Catherine E. Finnerty

Catherine E. Finnerty  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. Her knowledge and experience serves her well in helping her clients achieve their financial goals and a financial fresh start. Catherine also volunteers with South Jersey Legal Services, Legal Services of New Jersey, and the Volunteer Lawyers for Justice representing clients throughout their entire bankruptcy cases. Catherine takes great pride and care in helping her clients make it through these difficult, personal, and life-changing matters.

In addition to bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law, Catherine 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. This breadth of experience enables Catherine to provide comprehensive representation and advice to her clients when they need it most.

Aside from her litigation-related practice, Catherine 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.

Catherine is a member of the American Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, and New Jersey Women Lawyers Association.   As for the New Jersey State Bar Association, Catherine is a member of the Bankruptcy Law Section, Women in the Profession Section and Solo and Small Firm Section. These affiliations and memberships help Catherine forge the bonds and relationships with other attorneys to empower her to provide the most effective and efficient representation to her clients. In addition, Catherine is a member of the American Bankruptcy Inn of Courts and the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. These organizations assist Catherine in keeping up to date with any changes in the fields of bankruptcy and consumer representation, so she can then ensure her clients receive the most current legal advice.

Prior to opening her own private practice here in New Jersey, Catherine worked as an attorney in New York in the fields of bankruptcy and corporate reorganization at such renowned and prestigious firms as Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson in the bankruptcy department, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP in the creditor’s rights and bankruptcy department and Latham & Watkins LLP in the corporate restructuring and bankruptcy department.

At New York University School of Law, Catherine served as a member of the Law Review and received the American Jurisprudence Award in Torts.  While a student at Barnard College of Columbia University, Catherine frequented the Dean’s List and won the New York Building Industry Scholarship as well as the Eugene Raskin Prize for Spanish.  Catherine graduated with cum laude distinction.

Catherine is licensed to practice law in the States of New Jersey and New York, and she is authorized to appear before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.