Hon. Robert B. Kugler (Ret.) joined JAMS after serving approximately 32 distinguished years on the bench as a United States District Court judge and magistrate judge for the District of New Jersey (D.N.J). In 2017, Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him to a seven-year term on the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), a court established by Congress to hear requests made by federal governmental agencies for the approval of electronic and other forms of surveillance related to foreign intelligence. Judge Kugler took his place on the FISC in 2017, assumed the role of senior district court judge in the D.N.J. in 2018 and completed his terms on both courts in 2024.

Judge Kugler presided over and resolved thousands of cases through pretrial rulings, bench and jury trials, judgments and settlement conferences during his long judicial career. He has garnered a nationwide reputation for handling and resolving the most challenging and multifaceted of matters, including, especially, those in the complex business commercial, multidistrict litigation (MDL), class and collective action, mass tort (including pharmaceuticals), product liability, employment, intellectual property and civil rights arenas.

He is known for having presided over some of the most high-profile cases in the D.N.J. They include his handling of multidistrict and other significant litigations involving certain blood pressure medications; the In re Valsartan, Losartan and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation; and his instrumental role in the settlement of the In re Benicar (Olmesarata) Products Liability Litigation, as well as his oversight of a major freight train derailment that resulted in a sizable carcinogenic gas leak affecting a New Jersey township, the In re Paulsboro Derailment Cases. He presided over the trials and convictions of former Bordentown Township Police Chief Frank Nucera on charges that he lied to the FBI about certain civil rights violations, of reputed crime family member Nicodemo Scarfo for orchestrating with others the corporate takeover and plundering of a mortgage lender, and the conviction of the infamous “Fort Dix 5” defendants, one of the first terrorism trials in the country.

Prior to his career on the bench, Judge Kugler served as an assistant prosecutor in Camden County, New Jersey, and as a deputy attorney general for the State of New Jersey. After that, he spent approximately 10 years in private practice.

Judge Kugler’s reputation as a highly respected jurist is well established. Colleagues and practitioners have consistently praised his legal scholarship, work ethic, devotion to public service and exemplary judicial temperament. He has been lauded by jurists for serving the court and the country “with unwavering integrity and dedication,” for having a “profound impact … as a distinguished jurist” and for being a person “of honor with a good heart.” Practitioners praise him for being “fair,” “novel” and “very innovative.”

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• Arbitrator, mediator, special master/referee and neutral evaluator
• Extensive experience handling multidistrict, mass tort, class and collective, and major product liability and personal injury actions, among many others
• As an FISC judge, vetted and cleared for the highest level of security clearance
• Highly sought-after participant for legal symposia, CLE presentations, moot court final round competitions and other public engagements, including those before the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association, and numerous bar associations, law schools and other organizations

