Buttaci Leardi & Werner Welcomes Elizabeth A. Rice, Esq. Back to the Firm as Director of Legal Operations and General Counsel, Following OAE Position
Buttaci Leardi & Werner LLC is pleased to announce that Elizabeth A. Rice has returned to the firm as Director of Legal Operations and General Counsel. Rice previously served as a healthcare attorney at Buttaci Leardi & Werner from May 2018 to September 2021. She rejoins the firm after serving as Deputy Statewide Ethics Coordinator for the New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE).
“We are delighted to welcome Beth back to the firm in this dual capacity,” said John W. Leardi, a Member at Buttaci Leardi & Werner. “As an attorney, she will serve clients in all aspects of healthcare law, including e-discovery and technology platform management across our entire dispute resolution portfolio, healthcare facility licensing and accreditation, and professional licensing defense. In her capacity as General Counsel, she will oversee our conflicts and client engagement processes, guide our risk management systems, and serve as our primary liaison on issues of professional responsibility and legal ethics. On the legal operations side, we will leverage her deep understanding of legal technology to streamline and refine our operations and workflows and continue the modernization of our firm, which has always been and will continue to be an early adopter of practice-enhancing technologies.”
“I am truly delighted to be back at Buttaci Leardi & Werner – it feels like coming home,” said Rice. “My time at the Office of Attorney Ethics was incredibly meaningful and deepened my appreciation for the importance of professional responsibility in every aspect of practice. I am grateful for that experience and excited to bring what I have learned back to the firm as a more seasoned professional, especially as we continue to embrace technology thoughtfully and ethically to deliver superior work product and greater value for our clients.”
At the OAE, Rice’s responsibilities included advocating before the New Jersey Supreme Court and Disciplinary Review Board on matters from both the District Ethics Committee (DEC) and the OAE, monitoring volunteer ethics investigations, and analyzing alternative resolution options for ethics violations. Previously, Rice served as an attorney in the state’s Municipal Court Services Division: Judicial Services, where she reviewed court programs, policies, and procedures for compliance with laws, court rules, and administrative directives. Prior to that role, she served as Assistant Deputy Ethics Counsel at the OAE, where she processed complaints of alleged attorney misconduct from members of the public, members of the judiciary, other attorneys, and out-of-state agencies.
Rice earned her J.D., cum laude, from Vermont Law School, and her B.A., cum laude, from Wilson College, where she was in the Honors Program.
She is admitted to the bar in New Jersey, Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as the United States District Court, District of New Jersey and the United States District Court, District of Maryland.
Law360 reported on Beth Rice’s arrival in the article “NJ Atty Ethics Coordinator Returns To Buttaci Leardi & Werner,” published on January 20 and available at this link (subscription may be required).
- Posted on: Jan 12 2026