EDITOR'S NOTE: John Finnerty passed away at age 75 in March 2019. He was one of the state's premier divorce litigators. He was a member of our first Ten Leaders group, researched and created in 2002. -Stephen Clark. John Finnerty is one of the top courtroom attorneys of the New Jersey divorce bar. Finnerty brings well-honed litigation skills to his work -- each year he represents scores of individuals looking for the best outcome in their often contentious divorce matter. A native of northern New Jersey, Finnerty received graduate and undergraduate degrees from Brown and began working as a journalist for The Record of Hackensack, where he earned a reputation as a tough and probing reporter. Not long after he went to law school. He later plunged into commercial litigation, and his practice evolved into matrimonial law as more and more New Jersey residents sought him out for his courtroom advocacy; in 1998, after more than 20 years in the field, he received the Saul Tischler Award, each year given to one of the state's top divorce attorneys. His offices are now located on Route 208 North in Fair Lawn. He is a longtime resident of Bergen County.