How to Ethically Close a Law Practice 2026
Date: May 20, 2026 9:00 a.m. – 12:35 p.m.
Location: New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, and Online
Member Price: $179.00
Non-Member Price: $224.00
Section Price: $0.00
Areas of Law: Ethics
Earn up to 4 credits, including 4.0 in Ethics! (More Information)
Keynote
Moderator
- Joseph A. Natale, Esq.
- Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis, Roseland
Presenters
- Hon. Mara Zazzali-Hogan, P.J.Ch.
- Monmouth County Superior Court
- Catherine Finnerty, Esq.
- Goldman & Beslow, LLC, East Orangeis an associate with Goldman & Beslow, LLC with offices in East Orange, Newark, Paterson and Jersey City, New Jersey. She devotes a substantial portion of her practice to bankruptcy and debtor-creditor negotiations and handles all issues pertaining to Chapter 7, Chapter 13, foreclosure defense and mediation, debt collection defense, debtor-creditor negotiations and consumer representation. In addition to bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law, Ms. Finnerty has experience in real estate matters, simple Wills, powers of attorney, living wills, and municipal court matters involving traffic tickets, disorderly persons offenses, and violations of municipal ordinances. She also represents clients in residential real estate transactions, and has experience helping property owners who desire to sell their property via short sale, are at risk of foreclosure, or who cannot make their mortgage payments.
Admitted to practice law in New Jersey and New York, and before the United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Ms. Finnerty has been a member of the American and New York State Bar Associations and the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association. She has been a member of the NJSBA Bankruptcy Law and Women in the Profession Sections, and is Secretary of the Solo and Small Firm Section. Ms. Finnerty is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and the American Bankruptcy Institute. She has also volunteered with South Jersey Legal Services, Legal Services of New Jersey and the Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, and represents clients throughout their entire bankruptcy cases.
Ms. Finnerty received her undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Barnard College, Columbia University, where she was the recipient of the New York Building Industry Scholarship and the Eugene Raskin Prizer for Spanish. She received her J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review and the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Torts.
(8/23) - Greg Kohr, CPA, ABV, CFF
- Senior Director, CBIZ, Morristown
- Ryan J. Moriarty, Esq.
- Assistant Ethics Counsel and Statewide Ethics Coordinator, Office of Attorney Ethics, Trenton
- Alicia F. Williams, Esq.
- Director and Counsel, New Jersey Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, Trenton
Are you considering a career change, retirement, relocation, or partnership dissolution? Don't leave your practice closure to chance, register today for this practical and comprehensive seminar designed specifically for attorneys who want to ensure an ethical, responsible, and stress-free transition.
Whether you're contemplating a practice closure due to a new professional opportunity, judicial appointment, in-house counsel transition, or prudent future planning, proactive preparation is essential. Updated for 2026, this program now also addresses the critical technology challenges attorneys face when closing a practice — from artificial intelligence-powered legal tools and cloud-based systems to digital client files and evolving cybersecurity and data privacy obligations. Closing a practice today involves far more than locking the office door.
Our distinguished panel, featuring experienced attorneys, a judge, the assistant ethics counsel and statewide ethics coordinator from the Office of Attorney Ethics, the director of the New Jersey Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, and an accounting professional, will guide you through a comprehensive framework and actionable, practical steps you can implement when you need to.
Learn everything you need to know to confidently close your practice, including:
- Clear, step-by-step protocols for winding down your practice ethically.
- Practical checklists and templates to ensure client files, trust accounts, and ongoing matters are properly handled.
- Time-saving strategies to avoid costly errors and regulatory complications.
- Concrete succession planning tools that protect your professional legacy.
- NEW: Managing AI tools, cloud subscriptions, and SaaS platforms - properly offboarding from legal technology services that may retain client data.
- NEW: Digital client file obligations - ethical handling, transfer, and destruction of records stored in cloud systems, email archives, and practice management platforms.
- NEW: Cybersecurity and data privacy during closure - meeting your obligations under the evolving patchwork of state privacy and data protection laws.
- NEW: Technology competence through the finish line - fulfilling your duty of technological competence under RPC 1.1 through the final stages of your practice.
Take the guesswork out of practice closure. Join us to learn the strategies you need to know to properly protect your clients, your legacy, and your peace of mind.
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