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey , Federal District Court of New Jersey and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Mr. Icaza is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association, Essex County Bar Association and The Association of Trial lawyers of America. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

The hallmark of Mr. Graulich’s practice is client service. He provides personalized legal representation to clients based on their backgrounds, needs, and objectives. Clients can rely on him to be approachable, responsive, efficient, and effective. He responds promptly to phone calls, reports regularly on case developments, and stays on top of changes in the law. Mr. Graulich communicates effectively and is well regarded by other attorneys and judges because he demonstrates the strictest personal and professional ethics in every case he handles.

Douglas S. Schwartz, formerly of the Union County Prosecutor's Office, joined the firm in 1992 and became a partner in 1999, when the name of the firm was changed to Sisselman & Schwartz, LLP. Douglas Schwartz is a practicing lawyer in the state of New Jersey specializing in Accident & Injury. Mr. Schwartz received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1991.

Eric M. Mark is the founder of the Law Office of Eric M. Mark based in Newark, NJ. Since 2010, the firm has focused on immigration law throughout the United States, criminal defense in New Jersey, New York and federal courts, and specifically the criminal-immigration intersection. What makes Eric unique is his approach to the law. While many lawyers limit themselves to strategies based on existing law, which is, of course, important and essential, Eric is not afraid to try to make new law or challenge existing laws. Many lawyers find a specific niche that is comfortable for them; Eric’s niche is the complicated cases that many other lawyers do not want or cannot handle. These cases require not only knowledge and experience, but also creativity. It is the creative strategies and solutions that make Eric unique and that he is most proud of. From 2006 through 2009, Eric was an assistant prosecutor in Somerset County. Eric graduated from the Pepperdine University School of Law and completed his undergraduate degree at Rutgers University. Eric is a member of the New Jersey Association of Justice, the Essex County Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the National Immigration Project. He is a former chairperson of the New Jersey chapter of AILA. He has participated on CLE panels for the New Jersey Association for Justice, the Federal Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the Essex County Bar Association and has been a guest lecturer at the Rutgers University School of Law.

My entire life is marked by resilience, tenacity, service, and leadership. The totality of my personal and professional experiences informs the holistic, compassionate, and relentless work I do on behalf of my clients. In October 2018, I became New Jersey’s first undocumented female attorney, after a lifetime of stress but also support from my family and community. My parents crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in the late 1980’s when I was only one year old, and they brought me with them. I grew up in Mercer and Middlesex Counties (NJ) knowing and understanding I was undocumented, but it did not diminish my relentless commitment to higher education. Since 2005, I continuously and concurrently worked full-time, studied part-time, and publicly advocated for humane immigration reform and policies. In the process, I graduated from Middlesex County College, graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and then became New Jersey’s first undocumented law school graduate when I graduated from Rutgers School of Law. Through my pubic advocacy, I have addressed hundreds of venues and crowds of various sizes and demographics on immigration topics while organizing and advocating for pro-immigrant federal and state legislation, like the DREAM Act of 2007 and the NJ In-State Tuition Bill of 2013. I also co-founded, the New Jersey Dream Act Coalition, New Jersey’s first statewide, grassroots immigrant-youth led organization. In collaboration with other organizations of young advocates, we successfully moved the state and then-governor Chris Christie to make in-state tuition for certain undocumented students at public colleges a reality. Now, after over a decade of advocating for New Jersey’s immigrant community, I am proud and privileged to represent and advocate for individual members of my community before state, federal, and administrative courts. Since 2005, I continuously and concurrently worked full-time, studied part-time, and publicly advocated for humane immigration reform and policies. In the process, I graduated from Middlesex County College, graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and then became New Jersey’s first undocumented law school graduate when I graduated from Rutgers School of Law. Through my pubic advocacy, I have addressed hundreds of venues and crowds of various sizes and demographics on immigration topics while organizing and advocating for pro-immigrant federal and state legislation, like the DREAM Act of 2007 and the NJ In-State Tuition Bill of 2013. I also co-founded, the New Jersey Dream Act Coalition, New Jersey’s first statewide, grassroots immigrant-youth led organization. In collaboration with other organizations of young advocates, we successfully moved the state and then-governor Chris Christie to make in-state tuition for certain undocumented students at public colleges a reality. Now, after over a decade of advocating for New Jersey’s immigrant community, I am proud and privileged to represent and advocate for individual members of my community before state, federal, and administrative courts. I clerked for Eric M. Mark until becoming a licensed attorney. Here, I’ve worked on a wide range of traffic, criminal, immigration, and family matters, including: divorces, final restraining orders, and various affirmative and defensive applications for immigration relief, such as Special Immigrant Juvenile status, U-visas, asylum, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, VAWA-related applications, waivers, etc. I also have accrued experience in appellate work with filings to the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. During law school, I gained experience providing direct client representation under the supervision of practicing law school faculty at Harvard Law School and Rutgers Law School. I also gained experience at two impact-litigation civil rights organizations. In the summer of 2015, I served as a Summer Legal Intern at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (HLAB) of Harvard Law School, the nation’s oldest student-run legal services organization. There, I represented indigent Boston residents facing eviction, many of them Latino immigrants, before the Boston Housing Court, and in wage theft cases before the Suffolk County Superior Court of Massachusetts. I also served as HLAB’s liaison to City Life/ Vida Urbana, one of Boston’s fiercest anti-displacement grassroots, community organizations. I served on the Rutgers Criminal and Youth Justice Clinic where I represented incarcerated youth in New Jersey’s juvenile justice system, as well as indigent young adults charged with minor criminal offenses in the Essex County Remand Court. Through the clinic, I also assisted a female inmate, convicted of a felony as an adult while only a child, secure an early release on parole. While in law school I also interned at Latino Justice PRLDEF in New York, and at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey. At Latino Justice PRLDEF, I conducted census research that was ultimately used in an amicus brief for Evanwel v. Abbott. I completed a bilingual workers’ rights pamphlet for workers in New York City. And I researched and wrote memoranda of law on various matters, including but not limited to: international calling rates for prisoners in New Jersey, and professional licensing for undocumented young adults in New Jersey. At the ACLU-NJ, I conducted legal research and legal memoranda on issues like prisoner’s rights litigation, medicaid coverage of Hepatitis C medication, and First Amendment freedom of speech and expression.

