Business Essentials and Strategies for Lawyers – The Insiders’ Knowledge that Will Help You Win Your Case
Date: Mar 16, 2026 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, and Online
Member Price: $211.00
Non-Member Price: $264.00
Section Price: $198.00
Areas of Law: Business
Earn up to 6.7 credits, including 1.4 in Ethics! (More Information)
Keynote
Moderator
- Patrick B. Minter, Esq.
- Donnelly Minter & Kelly LLC, Morristownis a founding Member of Donnelly, Minter & Kelly, LLC in Morristown, New Jersey, where he concentrates his practice in civil litigation with an emphasis on commercial litigation, professional liability defense, and chancery and probate litigation. He has represented clients in several cases which have resulted in published opinions, including Vastano v. Algeier, 178 N.J. 230 (2003), Hernandez v. Baugh, 401 N.J. Super. 539 (App. Div. 2008) and Marrero v. Feintuch, 418 N.J. Super. 48 (App. Div. 2011).
Admitted to practice in New Jersey and before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, Mr. Minter is a member of the American, New Jersey State and Morris County Bar Associations. He has been Chair of the Morris County Chancery Practice Committee and Co-Chair of the Morris County General Equity Mediation Committee, and is Past Chair of the District X Fee Arbitration Committee. He has served as Chair of the Morris Township Recreation Advisory Committee and on the Morris Township Ethics Board, and lectures for ICLE annually on avoiding legal malpractice and other topics.
Mr. Minter received his B.A., cum laude, from Providence College and his J.D., cum laude, from Widener University School of Law. He is also a graduate of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Program and was Law Clerk to the Honorable Rocco L. D’Ambrosio, J.S.C.
(9/23)
Presenters
- Tamer M. Abdou, Esq.
- Abdou Law Offices, Clark
- Victor A. Afanador, Esq.
- Lite DePalma Greenberg & Afanador, LLC, Newark
- Mary Toscano Carpenito, Esq.
- Former Federal Prosecutor
Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis, LLP, Roseland - Michael G. Donahue, Esq.
- Certified By the New Jersey Supreme Court As a Civil Trial Attorney
Stark & Stark - Daniel J. Fetterman, Esq.
- Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, New York
- Eric A. Inglis, Esq
- Schenck Price Smith & King, Florham Park
- Jemi Goulian Lucey, Esq.
- Co-Chair, New JerseySBA Higher Education Special Committee
Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis, Woodbridge - Tracy E. Miller, Esq.
- Brach Eichler LLC, Roseland
- Alan S. Pralgever, Esq.
- Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis LLP, Roseland
Gain a competitive edge when representing business clients. “Business Essentials and Strategies for Lawyers” is a one-day, business skills -based program that will elevate your practice. It will help you think like a business insider. It will provide you with the acumen to analyze and interpret financial data, understand the strategies and potential outcomes of business-based decisions, all with the goal of rounding out your knowledge. You will gain deeper insight and a greater understanding that will help you win your litigation cases or accomplish the goals that your transactional clients need to succeed.
You will gain expert advice on how to:
- Make litigation strategy into a business advantage.
- Increase trustworthiness with clients through financial fluency and commercial insight.
- Use AI and analytics to strengthen efficiency, accuracy, and outcomes.
- Lead with confidence, clarity, and professionalism in high-stakes settings.
The presenters will examine business essentials through the lens of a litigator, but this program is appropriate for anyone who represents businesses in litigator or transactional work.
If you are ready to move beyond procedural expertise and develop the strategic edge clients now demand, this program will give you the tools, and mindset, to do it.
Program Agenda:
9:00 | Welcome and Introduction
9:05 | The Strategic Advocate: Seeing the Whole Playing Field - Tamer M. Abdou, Esq. and Jemi Goulian Lucey, Esq.
Think like a business strategist, not just a lawyer. Explore how business imperatives shape every stage of a dispute, from early risk evaluation to public outcomes, and how to position yourself as an indispensable advisor. Gain expert insights on how to:
- Evaluate how litigation strategy aligns with client objectives and organizational realities.
- Assess commercial risk and reputational impact to guide clients toward sound, outcome-driven decisions.
- Articulate strategy in precise, business-focused terms that demonstrate value and foresight.
10:10 | The Persuasive Analyst: Turning Numbers and Data to Wins - Daniel J. Fetterman, Esq.
Today’s most effective advocates do more than argue facts — they understand the business behind the dispute and use financial evidence strategically to persuade judges, juries and adversaries.
Move beyond surface-level numbers to retain, challenge, and deploy damage and financial experts effectively, translate complex economic models into compelling narratives, and use emerging technology responsibly in high-stakes litigation. Gain practical insight into how to:
- Understand your client’s business to retain the right experts and integrate financial strategy early.
- Model and challenge lost profits and damages assumptions with expert precision.
- Analyze debt, stock price, and market impact to assess causation and harm.
- Use data visualization and AI tools to manage complex financial evidence responsibly.
- Navigate how courts assess the reliability and admissibility of AI-assisted analysis.
11:15 | Break
11:25 | The Disciplined Supervisor: How to Plan for and Obtain Realistic Results - Alan S. Pralgever, Esq.
Clients may ask for unattainable outcomes which can only disappoint them in the end and put their lawyers in an uncomfortable position. This segment will focus on how to guide your clients to consistency, predictability, and realistic outcomes. Approach each matter as a disciplined project — balancing cost, quality, and timing — to enhance outcomes and strengthen relationships and to:
- Operationalize project-management frameworks that deliver efficiency and measurable results.
- Establish performance metrics that enhance accountability and transparency.
- Leverage AI-enabled workflows to streamline discovery, document review, and reporting.
12:30 | Lunch
1:15 | The Decisive Counselor: Exercising Judgment Under Pressure - Victor A. Afanador, Esq.; Mary Toscano Carpenito, Esq. and Tracy E. Miller, Esq.
When every move is scrutinized, sound judgment becomes your greatest asset. Strengthen your ability to lead decisively and ethically, balancing client pressures, professional integrity, and real-world consequences and to:
- Exercise principled judgment in high-pressure and high-visibility scenarios.
- Demonstrate leadership grounded in integrity, self-regulation, and strategic clarity.
- Navigate the boundary between zealous advocacy and ethical responsibility with composure and foresight.
2:20 | Break
2:30 | How to Adapt when Technology (and Everything Else) Constantly Changes - Michael G. Donahue, Esq. and Eric A. Inglis, Esq.
Command influence in an era defined by rapid technological change and rising client expectations. Develop the professional agility to lead responsibly while integrating AI, analytics, and modern practice tools into your litigation strategy.
- Assess how AI and analytics reshape litigation practice and advocacy strategy.
- Proactively identify technology-driven risks and manage emerging ethical implications.
- Model adaptive leadership that builds credibility, innovation, and trust across teams.
3:40 | Questions and Answers
3:55 | Closing Remarks
4:00 | Adjourn
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