Representative Matters

• Antitrust & Competition
• Spanish Sports Network, LLC v. Spanish Football Productions, LLC, 2021 WL 2284260 (D.N.J. May 31, 2021): Lanham Act, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices action between competing media and broadcast production companies vying for right to produce and broadcast Spanish-language Philadelphia Eagles’ games; granting motion to dismiss in part, after which matter settled
• Nahas v. Shore Med. Ct, 473 F. Supp. 3d 383 (D.N.J. 2019), aff'd, 828 F.App’x. 89 (3d Cir. 2020): Antitrust action by surgeon against hospital committee under Sherman Antitrust Act and bevy of state laws for denying surgeon privileges to perform endovascular procedures; granting summary judgment to defendants on all federal claims and declining jurisdiction on remaining state claims
• Business Commercial
• Rastelli Partners, LLC v. Baker, 2023 WL 4677699 (D.N.J. July 21, 2023): Application for permanent injunction against ex-NFL player, partner in joint venture with plaintiffs and “Shark Tank” television show investor Daymond John, who allegedly breached non-disparagement provisions of settlement agreement through social media posts and other comments; granting plaintiffs’ application for permanent injunction
• Johnson v. Mazie, 2024 WL 2022719 (D.N.J. May 7, 2024) (appeal filed): Proposed class action regarding law firm’s allegedly excessive MDL settlement fees; granting on grounds of collateral estoppel defendants’ motion for judgment on the pleadings; see also Kugler 2022 decision in Martino v. Mazie, 2022 WL 1443689 (D.N.J. May 6, 2022), aff’d, 2023 WL 1990306 (3d Cir. 2023)
• Dinicola-Ortiz v. Geico Indem. Co., 2024 WL 1827611 (D.N.J. April 26, 2024): Putative class breach of contract action alleging insurer underpaid actual cash value on potentially thousands of vehicles that sustained extensive damage after being involved in accidents; denying motion to dismiss
• Triola v. DolgenCorp, LLC, 2022 WL 16834579 (D.N.J. Nov. 9, 2022): Action between store manager and discount chain department store involving allegations of pregnancy and gender discrimination and hostile work environment; granting motion to compel arbitration where terms of parties’ agreement were unambiguous
• Easterday v. USPACK Logistics LLC, 2022 WL 855583 (D.N.J. March 23, 2022), appeal dismissed, 2024 WL 1731541 (3d Cir. 2024): Analyzing arbitration agreement pursuant to N.J. Arbitration Act and holding that employee and proposed class members were not subject to arbitration where agreement’s language was too vague regarding legal rights employee had signed away; see also 2023 WL 4398491 (D.N.J. Jul. 6, 2023) (class action settlement preliminarily approved)
• Gen. Motors LLC v. Ashton, 2021 WL 2549498 (D.N.J. June 22, 2021) and 2022 WL 203245 (D.N.J. Jan. 24, 2022): Action against former officer and board member for fraud and breach of fiduciary duties in connection with alleged kickback scheme; staying action due to defendant’s bankruptcy
• Hill v. Commerce Bancorp, Inc., Civil No. 09-3685 (D.N.J.)(Hill): Breach of contract action brought by former chairman, president and CEO against bank board of directors relating to over $11 million in “golden parachute” severance payments allegedly due under terms of employment agreement; presided over nine-day jury trial; jury returned verdict in favor of bank; see also Hill, 586 F.App’x. 874 (3d Cir. 2014) (denying motion for new trial)
• City of Atlantic City v. Zemurray St. Capital, LLC, 2017 WL 6638203 (D.N.J. Dec. 29, 2017): Action alleging breach of contract, fraud, conversion and fraudulent concealment claims involving agreement to distribute and manage $3 million in municipality’s community loan funds
• DeBellis v. Hollahan, 2017 WL 2482865 (D.N.J. June 8, 2017): Action asserting claims for specific performance, breach of contract, conversion, fraud, theft, slander, libel and defamation in connection with alleged gift or sale of three brood mares; presided over jury trial; jury returned verdict in favor of plaintiff
• Civil Rights
• Interstate Outdoor Advertising v. Zoning Board of the Township of Mount Laurel, 2011 WL 4386577 (Sept. 13, 2011), aff’d, 706 F.3d 527 (3d Cir. 2013): Involving issue whether zoning ordinance prohibiting erection of outdoor advertising displays was unconstitutional on First and Fourteenth Amendment and N.J. State Constitution grounds; granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment
• In re Bayside Prison Litigation: Individual actions by approximately 600 prison inmates alleging personal injuries and violations of civil rights as result of excessive force allegedly used during state crackdown following murder of corrections officer; after 14 bellwether trials and numerous appeals, parties agreed to resolve remaining claims through binding arbitration; see In Re: In Re Bayside Prison Litigation, 477 F.App’x. 16 (3d Cir. 2012) for description of cases181 South, Inc. v. Fischer, Civil No. 04-05916, aff’d, 454 F.3d 228 (3d Cir. 2006): Action by Atlantic City adult cabaret seeking injunction against state director of alcoholic beverages to bar enforcement of regulation prohibiting “any lewdness or immoral activity” in liquor-licensed establishments; denying plaintiff’s request for declaratory and injunctive relief
• Stadler v. Abrams, Civil No. 13-2741, aff'd, 78 F.App’x. 66 (3d Cir. 2019): Jury verdict in favor of plaintiff who alleged police used excessive force (a police dog that mauled him) during his arrest; court had denied defendant's Daubert motions
• Lentz v. Taylor, 2019 WL 1091392 (March 8, 2019), aff’d, 2021 WL 5121247 (3d Cir. 2021): Teacher and administrator sued various officials of school district alleging existence of conspiracy to fire and bring criminal charges against her in violation of, inter alia, 42 U.S.C. Section 1983; dismissing various claims against several defendants
• Class Action & Mass Tort
• In re: Valsartan, Losartan and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation, Master Docket No. 19-MD-2875 (D.N.J.): Multidistrict litigation arising from extensive Food and Drug Administration recall in the United States of generic hypertensive drugs contaminated with probable genotoxic human carcinogens
• In re Benicar (Olmesaratan) Products Liability Litigation, Master Docket No. 15-MD-2606 (D.N.J.): Multidistrict litigation involving approximately 1,900 plaintiffs arising out of allegations that blood pressure drug allegedly caused gastrointestinal injuries; parties reached settlement covering approximately 2,000 filed cases and thousands of claimants
• Hart v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 2022 WL 1963666 (D.N.J. June 6, 2022), aff’d, 2023 WL 3244574 (3d Cir May 4, 2023): Proposed class action involving allegations that Wells Fargo charged improper inspection fees; granting defendant’s motion to dismiss on grounds of collateral estoppel
• Galgano v. TD Bank,A., 2021 WL 2472331 (D.N.J. June 17, 2021): Putative consumer class action involving allegations that bank improperly assessed and collected out-of-network ATM balance inquiry fees; granting in part motion to dismiss; parties eventually settled action
• Heinz v. Dubell Lumber Co., 2020 WL 6938351 (D.N.J. Nov. 23, 2020): Granting motion for class certification in action by employees of lumber company who alleged that company terminated employees without timely notice, as required under Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act
• Pope v. Navient Corp., 2021 WL 926611 (D.N.J. March 9, 2021): Granting motion for class certification in securities class action pursuant to Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 against one of the largest student loan servicers in the United States
• In re Paulsboro Derailment Cases, Master Docket No. 13-784 (D.N.J.): Actions for negligence stemming from freight train derailment that resulted in major carcinogenic gas leak affecting N.J. township
• Employment Law

