Brian J. Neary
Founder and Managing Attorney
Trial Lawyer – Appellate Advocate – Legal Educator – Bar Leader: With 48 years as a criminal lawyer in New Jersey, Brian is all of these.
Regarded as one of the premier criminal defense lawyers in New Jersey, Brian J. Neary devotes his practice to the rigorous defense of those accused of crimes. He has been certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney and represents people in both State and Federal courts on charges ranging from murder and street crimes to fraud and complex white-collar crimes. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a prestigious designation for trial lawyers in North America; only 108 are so designated in New Jersey.
Brian’s trial experiences range from jury trials in both Federal and New Jersey Superior Courts to judge trials throughout New Jersey’s Municipal Court system. He has represented clients in all 21 New Jersey counties, with the majority of matters in Bergen and Hudson counties.
Widely known in the halls of justice and in the press as “the lawyer with the bow-tie,” Brian has represented professional athletes, entertainers, lawyers, doctors, business leaders, law enforcement employees, public officials, friends and neighbors throughout New Jersey.
He is a leading practitioner in driving while intoxicated cases, including vehicular homicide, and is experienced defending a wide range of criminal matters including assault, drug charges, internet crimes, juvenile law, murder and violent crimes, sex offenses, weapons charges, State and Federal charges and white-collar crimes.
Brian is also an accomplished appellate lawyer, having argued more than fifteen cases in the New Jersey Supreme Court and the New Jersey Appellate Division. He has also argued appeals in Federal Appeals Courts, including the Second and Third Circuits. Brian has more than 120 reported decisions on numerous criminal law issues. In addition, he has received awards from the New Jersey State Bar Association for his amicus participation on its behalf.
A mentor and teacher to lawyers and law students, Brian regularly teaches criminal law and trial advocacy to judges and lawyers through bar association continuing legal education programming, and trial techniques to students at Rutgers Law School and at the Law School of his alma mater Notre Dame. He is an award-winning instructor for the New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
Brian is actively involved in the legal community. He is the Past President of both the Hudson County Bar Association (2012-2013) and the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (1997-1998), is an active member of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) and presently serves as a Trustee of NJSBA (2020-2026).
Prior to entering private practice as a criminal defense lawyer, Brian held these positions:
- Associate Counsel, New York State Executive Advisory Commission on the Administration of Justice, 1981-1982
- Assistant Prosecutor, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Hackensack, New Jersey, 1977-1981
- Legal Advisor, Bergen County Narcotics Task Force,1978-1981
- Chief Prosecutor, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office; Sex Crimes and Child Abuse, Hackensack, New Jersey,1980-1981
- Assistant Prosecutor, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Jersey City, New Jersey, 1976-1977
Honors and Awards
- Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney, 1982 – Present
- Certified Criminal Trial Advocate, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1983 – Present
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®, 1991 – Present (White Collar Criminal Defense, Non-White Collar Criminal Defense, Driving While Intoxicated Defense)
- Listed in New Jersey Super Lawyers®, 2005 – 2024, published by Thomson Reuters
- Selected to the New Jersey Super Lawyers Top 10 list, 2005, 2018 – 2024
- Selected to the New Jersey Super Lawyers Top 100 list, 2005 – 2015; 2017 – 2024
- Featured on the cover of the 2020 New Jersey Super Lawyers Magazine and in the article “The Ties That Bind”
- Holds a Martindale Hubbell® Peer Review AV Preeminent® Rating
- Listed in Martindale Hubbell’s Bar Registration of Preeminent Lawyers in the Criminal Trial Practice section from 1994 – 2021
- New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education – Distinguished Service Award, 2014
- Hudson Catholic, 2009 Hall of Fame Inductee
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, 2008 – Present
- Fellow, American Board of Criminal Lawyers, 1996 – Present
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation, 2005 – Present
- Member, New Jersey State Bar Association, 2019 – Present
- Trustee (Hudson County Representative). 2020 – Present
- Member, Commission on Racial Equality in the Law (Corel), 2020 – Present
- Member, Task Force on Resumption of Jury Trials, 2020 – Present
- Member, Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, 1984 – Present
- President, 1997 – 1998
- Life Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1983 – Present
- Life Member, New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1990 – Present
- Member, Bergen County Bar Association, 1987 – Present
- Member, Hudson County Bar Association, 2005 – Present
- President, 2012-2013
- Chairman, Criminal Practice Committee; Co-Chairman, Continuing Education Committee, 2016
- Hudson Inn of Court, Jersey City, N.J., Master, 1994-1995; 2003-2009
- Hudson County Representative, New Jersey State Bar Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments Committee, 2014 – 2020
- Founding Member, National College for DUI Defense, 1995 – Present
- Member, New Jersey Sentencing and Disposition Commission (state bar designee) 2018 – Present
- Member, Ethics Committee, New Jersey Supreme Court, Bergen County, 1990-1994; Chairman, 1993-1994
- Criminal Practice Committee, New Jersey Supreme Court, 1988 – 1992, 2005 – 2006
Speaking Engagements
- Visiting Faculty, Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, Indiana, Intensive Trial Advocacy, 2014- present
- Co-Adjunct Professor of Law, Rutgers School of Law, Newark, New Jersey, 1982 – 2020
- Legal Writing & Oral Advocacy, 1982-1988
- Criminal Trial Presentation, 1988-2014
- Intensive Criminal Trial Advocacy, 2015-2019
- Instructor, Administrative Office of the Courts, Municipal Court Seminar, Driving While Intoxicated, 1995-2005
- Instructor, Institute for Continuing Education for the New Jersey State Bar Association, 1990 – Present
Courses include:- Driving While Intoxicated
- Crimes By Auto
- Expert Witnesses
- Homicide Litigation
- The Annual Criminal Law Institute
- Domestic Violence
- Trial advocacy seminars
- Lecturer – Various Bar Association courses on Criminal Law
- Adjunct Professor, Saint Peter’s University, Jersey City, New Jersey, Criminal Justice Ethics, 2006-2009
Community Involvement
- Hudson Catholic High School, Jersey City, NJ; Chair, Board of Consultors (2009-2024)
The Best Lawyers lists are issued by Best Lawyers. The Super Lawyers lists are issued by ThomsonReuters. AV Preeminent is a registered certification mark of Martindale-Hubbell and Internet Brands, Inc. Learn more about the selection methodology for these honors: Best Lawyers – Super Lawyers – Martindale-Hubbell. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
