Hal R. Lieberman

Hal R. Lieberman

During the past 22 years, Hal Lieberman has defended hundreds of lawyers and law firms before disciplinary and grievance committees in connection with lawyer discipline complaints, formal disciplinary prosecutions, reciprocal discipline proceedings, post-conviction disciplinary proceedings, reinstatements, and matters related to bar admissions before the several New York character and fitness committees.

Mr. Lieberman is the co-author of “New York Attorney Discipline,” and the former Principal Trial Attorney and Chief Counsel for the Departmental Disciplinary Committee in New York’s First Department. Mr. Lieberman is a regular columnist for the New York Law Journal on the subject of Professional Discipline. Mr. Lieberman is frequently retained to prepare attorney ethics expert opinions.

In addition to attorney discipline defense, Mr. Lieberman has been a lecturer in law at Columbia Law School teaching legal ethics, has lectured widely, and published numerous articles on the subjects of legal ethics and professional discipline. He has testified as an expert in legal ethics in more than 50 civil and criminal adjudications since 1998, including, among others, disqualification motions, legal malpractice cases, partnership disputes, fee disputes, and numerous issues involving interpretation and application of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Mr. Lieberman joined Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP in 2014. He is the past partner-in-charge of the New York office of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, and was the subject of an exclusive interview in the March 23, 2011 issue of the New York Law Journal. The article, “Q&A with Hal R. Lieberman,” focused on Mr. Lieberman’s long and unique experience handling New York attorney disciplinary cases and legal ethics matters more generally, and his views on the state of New York’s lawyer discipline system from the perspective of a former Chief Counsel to the Departmental Disciplinary Committee.

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Education

Harvard Law School, J.D., 1967

University of Chicago, A.B., cum laude, 1964

Admissions

U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
New York
Massachusetts
State of Israel

Honors

Holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability; Included in “The Best Lawyers in America®” in the area of Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law (2011-2015); Has been named to the “Super Lawyers” list since 2006.

Hal is a long time competitive middle distance runner, and participates in numerous national and local track meets as a member of the Central Park Track Club. In 2014, Hal and three other runners broke the world indoor age group record for the men’s 4 x 800 meter relay, when they finished 3 seconds faster than the previously held record by a German team.

Attorney News

Publications

  • New Rules for Attorney Disciplinary Matters: ‘Related Proceedings’

    March 20, 2017 

  • New Rules for Attorney Disciplinary Matters: Formal Proceedings

    April 6, 2016 

  • New Rules for Attorney Disciplinary Matters: Informal Proceedings

    October 15, 2016 

  • “Fostering Efficiency in the Attorney Disciplinary Process”

    January 21, 2016  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “New 2016 Edition, New York Attorney Discipline Practice and Procedure”

    November 13, 2015  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “New York’s Catch-All Rule: Is It Needed? Part 2”

    November 2, 2015  —  

    New York Legal Ethics Reporter
  • “Report on Statewide Attorney Discipline: Uniformity and Fairness”

    October 23, 2015  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “New York’s Catch-All Rule: Is It Needed? Part 1”

    October 1, 2015  —  

    New York Legal Ethics Reporter
  • “Is New York’s Disciplinary System Truly Broken?”

    July 16, 2014  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “Should Disqualification Lead to Discipline?”

    April 4, 2014  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “How Do I Get Back My Law License?”

    November 29, 2013  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “Lawyers Who Commit Crimes: Disciplinary Consequences”

    August 22, 2013  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “Appellate Review of Disciplinary Decisions,

    May 29, 2013  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “Discipline for ‘Private Conduct’: Rationale and Recent Trends”

    Feb. 19, 2013  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “New York’s Attorney Discipline System: Does It Meet ‘Due Process’ Requirements?”

    December 28, 2012  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “Attorney Discipline System: Does It Meet ‘Due Process’ Requirements?”