Discrimination Matters

• Williams v. Lenape Board of Educ., 2020 WL 2111221 (D.N.J. May 4, 2020): Action involving allegations under N.J. Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD), among other laws, that Black high school student was denied playing time on school’s varsity football team on account of his race and was subjected to racial slurs and hostile environment; settled after defendants’ motion for summary judgment was granted in part
• Andre v. Lourdes Cardiology Services, 2021 WL 3879075 (D.N.J. Aug. 30, 2021): Granting partial summary judgment to defendants with respect to medical assistant’s Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and disability discrimination claims and denying it in part with respect to her claims under Title VII, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the N.J. Wage and Hour Law (NJWHL) and related discrimination and retaliation claims
• D'Agostino v. Kendall, 2021 WL 4860095 (D.N.J. Aug. 4, 2022), aff’d, 2024 WL 1209745 (3d Cir 2024): Plaintiff sued United States Air Force after his employment was terminated, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII, the Rehabilitation Acts and other laws; granting partial summary judgment to defendant; verdict was entered in favor of defendant on remaining claims after bench trial
• Carter v. PSEG Services Corp., 2021 WL 3206809 (D.N.J. July 29, 2021): Action involving former employee who alleged he was subject to racial discrimination and retaliation, in violation of Title VII, and ongoing harassment; granting in part defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s (pre-EEOC filing) retaliation cause of action because plaintiff had not properly exhausted his administrative remedies

