McCarter & English has welcomed back associate Christian Callegari following his service as New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill’s Deputy Political Director, as the firm’s lobbying practice aims to guide clients in navigating the objectives of both the outgoing and incoming administrations. Christian previously worked at the firm from November 2023 to August 2025 before leaving to support the campaign.
Christian’s return exemplifies McCarter’s commitment to the government affairs practice and to helping clients manage the priorities of the tail-end of Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration and preparing for Sherrill’s upcoming initiatives. Guillermo Artiles, Chair of McCarter’s Government Affairs group, spoke with the New Jersey Law Journal about Christian’s return and the future of the government affairs practice. “The firm is really investing in this space, and I think you’re seeing a lot of other firms pay attention to that and creating their own government affairs practices,” he said. “Every company has some sort of political entanglement at some point. Having really smart lawyers and lobbyists who can anticipate that entanglement or react to any political entanglement is a huge asset for any firm to have.”
Earlier this year, the group added Brian Wilton, who previously served as general counsel for NJ Transit.