Sean Ruckenstein has experience in a wide variety of practice areas including premises liability, premises security, commercial transportation, and products liability. Sean handles sophisticated high value matters for one of the nation’s largest retailers. Sean has significant trial experience and regularly appears in state and federal courts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Sean provides zealous representation to firm clients. Sean has been successful in negotiating advantageous settlements at mediation and has also secured findings of no liability at arbitrations in Federal Court. In addition to handling his own matters, Sean works as part of the firm's trial team and has participated in focus groups to help develop trial strategies.

Prior to joining McDonnell & Associates, he served as an assistant prosecutor in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As an assistant prosecutor, Sean routinely appeared in New Jersey Superior Court handling all aspects of his cases. Sean has extensive litigation experience from his time as an assistant prosecutor. As a prosecutor, he successfully argued numerous testimonial and non-testimonial motions. He also tried both jury and bench trials. In addition to his work as an assistant prosecutor, Sean served as a Judicial Fellow in the Philadelphia Criminal Court of Common Pleas and was awarded the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania Judicial Fellowship Pro Bono Award.

Sean is a graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he graduated as a fellow in the Rubin Public Interest Law Honor Society. He also participated in Temple’s acclaimed trial advocacy program. Sean graduated from Villanova University in 2012 with a B.A. in Communications and as a member of the Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Association’s Honor Society.

As an assistant prosecutor in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Sean handled cases at all stages of prosecution, from presentment to grand jury to trial. He handled a wide spectrum of cases, with charges including aggravated sexual assault, attempted murder, and human trafficking. Sean also proudly represented the State against those who committed acts of domestic violence.

Sean has successfully argued against motions to suppress evidence in cases involving gun violence and narcotics distribution. Sean has also successfully argued motions in limine, including those seeking to admit a testifying defendant’s criminal history, as well as seeking to admit out of court statements made by a defendant.

Lectures

Participant in the Atlantic County One Judge One School program.