Labor Law Matters

• Carrow v. FedEx Ground Package Sys. Inc., 2019 WL 7184548 (D.N.J. Dec. 26, 2019): Granting renewed motion for class certification by truck and van driver employees (but not independent contractors) who brought claims pursuant to N.J.’s Wage Payment Law and its Consumer Fraud Act; case settled after class action was certified
• Local 827 Int’l Brotherhood of Elect. Workers v. Verizon New Jersey, Inc., 02-1019, slip op., (D.N.J. Nov. 23, 2004), aff’d, 192 F.App’x. 132 (3d Cir. 2006): Granting partial summary judgment to union in action involving interpretation of collective bargaining agreement under Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA)

Sexual Harassment Matters

• Yucis v. Sears Outlet Stores, LLC, 2019 WL 2511536 (D.N.J. Jun. 18, 2019), aff'd in part and modified in part, 813 F.App’x. 780 (3d Cir. 2020): Action involving retail customer who alleged she was sexually harassed by defendant’s sales manager

Wrongful Termination Matters

• Henson v. Daimler Truck North America LLC, 2013 WL 3072532 (D.N.J. April 25, 2023): Action involving alleged violations of N.J.’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) and Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act (CREAMMA) by employee who participated in workplace drug test; dismissing claim involving CEPA; parties eventually settled matter
• Beu v. City of Vineland, 2021 WL 856882 (D.N.J. March 8, 2021): Chief of police brought action against city under First and Fourteenth Amendments and CEPA, as well as causes of action for conspiracy and defamation; granting motions to dismiss civil rights and CEPA claims
• Insurance
• Cedar Run Orthodontics, P.A. v. Hartford Fin. Services Grp., Inc., reported at 2021 WL 5083814 as Cedar Run Orthodontics, P.A. v. Sentinel Ins. Co. (D.N.J. Nov. 1, 2021): Addressing question whether virus exclusion provision of policy precluded recovery for losses sustained by dental practice during COVID-19 pandemic; granting defendants’ motion for judgment on pleadings since doing otherwise would effectively be rewriting parties’ policy
• Liguori v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyds London, 2015 WL 4402851 (D.N.J. July 17, 2015): Breach of contract action involving issue whether language in insurer’s letter partially denying coverage on homeowner’s insurance policy for Superstorm Sandy–related damage was ambiguous; denying insurer’s motion for summary judgment
• Consol. Rail Corp. v. Aspen Specialty Ins. Co., 2019 WL 2417704 (D.N.J. June 10, 2019): Action involving coverage for costs incurred in reconstruction of bridge involved in train derailment; granting summary judgment to defendant
• Intellectual Property

Copyright

• Internet Products LLC v. LLJ Enterprises, Inc., 2020 WL 6883430(D.N.J. Nov. 24, 2020): Action between businesses selling table pad protectors and piano covers alleging, inter alia, copyright and trademark infringement, and cyberpiracy under the Lanham Act. Denying motion to dismiss
• Hunsberger v. Original Fudge Kitchen, 2020 WL 6620156 (D.N.J. Nov. 12, 2020): Copyright infringement action involving allegations by professional photographer that several businesses infringed his copyright for various advertising brochures
• TD Bank, N.A. v. Hill, Civil No. 12-7188 (D.N.J. June 14, 2016), affirming in part and vacating in part, 928 F.3d 259 (3d Cir. 2019): Copyright infringement matter involving bank allegations that segments of book its well-known former CEO wrote infringed manuscript CEO co-authored with someone hired by bank during CEO’s tenure at bank

