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.
Publications:
Giuliani, Temporary Suspension, Due Process, and “Political Speech”, July 13, 2021.
The First Department’s New Rules for Attorney Discipline, July 28, 2017.
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,” New York Law Journal, January 21, 2016.
“New 2016 Edition, New York Attorney Discipline Practice and Procedure,” New York Law Journal, November 13, 2015.
“New York’s Catch-All Rule: Is It Needed? Part 2,” New York Legal Ethics Reporter, November 2, 2015.
“Report on Statewide Attorney Discipline: Uniformity and Fairness,” New York Law Journal, October 23, 2015.
“New York’s Catch-All Rule: Is It Needed? Part 1,” New York Legal Ethics Reporter, October 1, 2015.
“Is New York’s Disciplinary System Truly Broken?” New York Law Journal, July 16, 2014.
“Should Disqualification Lead to Discipline?” New York Law Journal, April 4, 2014.
“How Do I Get Back My Law License?” New York Law Journal, November 29, 2013.
“Lawyers Who Commit Crimes: Disciplinary Consequences,” New York Law Journal, August 22, 2013.
“Appellate Review of Disciplinary Decisions,” New York Law Journal, May 29, 2013.
“Discipline for ‘Private Conduct’: Rationale and Recent Trends,” New York Law Journal, Feb. 19, 2013.
“New York’s Attorney Discipline System: Does It Meet ‘Due Process’ Requirements?” New York Law Journal, December 28, 2012.
“Attorney Discipline System: Does It Meet ‘Due Process’ Requirements?” New York Law Journal, August 31, 2012.
“The ‘Galasso’ Case and the Duty of Supervision,” co-authored with Katie M. Lachter, New York Law Journal, May 30, 2012.
“New York’s Attorney Discipline System: How Much ‘Process’ is ‘Due’,” New York Law Journal, April 4, 2012.
“New York’s Lawyer Disciplinary System – Is it Fair?” Professional Responsibility column, New York Law Journal, March 1, 2010.
“Working Knowledge of Conflict of Interest Rules is Essential,” New York Law Journal, September 2004.
“How to Avoid Common Ethics Problems,” New York Law Journal, special supplement, October 28, 2002.
“Private Conduct and Professional Discipline,” co-authored with Richard Supple, New York Law Journal, July 23, 2002.
“Six Clients in Search of a Lawyer: Or, Don’t Take the Case,” The New York Professional Responsibility Report, May 2002.
“Disqualification Denied Again: The Amazonas Case,” The New York Professional Responsibility Report, July 2001.
“Prospective Client Perjury: A Lawyer’s Dilemma,” The New York Professional Responsibility Report, December 2000.
“Do Disbarred Lawyers Have Constitutional Rights?” The New York Professional Responsibility Report, October 2000.
“Be Aware of Ethical Witness Preparation Rules,” New York Law Journal, May 25, 2000.
“Gidatex v. Campaniello, The Anti-Contact Rule and Subordinate Employees,” The New York Professional Responsibility Report, January 2000.
“Lawyer Incivility Provokes Three-Month Suspension,” The New York Professional Responsibility Report, July 1999.
“The Future of Attorney Discipline in New York’s First Judicial Department,” The New York Professional Responsibility Report, February 1999.
Presentations:
“Introductory Lessons on Ethics and Civility 2013,” New York State Bar Association, New York, New York, April 2013.
“The Interface of Discipline and Law Firm Risk Management,” Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2012.
“Legal Ethics: Hot Topics for In-House Counsel,” Retail Industry Leaders Association Conference, Chicago, Illinois, November 2011.
“Ethics, Discipline & Real World Obligations,” New York City Bar Center for CLE, New York, New York, October 2011 .
“Ethical Issues in Attorney Client Privilege and Confidentiality,” Lawline.com online CLE program, April 2011.
“Ethical Immigration Strategies in the New Legal Environment,” The Practising Law Institute, New York, New York, April 2010.
“Ethical Issues in the Litigation Process,” Lawline.com online CLE program, September 2008.
“Ethics: Conflicts of Interest,” Lawline.com online CLE program, March 2007.
“Risk Management Employment Considerations in Lawyer Termination,” Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2007.
“Timely Ethical Issues,” Federal Bar Council’s Fall Bar and Bench Retreat, Lenox, Massachusetts, October 2006.
“Ethics: Avoiding Malpractice Claims and Disciplinary Actions,” Lawline.com online CLE program, May 2006.
“Dodging the Bullets: Understanding and Avoiding the New Threats to Lawyers and Law Firms,” Hinshaw’s Professional Responsibility and Risk Management seminar, New York, New York, October 2005.
“Things I Wish I’d Known When I Became Bar Counsel,” American Bar Association 2005 National Conference on Professional Responsibility, Chicago, Illinois, June 2005.
“Ethics for the Immigration Lawyer,” New York City Bar Association Center for Continuing Legal Education seminar, New York, New York, March 2005.
- 17 ECBAWM Attorneys Named to 2022 Super Lawyers Lists
- 19 ECBAWM Attorneys Named to 2021 Super Lawyers Lists
- Ten ECBAWM Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers; Four Named as Rising Stars
- Ten ECBAWM Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers; Two Named as Rising Stars
- Ten ECBAWM Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers; One Named as Rising Star
Education
Harvard Law School, J.D., 1967
University of Chicago, A.B., cum laude, 1964
Admissions
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.
