Honorable Kim Guadagno

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno concentrates her practice on assisting public and private clients with complex civil and regulatory litigation, white collar defense, public policy, crisis management and internal investigations.

Lt. Governor Guadagno’s extensive background in the public and private sectors gives her a distinct and unsurpassed perspective to enable relationship building for successful business strategies and economic development outcomes, as well as insights into local, state and federal policy issues.  Working closely with each of Connell Foley LLP’s practice groups, Lt. Governor Guadagno counsels clients on local, state, and federal initiatives, economic development projects and various policy issues, while assisting them in all aspects of litigation.

In eight years as New Jersey’s first Lieutenant Governor and the 33^rd Secretary of State, Kim Guadagno was a steadfast advocate for businesses and corporations statewide, creating an effective infrastructure for economic growth and job creation.  She established the Partnership for Action – New Jersey’s multi-faceted economic development strategy, comprised of the Business Action Center, Choose New Jersey, the Economic Development Authority and the Secretary of Higher Education.  Lt. Governor Guadagno worked tirelessly to attract, retain, and expand companies by helping businesses negotiate the labyrinth of government at all levels.  She met with thousands of business and government leaders statewide and played an integral role in the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs and the dramatic growth of new business startups.  As Chair of the Red Tape Review Commission, Lt. Governor Guadagno successfully led a bipartisan initiative reducing regulatory burdens on businesses.

The Wall Street Journal profiled Lt. Governor Guadagno as possessing a “level of energy that has impressed members of the state’s influential business community.”

After two federal clerkships and five years of private practice, Lt. Governor Guadagno began her public service career as a federal prosecutor with the Organized Crime and Racketeering Strike Force in Brooklyn, New York.  She later became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and the District of New Jersey, where she was twice awarded the U.S. Department of Justice’s highest honor for her prosecutions.  Following her years of federal service, she became a senior member of the State of New Jersey Attorney General’s Office where she oversaw statewide criminal investigations.  In 2001, Lt. Governor Guadagno left the public sector to work in private practice and also taught Legal Research and Writing at Rutgers School of Law in Newark for six years.  In 2005, she was elected a commissioner in her hometown of Monmouth Beach and two years later, Guadagno became the first woman sheriff in Monmouth County where she led the 650-member, $65 million law enforcement agency until inaugurated New Jersey’s first Lieutenant Governor.

Professional and Community Affiliations

• Member, Board of Trustees, NAIOP New Jersey
• Member, New Jersey State Bar Association
• Member, Association of Federal Bar of New Jersey
• Member, Board of Directors, OceanFirst Financial Corp. and OceanFirst Bank N.A.
• Member. OceanFirst Foundation
• Director, MIAX Emerald, a privately held securities company
• President emeritus and Trustee, 200 Club of Monmouth County
  Member, International Association of Defense Counsel
• Member, Women criminal Defense attorneys of NJ
• Executive Director, Mercy Center, a non-profit serving the people of greater Asbury Park including emergency food, professional counseling and a private tuition free middle school for girls.

Presentations:

• Co-speaker, "AADC 100th Anniversary Women’s Conference," AADC (March 2023)
• Presenter, "The Nuts and Bolts: What Employers Need to Know About New Jersey's New Employment Laws," Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (October 2019)
• Speaker, "No More All-Male Boards - Corporate Governance Upheaval and How to Advise Your Clients," NJSBA Annual Meeting (May 2019)
• Panelist, "Helping Build SME International Business," NJCU's Connecting Bridges and Borders Seminar (October 2018)

• Moderator, "New Jersey Paid Sick Leave – Will You Be Ready?" Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey (August 2018)

• Presenter, "Complying with New Equal Pay & Paid Sick Leave Mandates," CCSNJ program (August 2018)
• Presenter, "New Jersey's New Paid Sick Leave Law -- Will You Be Ready?" Connell Foley Business for Breakfast Series (June 2018)
• Keynote presenter, Lighting the Way Annual Gala, Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (May 2018)
• Presenter, "International Real Estate Management Conference," New Jersey City University School of Business (May 2018)
• Panelist, “Compromise: Vice, Virtue, or Moral Imperative?," Temple Emanuel of North Jersey (May 2018)
• Keynote speeches on Economic Development, Homeland Security, Charter Schools, and STEM Education throughout State, County, Local public, private and community organizations (2010-2018)
• Presenter, Woman in Law Enforcement, “Panel on Immigration” (2008)
• National Institute of Trial Advocacy Faculty (2000-2004)
• New Jersey Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute, Trial Advocacy and Expert Witnesses (2001-2003)
• National Institute of Trial Advocacy, “Depositions” (2003 & 2005)
• Intensive Trial Advocacy Program, Rutgers University (2001)
• Panelist, National Summit on Identity Fraud, Secretary of the Treasury, Washington, D.C. (2000)
• Institute for Continuing Legal Education: “Developments in Health Care Fraud” (1998)
• Institute for Continuing Legal Education: “Updates in Health Care Fraud” (1997)
• N.J. State Investigators Association: “Fraud and Federal Statutes” (1995)
• FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia: “Investigation and Prosecution of International Insurance Fraud” (1993)
• N.J. Association of Purchase Managers, “Federal Aspects of Procurement Fraud” (1991)

 Commencement Addresses: 

• New Jersey Institute of Technology (2010)
• The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (2010)
• William Paterson University (2011)
• Ursinus College (2011)
• Essex County College (2011)
• Cumberland County Community College (2012)
• Raritan Valley Community College (2015)

ROI Influencers: Women in Business (2021)

New Jersey Business Hall of Fame - 2019 Class of Laureates

NJBIZ

• Law Power 50 (2019)
• Best 50 Women in Business (2019)
• Power 100 List (2011-2017) 

New Jersey's Irish American Leaders, Insider NJ (2019, 2020)

Martindale-Hubbel AV Preeminent Rating for highest level of professional competence (2018)

Paul L. Troast Public Service Award – New Jersey Business & Industry Association (2016)

Service to the Industry Award – Monmouth University Kislak Real Estate Institute (2016)

The Alice Paul Institute Equality Award (2016)

New Jersey Woman of Achievement – Rutgers University (2016)

Public Service Award – Greater Monmouth Chamber of Commerce (2016)

Chairman’s Award – Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ (2016)

Business Advocate of the Year – NJ State Chamber of Commerce (2015)

Vanguard Award – Count Basie Theatre (2015)

PolitickerNJ — Most Influential Woman in Politics (2015)

Cabinet Member of the Year – New Jersey Conference of Mayors (2015)

Leaders & Legends Honoree – Newark YMCA (2013)

Exceptional Service to Sandy Recovery Award – The Irish Echo (2013)

Education Appreciation Award – Metropolitan Business & Citizens Association (2013)

FDR Visionary Award – March of Dimes (2012)

Silver Gull Economic Development – Monmouth-Ocean Development Council (2012)

Legislative Advocate for Technology Award – New Jersey Technology Council (2012)

Women’s Initiative & Leaders in Law Platinum Award – NJ Women Lawyer’s Association (2011)

Inductee in the New Jersey Women's Hall of Fame – YWCA of Trenton (2011)

Clara Barton Humanitarian of the Year Award – American Red Cross New Jersey Region (2011)

Woman of Distinction – Girl Scouts of America, Shore Chapter (2011)

Woman of the Year Award – National Police Defense Foundation (2010)

Leadership New Jersey Award for Exemplary Public Leadership (2010)

Woman of Valor Award – Jewish Federation of Monmouth County (2010)

U.S. Department of Justice Director’s Award (1996, 1994)

^{Please see Honor and Award Methodology. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.}