Patent

• Eagle View Technologies, Inc. v. Xactware Solutions, Inc., 358 F. Supp. 399 (D.N.J. 2019) (Eagle View): Infringement action involving patent for imaging, modeling and rendering aerial rooftop measurements; Markman hearing and summary judgment motions decided; see Eagle View, 485 F. Supp. 3d 505 (D.N.J. 2020) for Judge Bumb’s description of matter, appeal dismissed, 2021 WL 5293850 (Fed Cir. 2021); case eventually settled
• Sabinsa Corp. v. Herbakraft Inc., Civil No. 14-4738 (D.N.J.) (Sabinsa): Action for patent infringement involving curcuminoid products was settled; judgment was entered on breach of settlement agreement, and sanctions were imposed on defendant; see Sabinsa, 2022 WL 17446485 (D.N.J. Dec. 6, 2022) for description of matter
• MEI, Inc. v. JCM Am. Corp., see 2009 WL 3335866 (D.N.J. Oct. 15, 2009) (for general description of matter), appeal dismissed, 364 F.App’x. 648 (Fed. Cir. 2010): Infringement action involving patents for vending machine currency changer; case settled after Markman hearing
• Neev v. Abbott Med. Optics, Inc., 2012 WL 1066797 (D. Del. March 27, 2012): Infringement action involving lasers used for eye surgery; case settled after Markman hearing
• Shire Dev. LLC v. Amneal Pharm. LLC, 2016 WL 4119940 (D.N.J. Aug. 2, 2016): Abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) case where plaintiff alleged patent infringement for controlled-release oral pharmaceutical compounds 
• Motson v. Franklin Covey Co., 2005 WL 1541023 (D.N.J. Oct. 24, 2005): Patent infringement matter involving portable organizers; summary judgment granted in part at 2005 WL 1541023 (D.N.J. June 30, 2005); Federal Circuit remanded the case at 274 F.App’x. 890 (Fed. Cir. 2008) for further proceedings consistent with settlement agreement; amended on reconsideration

