Susana Cruz Hodge
Associate
Two Gateway Center, 12th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
Tel: 973.623.3000 x. 3811
Fax: 973.623.0858
Susana Cruz Hodge focuses on complex commercial and class action litigation as well as municipal tort liability, rent control litigation , and police-related civil rights defense. Ms. Cruz Hodge has briefed and argued regularly before the New Jersey Superior Court, and has participated in successful appeals to the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court and to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. In several commercial and municipal cases that she has defended, Ms. Cruz Hodge has obtained dismissals at the threshold by engaging in pre-answer dispositive motion practice. That resulted in not only excellent results, but significant cost savings to the Firm’s clients.
Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Cruz Hodge focused her practice on construction and suretyship law, real estate, and business disputes. In that capacity, Ms. Hodge investigated, negotiated and litigated claims by subcontractors and material suppliers in construction-related contractual disputes, including mechanics lien litigation. Ms. Cruz Hodge filed and defended commercial and residential construction liens, and payment and performance bond surety claims in cases involving both public and private construction projects.
From 2009-2010, Ms. Cruz Hodge served as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School, where she taught Legal Research and Writing to first year law students. Ms. Cruz Hodge has also served as court-appointed attorney in surrogacy matters since 2009.
Before entering private practice, Ms. Cruz Hodge clerked for Judge Thomas J. LaConte, J.S.C. in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Passaic County.
Ms. Cruz Hodge is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Association of the Federal Bar of the State of New Jersey, and the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey.SELECTED REPORTED OPINIONS:
Coiro v. Wachovia Bank, N.A., No. 11-3587, 2011 WL 5196725 (D.N.J. October 31, 2011)
Ready & Motivated Minds, LLC v. Ceridian Corp., No. 10-1654, 2011 WL 831776 (D.N.J. March 2, 2011)
Ready & Motivated Minds, LLC v. Ceridian Corp., No. 10-1654, 2010 WL 2989986 (D.N.J. July 26, 2010)
Aldrich Nine Assoc. v. Foot Locker Specialty, Inc., 306 Fed. Appx. 723 (3d Cir. 2009)
Williams v. State Farm Indem. Co., No. A-4460-06, 2009 WL 112753 (App. Div. January 20, 2009)