Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection Awards Over $75,000 in 11 Claims

Between January and March 2025, the trustees of the New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection returned $75,267.60 in client trust money stolen by seven New Jersey lawyers in 11 claims, including one for an attorney whose office was closed. 

In the first quarter of 2025, 10 of the eleven awards arose from the dishonest retention of unearned retainers. In these cases, the lawyers were paid a fee but failed to perform any of the services they had agreed to complete. 

The Fund continues to receive claims from former clients of suspended attorney Santo V. Artusa Jr. In this quarter, the Fund paid a claim of $2,875 for Artusa. Although Artusa’s Jersey City law office is closed, clients allege that he has contacted them online asking for money to work on various legal matters. The Supreme Court’s suspension order bars Artusa from practicing law and representing law clients in any New Jersey forum. The Fund’s trustees have asked law enforcement agencies to intervene and caution the public about Artusa’s alleged unauthorized practice of law. Contact the Fund to verify the status of an attorney prior to retaining and executing a financial agreement. 

The trustees approved payment of three claims totaling $26,392.50 on behalf of former clients of Brittany L. Parisi. To date, all of the seven claims filed with the Fund against Parisi, which involve the dishonest retention of unearned retainers, have been approved for payment.  

The largest claim reimbursed in the first quarter of 2025 was $20,000, which was stolen by Martin S. Fishman through the misappropriation of real estate escrow monies. Fishman, counsel for the buyers of a home, failed to maintain the buyers’ escrow deposit in his attorney trust account. When attempting to make arrangements for reimbursement, Fishman admitted that the funds were no longer available. The trustees granted the award for the full amount that the buyers provided for escrow. 

The Fund was created by the New Jersey State Bar Association in 1961 and, at the Bar’s request, was expanded by the Supreme Court in 1969 to cover all New Jersey attorneys. Trustees, who are appointed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, use monies contributed by New Jersey’s attorneys to reimburse victimized clients.  Just one-half of one percent of the State’s lawyers ever become the subjects of approved claims before the Fund. 

There are 100,124 lawyers admitted to practice in New Jersey. In its 56-year history, the Fund has paid 4,946 claims against 906 New Jersey attorneys for a total amount of $99,614,018.50. The Fund requires repayment by respondents as well as other culpable parties and to date has recovered $27,287,285.58. 

Court Rule 1:28 defines the Fund’s jurisdiction. A claimant can receive up to $400,000 if the claim is approved, and the Fund can pay up to $1.5 million in claims against any one lawyer, although the Supreme Court can allow the Fund to exceed the $1.5 million aggregate limit. For a claim to be compensable, it must be filed against a member of the New Jersey bar who was acting as an attorney or fiduciary at the time of the alleged incident. Unless deceased, the attorney must have been disbarred or suspended from the bar or convicted of embezzlement or other misappropriation of property. Cases involving legal malpractice, negligence, or fee disputes are not compensable by the Fund. 

Claim forms can be found online at https://www.njcourts.gov/public/get-help/lfcp or by writing to the New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection, Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex, P.O. Box 961, Trenton, NJ 08625, or by calling 855-533-FUND (3863). There is no filing fee and claimants assisted in their claims by practicing attorneys receive this assistance free of charge. The Fund welcomes inquiries about its mission and procedures. 

Attached is the first quarter 2025 list of claims paid with the status of each respondent attorney under the Supreme Court disciplinary system.