John J. DeLaney, Jr.

It is with profound sadness that we announce that John "Jay" DeLaney, passed away on November 22, 2022. Mr. DeLaney was a Shareholder of the firm and active member of the community.  He was a dedicated public servant, exceptional attorney and friend to all.  A former Mayor of Morristown New Jersey, he made innumerable contributions to the community he loved.  He will be dearly missed.

John J. DeLaney, Jr. concentrated his practice litigating corporate and fiduciary matters and general equity matters, including estate litigation. He handled land use matters and counseled businesses in the areas of employment law, real estate, commercial law.

He served as corporate counsel for mid-sized corporations and lectured before numerous civic organizations, professional organizations, and public bodies on workplace issues along with bio-medical ethics based on his experience as the guardian ad litem in the famous Claire C. Conroy case.

Jay authored numerous articles, including “The Role of the Guardian Ad Litem,” By No Extraordinary Means, Indiana University Press, 1986; “Should New Jersey's Holographic Will Law be Changed or Abolished?” 138 N.J.L.J. 1710 (1994); “New Jersey Appellate Division Clarifies Law on the Liability of Property Owners Whose Vegetation Encroaches on the Neighbor’s Property” (2016).

Jay served as Mayor of Morristown, New Jersey (1998- 2005 ), which allowed him to bring a unique perspective to cases. He also served on the Morristown Town Council (1990-1993) and the Morristown Planning Board (1988-1990), and has held numerous other civic positions. He served as President of the South Green Condominium Association (1985-1991). He served as both a Board Member and President of the Historic Speedwell Museum in Morristown (1994-1997). Additionally, he was very active in civic affairs at both the local municipal level and the state level and has been the recipient of numerous awards. Jay served as President of the Morristown High School (“MHS”) Alumni Association (1993-1997) during which time an Alumni Directory was prepared and a Newsletter was started. Jay was inducted into the MHS Hall of Fame in 2006. He also served as a Board Member (1993-1997) of the Morris Educational Foundation, a non-profit corporation devoted to improving the public schools in the Morristown area.

From January 1, 2006 until December 1, 2010, Jay served on the Board of Directors of Union Center National Bank. From July 1, 2011 until December 2016, Jay served on the Board of Directors of the Visual Arts Center in Summit, NJ. Jay most recently served on the Advisory Board of Directors of the Great Swamp Watershed Association.

Prior to joining Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, Jay served as a Law Secretary to Honorable Reginald Stanton, Assignment Judge, Morris County Vicinage of the Superior Court of New Jersey (1979-1980).