William Van Orden Gnichtel
William Gnichtel Obituary
William Van Orden Gnichtel, a prominent expert on the laws of the Middle East, passed away in Medford, New Jersey on Monday, June 29th, 2026.
Mr. Gnichtel was born in Summit, New Jersey on January 11, 1934, and graduated from Trinity College and Columbia Law School. He had been a resident of Medford Leas since 2017.
He practiced law for many years at an international law firm in New York City, where he specialized in Middle East business law. He counseled American corporations and financial institutions about the legal intricacies of successfully doing business in the Middle East. To assist American firms in anticipating and overcoming legal roadblocks encountered in the Middle East, he wrote over fifty articles and speeches on Middle East law and tax practice published in various treatises and journals, including: The Banking Law Journal, The International Financial Law Review, Euromoney, Middle East Executive Reports and The International Lawyer (American, Bar Association). He often spoke at conferences in such diverse places as Cairo, Bahrain, London, Amsterdam, New York, Dubai and Montreal. Mr. Gnichtel had strong roots in the New Jersey legal establishment. His father, William Stone Gnichtel, was a partner of the Newark firm Stryker & Gnichtel, and editor of the New Jersey Law Journal until his untimely death in 1937. Mr. Gnichtel's great uncle, Judge Frederick Gnichtel, co-founded the New Jersey Bar Association. Mr. Gnichtel's maternal great grandfather, George Parrott, served for over thirty years as a judge in Union County.
Mr. Gnichtel is survived by his wife, Mary Gayley Gnichtel; his two sons, William Gnichtel Jr. and Edwin Gnichtel (and spouse Danielle) from his marriage to his first wife, Emily Martenet Gnichtel who passed in 1992; his stepson James Strater; and grandchildren, Edwin Martenet Gnichtel Jr. and Benjamin Hopkins Gnichtel.
Arrangements under the direction of the Bradley & Stow Funeral Home 127 Medford-Mt. Holly, Road, Medford, NJ 08055
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William Van Orden Gnichtel, please visit our floral store.