Trademark

• Parikh Worldwide Media, LLC v. Sheth, 2021 WL 856901 (D.N.J. March 8, 2021): Trademark dispute between publishers of weekly newspapers and television for Indian communities and individual defendant who maintained two news websites for the same communities; denying motion to dismiss
• Rockwell Automation, Inc. v. Radwell Int’l, Inc., 416 F. 3d 366 (D.N.J. 2019): Trademark action between manufacturer and seller of products for use in industrial automations systems and dealer of same; case settled after resolution of dispositive motions
• Hit Doctor Tri State Arsenal LLC v. Barth, 2020 WL 729152 (D.N.J. Feb. 11, 2020): Baseball hitting consultant sought preliminary injunction to prevent defendant from using what plaintiff claimed were his licensed trademarks; denying motion; trademark not infringed
• EMSL Analytical, Inc. v. Testamerica Analytic Testing Corp., 2006 WL 892718 (D.N.J. April 4, 2006): Trademark infringement action between analytical and laboratory testing service and indoor air quality laboratory service; denying plaintiff's application for preliminary injunction
• Personal Injury
• Laroche v. Burki, Civil No. 21-13918 (D.N.J.): Defamation, privacy, false light and tortious interference allegations brought by university professor against former son-in-law, who filed counterclaims alleging that professor violated invasion of privacy and federal and state wiretap laws; defendant’s motion for partial summary judgment denied at 2023 WL 4946651 (D.N.J. Aug. 3, 2023); one-week jury trial had; Judge Kugler subsequently vacated the judgment
• Montalvo v. Larchmont Farms: Action by seasonal farm workers who alleged they became ill after exposure to pesticides; plaintiffs were awarded $650,000 by jury for claim sounding in intentional tort; see Montalvo, 2009 WL 4573279 (D.N.J. Dec. 3, 2009)(granting in part plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment)
• Toledo v. MGM Resorts Int’l, Civil No. 17-04218 (D.N.J.), aff’d, 2021 WL 5861283 (3d Cir. 2021): Negligence action by plaintiff allegedly injured while walking through retail section of casino; granting summary judgment to defendants after plaintiff's expert excluded
• Product Liability
• Cilluffo v. Subaru of America, 2024 WL 1270814 (D.N.J. March 26, 2024): Proposed class action involving allegations that Subaru Starlink vehicle infotainment systems were defective; granting in part defendant’s motion to dismiss
• Appleby v. Glaxo Wellcome, Inc., 2005 WL 3440440 (D.N.J. Dec. 13, 2005): Action against manufacturer of Lotronex, prescription drug ingested by plaintiff to treat irritable bowel syndrome; granting summary judgment to manufacturer after Daubert motions
• Player v. Motiva Enterprises, LLC, 2006 WL 166452 (D.N.J. Jan. 20, 2006), aff'd, 240 F.App’x. 513 (3d Cir 2007): Twenty-seven property owners brought suit alleging contamination of properties by defendant gas station; summary judgment granted in part to defendant after plaintiffs' expert barred
• Barrett v. Tri-Coast Pharm. Inc., 518 F. Supp. 3d 810 (D.N.J. 2021): Action against pharmacy for breach of warranties and violations of N.J. Products Liability Act (NJPLA) by individual alleging that his bacterial infection was caused by injectable hCG recalled by pharmacy; denying plaintiff’s motion for default judgment without prejudice
• McMillan v. Johnson & Johnson, 2005 WL 2000203 (D.N.J. Aug. 19, 2005): Action involving allegations that defective prosthetic knee replacement was defectively designed and manufactured; granting summary judgment to defendant
• Securities
• Galati v. Commerce Bancorp, Inc., 2005 WL 3797764 (D.N.J. Nov. 7, 2005), aff’d, 220 F.App’x. 97 (3d Cir. 2007): Securities fraud class action involving allegations that bank violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) by failing to disclose bid-rigging and other unlawful practices; granting motion to dismiss
• McKowan Lowe Co. Ltd. v. Jasmine Ltd., 2005 WL 1541062 (June 30, 2005), clarified, 2005 WL 8175786 (D.N.J. Aug. 23, 2005), aff'd, 231 F.App’x. 216 (3d Cir. 2007): Class action pursuant to Securities Act of 1933 and Exchange Act involving alleged misrepresentations and omissions in defendant’s registration statement and prospectus; granting summary judgment in part to some defendants in an opinion that, as Third Circuit explained, is part of long history of actions and motions filed in action
• CFTC v. Equity Fin. Group LLC, 537 F. Supp. 2d. 677 (D.N.J. 2008), aff'd, 572 F.3d 150 (3d Cir. 2009), denied, Shimer v. CFTC, 130 S. Ct. 1737 (2010): Civil enforcement action involving multiple alleged violations of Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations and commodity pool fraud, among others; entering judgment for the CFTC
• Beltran v. SOS Ltd., 2023 WL 316294 (D.N.J. Jan. 19, 2023): Securities class action involving allegations that technology company made materially false statements concerning, inter alia, agreements with other “fabricated” companies and nature of crypto mining rigs it claimed to have purchased; granting final approval of class action settlement
• Gross v. Navient Corp., 2018 WL 672640 (D.N.J. Feb. 2, 2018): Putative class plaintiffs alleged materially false and misleading statements causing loss to holders of Navient securities, in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of Exchange Act; parties settled matter
• SEC v. Joseph Geromini, 2021 WL 2593651 (SEC Litigation Release No. 25120) (June 23, 2021): SEC charged CEO of early-stage medical devices company with defrauding investors and misappropriating proceeds from two securities offerings, in violation of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as well as Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of Exchange Act; parties entered into a consent judgment; defendant was also indicted for securities and wire fraud and pled guilty before Judge Kugler

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Memberships and Affiliations

• Chair/Member, U.S. Judicial Conference Committee on the Administrative Office of U.S. Court (appointed by chief justices John Roberts and William Rehnquist), 1997–2006
  • Chair, 2003–2006
• Member, Commission on Race & Ethnicity, Third Circuit Court of Appeals, 1997

