Joshua A. Heines is Counsel in the Princeton, New Jersey office of Hill Wallack LLP, where he is a member of the Litigation Division’s Trial & Insurance practice group.
Mr. Heines concentrates his practice on complex civil litigation, insurance defense, catastrophic personal injury litigation, wrongful death claims, premises liability, products liability, transportation litigation, and commercial disputes. He represents insurers, corporations, property owners, business owners, transportation companies, and individuals in state and federal courts throughout New Jersey. His clients range from Fortune 500 companies and national retailers to closely held businesses and individual insureds.
An experienced trial attorney, Mr. Heines has successfully tried multiple cases before juries, including two month-long jury trials to verdict, and has resolved numerous other matters during trial. He has also represented clients in hundreds of arbitrations, mediations, and alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
Mr. Heines is particularly skilled at developing fact-intensive defenses in complex litigation matters. He regularly works with experts and industry specialists to evaluate liability, causation, and damages issues in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. His practice emphasizes thorough investigation, innovative case analysis, strategic risk transfer, and practical litigation strategies designed to reduce client exposure and achieve favorable outcomes. Mr. Heines routinely leverages emerging technologies and advanced analytical tools to streamline litigation, enhance case evaluation, and provide clients with efficient, cost-effective representation.
Mr. Heines earned his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law-Camden and his B.A. in Literature from Stockton University. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Before entering private practice, Mr. Heines served as a law clerk to the Honorable Paulette Sapp Peterson, P.J.Cv., in the Civil Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey. He currently serves on the District XIII Ethics Committee.
Mr. Heines was selected for inclusion in New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars in 2017 and 2018.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
Education
- Rutgers University School of Law
PRACTICE AREAS
- Selected for inclusion in New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Star 2017 - 2018. The Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- Member, New Jersey Defense Association
- Member, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
- Conley v. Guerrero, 228 N.J. 339 (2017)
- Vann v. Toys R Us, 2014 WL 3537937 (App. Div. July 18, 2014)
- Mierzwa v. Wal-Mart, Inc., 2014 WL 3437007 (App. Div. July 16, 2014)
- Somers v. Home Properties Regency Club, LLC, 2011 WL 3903053 (App. Div. Sept. 7, 2011)
- Gere v. Louis, 2010 WL 3418368 (App. Div. Aug. 25, 2010)
- Kant v. Seton Hall University, 2009 WL 872226 (D.N.J. Mar. 30, 2009)
- Brimmer v. Melendez, 2008 WL 90058 (App. Div. Jan. 10, 2008)
- Served as trial counsel for a state agency in a highly publicized negligence and punitive damages action. Following a month-long bifurcated trial, successfully negotiated a post-verdict resolution approximately $13 million below the plaintiff's final pretrial settlement demand.
- Defended a legal malpractice action involving alleged damages exceeding $10 million. Following a month-long jury trial, obtained a post-verdict settlement for approximately ten percent of the amount sought.
- Obtained summary judgment and successfully defended the result on appeal on behalf of a landlord in multi-million-dollar litigation arising from a shooting on the property.
- Represented a trailer owner and shipper in a complex wrongful death action arising from interstate transportation operations. Through extensive investigation and analysis of surveillance evidence, developed evidence that materially altered the liability assessment and substantially reduced the client's financial exposure.
- Defended a catastrophic motor vehicle accident case involving multiple orthopedic injuries and significant claimed damages. Through detailed investigation and expert analysis addressing liability, causation, and damages issues, obtained a resolution substantially below the projected value of the claim.
- Successfully enforced contractual indemnification and additional insured provisions in consolidated toxic tort litigation arising from a commercial property loss, resulting in a complete transfer of defense and indemnity obligations and no settlement contribution by the client.
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