I live in a great community in New Jersey, where I am actively involved in my community. My wife and I met in high school, went to college together, have been married for over 25 years, and plan to grow old together. We have three beautiful daughters who, as I accept, run my life! I have held several local positions in my town, always staying involved to help others, such as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary club, I have spent time as a baseball, softball, basketball and soccer coach, a member of the YMCA Board and Soccer Club Board. I live and practice law by the theory that if you do right by people, you will do well. This means I take the time to explain to my clients the details of their case, how it is progressing, and the options they may be able to explore. My integrity, high standards, morals, and honesty have made me a caring and skilled attorney who has earned respect from my colleagues as well as my adversaries. I am here to help you. I will offer an honest and fair evaluation of your case up front and discuss whether I believe your case is worth pursuing or if there is an alternate course of action that may provide you with better closure. In trying to produce the best outcome for your situation, I treat you like I would treat my own family. To me, you are more than a client.

David M. Estes concentrates his practice in class action, product liability, and personal injury litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Estes served as a law clerk to the Honorable Victor Ashrafi of the New Jersey Appellate Division. He also served as a summer clerk to the Honorable Jerome Simandle of the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, and judicial intern to the Honorable Theodore McKee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Mr. Estes is admitted to practice law in New Jersey.

Matthew R. Mendelsohn is a trial lawyer specializing in complex civil and class action litigation. Mr. Mendelsohn is admitted to practice in both state and federal courts in New Jersey and New York. He is also admitted to practice before the Third and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Taylor graduated from Rutgers Law School in Camden, NJ to complete her Juris Doctorate. She then went out to Hudson County Prosecutor, working in sex crimes, domestic violence and child abuse. She then expanded her skills and went on to practice family law and criminal defense. Its clear that Taylor has a love for the law, advocacy and justice. Taylor had always contributed to the world around her through volunteer work, activism, and engagement. Taylor loves music, and was in a rock band before law school. Taylor is the President of her Lake Community, where you’ll find her floating on the lake with friends, singing karaoke, playing co-ed softball (not well), or watching her step-son’s sports games and choir concerts.