Former New Jersey watchdog Kevin Walsh joins Philadelphia law firm

Kevin Walsh, who spent six years leading New Jersey’s independent government watchdog agency as acting state comptroller, will join a Philadelphia-based law firm later this month, the firm announced Friday.

Walsh, a resident of Camden County, will join Langer Grogan & Diver P.C. effective March 20. He will focus on consumer protection, whistleblower, antitrust, and commercial litigation, and will also conduct internal investigations and advise companies and nonprofit organizations on regulatory compliance.

In 2020, Walsh was nominated by former Gov. Phil Murphy to lead the Office of the State Comptroller, an independent agency that audits and investigates government entities, including state agencies, authorities, municipalities, school districts, and public colleges and universities. The Comptroller also monitors public contracting and prevents and detects fraud in Medicaid.

Under Walsh’s leadership, the office launched projects focused on pandemic recovery funds, police accountability, and nursing home fraud. Walsh’s tenure as state comptroller was marked by aggressive investigations that rooted out some $1 billion in waste and abuse. His focus on public corruption enraged political insiders who then unsuccessfully tried to have many of the powers of the comptroller’s office taken away.

Previously, Walsh worked for two decades as a civil rights attorney and the executive director of Fair Share Housing Center, a nonprofit advocacy organization that enforced laws that require all municipalities to provide their fair share of affordable housing. In that role, he directed a legal and grassroots effort resulting in settlements with more than 300 municipalities and opportunities for tens of thousands of affordable homes statewide for families, seniors, and people with disabilities. He focused on using redevelopment to increase New Jersey’s supply of affordable homes and litigated extensively in trial and appellate courts, including seven arguments before the New Jersey Supreme Court.

From 2000 to 2008, Walsh served as the lawyer for New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, a grassroots organization that successfully led the effort to end the death penalty in New Jersey. In 2004, he challenged the constitutionality of lethal injection regulations adopted by the state, resulting in a moratorium on executions. The regulations were thrown out and never reinstated.

Walsh served as a law clerk to the Hon. Gary S. Stein, Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court for the 1999-2000 Court term. In 2012, the New Jersey Law Journal recognized him as the Lawyer of the Year.

John Grogan, a partner at Langer Grogan & Diver, said Walsh’s background in government oversight and complex litigation made him a strong addition to the firm.

“Kevin has dedicated his career to strengthening public institutions and standing up for communities across New Jersey,” Grogan said in a statement. “His leadership as acting state comptroller, combined with his decades of experience in complex litigation and public interest advocacy, makes him an extraordinary addition to our firm.”

Walsh said the firm’s focus on consumer protection and accountability work aligns with the kind of cases he has pursued throughout his career.

“I have spent my career working in the public interest,” Walsh said. “Langer Grogan & Diver’s focus on cases that protect consumers, promote fair competition, and hold powerful actors accountable is exactly the kind of firm where I can continue working to ensure that the law serves people and strengthens the institutions they rely on.”

Langer Grogan & Diver, based in Philadelphia, focuses on complex litigation, particularly antitrust and consumer protection cases. The firm represents businesses and individuals in commercial disputes while also pursuing public-interest litigation.

The firm has received recognition from the American Antitrust Institute for its antitrust work and several organizations for pro bono and public-interest litigation. It also funds a fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Law School that supports graduates entering public interest law.