John P. Lacey, the current President of the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, began his legal career as the Law Clerk to the Honorable Charles L. Brieant, former Chief Judge of the Southern District of New York. Thereafter, Mr. Lacey received his trial and appellate training from the prestigious U.S. Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute in Washington, DC. He served in the United States Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney for New Jersey, handling a large variety of successful high profile criminal prosecutions and asset forfeitures, as well as numerous successful appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. During that time, Mr. Lacey served under now Associate Justice Samuel Alito, Jr., of the Supreme Court of the United States and Michael Chertoff, the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

Aside from defending numerous high profile civil and criminal defense matters, Mr. Lacey's work often includes the handling of confidential corporate matters where discretion is required including defense of Federal and State investigations, internal corporate investigations and other business crisis situations. His clients have included multi-national corporations and law firms, corporate executives, professional athletes, attorneys and accountants.

Mr. Lacey joined Connell Foley in 1991. He concentrates his practice in federal litigation, complex commercial matters, white-collar criminal defense, employment law, and internal and external corporate and government investigations.

Mr. Lacey has appeared as a Legal Analyst for MSNBC News and Court TV. In 2002, the Essex County Bar Association awarded him its Trial Attorney of the Year Award. Mr. Lacey currently serves, as an Officer of the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey. The Association represents more than 800 attorneys who practice before the judges of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.