Selected Awards and Honors

• Arthur E. Armitage, Sr. Distinguished Alumni Award, Rutgers University School of Law – Camden and the Law Alumni Association, 2008
• Honorable Peter J. Devine, Jr. Award, Camden County Bar Association

Selected Presentations and Speaking Engagements

• Speaker, The New Jersey State Bar Association and the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, “The Federal Practice Bench-Bar Symposium,” April 2024
• Moderator, Panel on Special Masters, Texas Tech MDL Judicial Summit, 2023
• Moot Court Judge, UC Irvine Law Moot Court Competition, 2021
• Speaker, “April Rules Day: Class Action Basics & Rule 23 Amendments,” Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, 2019
• Speaker, “Professionalism Day in the United States District Court,” CLE, Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, 2018
• Moot Court Judge, Honorable James Hunter III Moot Court Oral Argument Competition, Rutgers Law School, 2018
• Speaker, Multicounty Litigation Seminar, Product Liability and Mass Tort Section, New Jersey State Bar Association, 2017
• District of New Jersey Fourth Annual Constitution Day Mock Trial Program, Third Circuit Courts and Community Committee, Third Circuit Court of Appeals, 2015 

Selected Media References

• “Upon His Retirement, This Federal Judge Talks About the Challenging ‘Fort Dix Five’ Trial and His Belief That Juries Still Work,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 27, 2024
• “‘Harass Our Law Firm’: Judge Finds Contingency Fees Were Not Excessive,” New Jersey Law Journal,com, May 9, 2024
• “NJ Judge Kugler Reflects on 32 Years as a Federal Jurist,” Law360, May 3, 2024
• “Judgment Vacated in Suit Over Law Professor’s Recording,” Law360, May 2, 2024
• “NJ Judge Kugler Retiring from Federal Bench at Month’s End,” Law360, May 1, 2024
• “Subaru Can’t Duck Suit Over Starlink Infotainment Defect,” Law360, March 26, 2024
• “Geico Can’t Escape Underpayment Suit, NJ Court Rules,” Law360, 31, 2023
• “Ex-NFL Pro Must Take Down Posts on ‘Shark Tank’ Investor,” Law360, July 21, 2023
• “Recent Case Highlights Risks for New Jersey Employers When Terminating Employees for Cannabis Use,” JDSupra, June 8, 2023
• “Collective Wisdom on Selecting Leaders and Managing MDLs,” Judicature, 106 No.1 (2022) (a collection of “case-management wisdom from interviews with the federal judges [including comments from Judge Kugler on cultivating diversity] who, as of Dec. 15, 2020, were handling the thorniest of MDLs: products-liability proceedings with over 500 cases”)
• “Doctor Board Can Be Sued Separately from Hospital, NJ Federal Judge Rules,” com, May 1, 2018
• “New Jersey Judge Writes a Primer on How Not to Draft a Denial Letter,” JD Supra, Aug. 13, 2015

Background and Education

• Judge, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, 2017–2024
• United States Senior District Court Judge, District of New Jersey, 2018–2024
• United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Hon. Robert B. Kugler, U.S. District Court Judge for the D.N.J. (sitting by designation), 2010
• United States District Court Judge, District of New Jersey, 2002–2018
• United States Magistrate Judge, United States District Court, District of New Jersey, 1992–2002
• Partner, Private Practice, New Jersey, 1983–1992
• Deputy Attorney General, Division of Criminal Justice, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, 1982–1983
• Assistant Prosecutor, Camden County Prosecutor's Office, New Jersey, 1979–1982
• Law Clerk, Honorable John F. Gerry, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1978–1979
• J.D., with honors, Rutgers School of Law-Camden, 1978
• B.A., summa cum laude, Syracuse University, 1975

Bar Admissions

• United States Supreme Court, 1988
• United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1983
• United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1978
• New Jersey Supreme Court, 1978