Owen T. Weaver is an experienced civil and appellate litigator and municipal attorney.

In his civil litigation practice, Owen has represented individuals, businesses and public entities in complex litigation before administrative tribunals, trial courts and appellate courts. He has extensive experience handling matters involving business torts, civil rights violations, discrimination and retaliation claims, actions challenging governmental actions, consumer fraud claims and class actions.

In his municipal practice, Owen has served as general counsel and special tax counsel to multiple municipalities. Owen cut his teeth and learned the municipal tax appeal trade by first clerking for the Tax Court of New Jersey and then representing municipalities and taxpayers in New Jersey, one of the leading, if not the leading, jurisdictions for ad valorem jurisprudence in the country. Owen has successfully prosecuted and defended tax appeals involving all types of properties, including corporate headquarters, special purpose properties and exempt properties. Owen has also been regularly called upon by both municipalities and taxpayers to assist in valuation issues relating to abatement applications and payment-in-lieu-of-tax agreements. Owen also has extensive experience representing municipalities and their officials, including police departments, in litigation.

Owen is active in community and civic service, particularly modeling leadership and mentoring youth through athletics. Prior to joining Marino, Zabel & Schellenberg, PLLC and moving back to his native Connecticut, Owen supported one of New Jersey’s local youth lacrosse programs by serving as the Vice-President/Boys Director of its Board of Directors and the 8th-grade team’s Head Coach. Before that, Owen served as an Assistant Coach for the program’s affiliated high schools’ varsity teams. Before moving back to Connecticut, Owen also served as the Vice Chairman for Montville Township’s Historic Preservation Review Commission and as an Alternate Voting Member on Montville’s Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Honors

  • NJ Super Lawyers Magazine. 2014-2021 Rising Star
  • NJ Interscholastic Lacrosse League, Klank Division 2013 Assistant Coach of the Year

Publications

  • The Hidden Traps in Gale & Kitson, LLC v. Township of Fredon, 89 N.J Municipalities 8 (Nov. 2012)
  • Comment: Everything You Will Ever Want to Know About Puffery and How the Second Circuit Wrongly Applied it in Time Warner Cable, Inc. v. DIRECTV, Inc., 43 New Eng. L. Rev. 357 (2008-2009)
  • Note: A Missed Opportunity to Bolster Consumer Protection in Massachusetts: How Massachusetts Residents Are Still Without a Private Right of Action After the TJX Security Breach, 43 New Eng. L. Rev. 677 (2008-2009)

Community Service

  • Montville Township, NJ, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Alternate Voting Member 2020-2021
  • Montville Township, NJ, Historic Preservation Review Commission, Past Vice Chairman and Member, 2018-2021
  • Denville Township/Rockaway Township, NJ, Boys Youth Lacrosse, Board of Directors, Past Boys Director/Vice President and Member and 8th Grade Team Head Coach, 2015-2017
  • Morris Knolls High School, Denville, NJ, Boys Varsity Lacrosse, Assistant Coach, 2013-2015
  • Morris Hills High School, Rockaway, NJ, Boys Varsity Lacrosse, Assistant Coach, 2010-2013