    August 31, 2012  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “The ‘Galasso’ Case and the Duty of Supervision,” co-authored with Katie M. Lachter

    May 30, 2012  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “New York’s Attorney Discipline System: How Much ‘Process’ is ‘Due’”

    April 4, 2012  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “New York’s Lawyer Disciplinary System – Is it Fair?” Professional Responsibility column

    March 1, 2010  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “Working Knowledge of Conflict of Interest Rules is Essential”

    September 2004  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “How to Avoid Common Ethics Problems” special supplement

    October 28, 2002  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “Private Conduct and Professional Discipline,” co-authored with Richard Supple

    July 23, 2002  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “Six Clients in Search of a Lawyer: Or, Don’t Take the Case”

    May 2002  —  

    The New York Professional Responsibility Report
  • “Disqualification Denied Again: The Amazonas Case”

    July 2001  —  

    The New York Professional Responsibility Report
  • “Prospective Client Perjury: A Lawyer’s Dilemma”

    December 2000  —  

    The New York Professional Responsibility Report
  • “Do Disbarred Lawyers Have Constitutional Rights?”

    October 2000  —  

    The New York Professional Responsibility Report
  • “Be Aware of Ethical Witness Preparation Rules”

    May 25, 2000  —  

    New York Law Journal
  • “Gidatex v. Campaniello, The Anti-Contact Rule and Subordinate Employees”

    January 2000  —  

    The New York Professional Responsibility Report
  • “Lawyer Incivility Provokes Three-Month Suspension”

    July 1999  —  

    The New York Professional Responsibility Report
  • “The Future of Attorney Discipline in New York’s First Judicial Department”

    February 1999  —  

    The New York Professional Responsibility Report
Show More publications (30)

Presentations

  • “Introductory Lessons on Ethics and Civility 2013,” New York State Bar Association

    April 2013  —  

    New York, New York
  • “The Interface of Discipline and Law Firm Risk Management" Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference

    March 2012  —  

    Chicago, Illinois
  • “Legal Ethics: Hot Topics for In-House Counsel,” Retail Industry Leaders Association Conference

    November 2011  —  

    Chicago, Illinois
  • “Ethics, Discipline & Real World Obligations,” New York City Bar Center for CLE

    October 2011  —  

    New York, New York
  • “Ethical Issues in Attorney Client Privilege and Confidentiality”

    April 2011  —  

    Lawline.com online CLE program
  • “Ethical Immigration Strategies in the New Legal Environment” The Practising Law Institute

    April 2010  —  

    New York, New York
  • “Ethical Issues in the Litigation Process”

    September 2008  —  

    Lawline.com online CLE program
  • “Ethics: Conflicts of Interest”

    March 2007  —  

    Lawline.com online CLE program
  • “Risk Management Employment Considerations in Lawyer Termination,” Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference

    March 2007  —  

    Chicago, Illinois
  • “Timely Ethical Issues,” Federal Bar Council’s Fall Bar and Bench Retreat, Lenox

    October 2006  —  

    Massachusetts
  • “Ethics: Avoiding Malpractice Claims and Disciplinary Actions”

    May 2006  —  

    Lawline.com online CLE program
  • “Dodging the Bullets: Understanding and Avoiding the New Threats to Lawyers and Law Firms,” Hinshaw’s Professional Responsibility and Risk Management seminar

    October 2005  —  

    New York, New York
  • “Things I Wish I’d Known When I Became Bar Counsel,” American Bar Association 2005 National Conference on Professional Responsibility

    June 2005  —  

    Chicago, Illinois
  • “Ethics for the Immigration Lawyer,” New York City Bar Association Center for Continuing Legal Education seminar

    March 2005  —  

    New York, New York
Show More  presentations (11)
ECBAWM Partner Hal R. Lieberman.

Education

Harvard Law School, J.D., 1967

University of Chicago, A.B., cum laude, 1964

Admissions

U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
New York
Massachusetts
State of Israel

Honors

Holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability; Included in “The Best Lawyers in America®” in the area of Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law (2011-2015); Has been named to the “Super Lawyers” list since 2006.

Hal is a long time competitive middle distance runner, and participates in numerous national and local track meets as a member of the Central Park Track Club. In 2014, Hal and three other runners broke the world indoor age group record for the men’s 4 x 800 meter relay, when they finished 3 seconds faster than the previously held record by a German team.