Hon. John E. Keefe J.A.D. (Ret.)

Hon. John E. Keefe J.A.D. (Ret.) serves as of counsel to Keefe Law Firm, focusing on mediation, arbitration, special master appointments, and appellate consultation. Before joining the bench in 1977, he practiced as a civil trial attorney handling cases in personal injury law, including products liability, medical malpractice, and insurance law.

Early in his judicial career, he led a statewide pilot program for asbestos litigation, appointing New Jersey’s first full-time Special Master and standardizing discovery procedures across the state. In 1984, he was named Presiding Judge of the General Equity Part and later elevated to the Appellate Division in 1988, where he served for 13 years and retired as a Presiding Judge, with his time on the bench spanning 25 years.

Judge Keefe taught Products Liability for 15 years as an Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall Law School. He is a member of the American Law Institute and contributed to the Restatement (Third) of Torts: Product Liability, as well as the ongoing Restatement of the Law of Liability Insurance. He co-authored New Jersey Products Liability & Toxic Tort Law.

Judge Keefe earned both his degrees from Rutgers University in New Jersey. Widely recognized for his many contributions to the legal field, Judge Keefe has received the ICLE Distinguished Service Award, the James McLaughlin Professionalism Award, and the David L. Golden Lifetime Achievement Award.

Since retirement, Judge Keefe has focused his time on mediation, arbitration, and special master services.

To learn more about the firm’s ADR services or to schedule a consultation, contact the Alternative Dispute Resolution Department at Keefe Law Firm by calling (732) 224-9400 ext. 208, or emailing our ADR assistant Alicia at arodriguez@keefe-lawfirm.com.