Margaret J. Finerty

Margaret J. Finerty is a partner at Getnick Law. Ms. Finerty’s practice includes all areas of the firm’s anti-fraud litigation and business integrity matters. She focuses on Federal and State False Claims Act qui tam cases, as well as IRS and SEC Whistleblower matters. She coordinates the firm’s IRS whistleblower practice, as well as its IPSIG (Independent Private Sector Inspector General) and monitoring work. Key monitorships include the World Trade Center Disaster Site Recovery and Clean-up and the Federal-Court appointed monitorship of The New York Racing Association. She has represented private clients, both individuals and corporations, as well as governmental agencies, in addressing fraud, business integrity and compliance matters.

Ms. Finerty has creatively applied the New York False Claims Act in cases against a major electrical utility company, and an upstate New York heating fuel company which was stealing funds from both government entities and private individuals. The whistleblowers in each of these cases received an award of 23.5% of the recovery to New York State, at the time the largest percentage for any New York False Claims Act case not involving Medicaid. Notably, the resolutions not only resulted in money being returned to New York State, but also directly benefited New York consumers. The fuel company took a criminal plea and paid restitution to the government and civilian victims. In the electric utility case, New York State was civilly compensated, and a portion of those funds went to provide aid to low- and moderate-income New Yorkers to modernize and replace heat pumps.

Before joining the firm, Ms. Finerty had a distinguished career in public service. She served as a Judge of the Criminal Court of the City of New York and, prior to that, she worked for many years in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office under the leadership of District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau.

Ms. Finerty is an active member of several professional associations. These include The Anti-Fraud Coalition (“TAF Coalition”), a public interest non-profit dedicated to fighting fraud against the government by working to protect whistleblowers and strengthen whistleblower laws. She sits on TAF Coalition’s IRS Whistleblower Committee and is a frequent participant on its educational panels.

Ms. Finerty is also a member of the American Bar Association, where she serves on its Standing Committee on Gun Violence. She previously served as a Liaison to its Task Force on Corporate Monitors Standards and a Commissioner on its Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Commission. She is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.