Nancy E. Halpern, DVM
Partner | Litigation
nancy.halpern@pierferd.com
+1.609.731.6700 cell
+1.640.203.3973 office
Princeton
PDF – vCard
About
A seasoned attorney, Dr. Halpern represents and defends counsel to animal owners, animal-related businesses, veterinarians, biomedical research facilities, veterinarian pharmaceuticals, farmers and trade associations counsel on animal welfare and the humane use of animals.. Dr. Halpern, also an IP attorney helps clients manage and protect their intellectual property rights, including trade secrets, through litigation, regulatory, transactional work and due diligence. Whether prepping and defending witnesses for trial or administrative actions, Dr. Halpern has appeared in courts from municipal court to the U.S. Supreme Court and before a multitude of state and federal agencies, including State Boards of Veterinary Medicine, USDA, CDC, NIH, OLAW, NOAA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
-
Dr. Halpern capitalizes on her prior experience in veterinary medicine for the benefit of her current clients. A licensed veterinarian in the State of New Jersey, Dr. Halpern previously served as Director of the Division of Animal Health for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and New Jersey’s State Veterinarian and served on the State Board of Veterinary Medicine Examiners (SBVME) for nearly a decade. In these posts, she was responsible for the state’s emergency response regarding animal care concerns in the event of natural or man-made disasters; supervision of the sole animal health diagnostic laboratory in New Jersey and implementation of regulatory and statutory provisions governing animal care, well-being and safety as well as animal disease surveillance and control. As a practicing veterinarian, Dr. Halpern worked with livestock, zoo animals, animals in biomedical research and companion animals.
Dr. Halpern serves on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research and previously served on the Board of Americans for Medical Progress. She has represented the American Veterinary Medical Association and other trade associations in legislative and regulatory matters (excluding services covered by the Lobbying Disclosure Act, 2 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.), represents veterinarians when acquiring or selling their practices and when facing regulatory challenges nationwide. She also provides statutory and regulatory analysis for trade associations and animal-related businesses and represents businesses, from farms to pharmaceutical companies, during their interactions with governmental regulators.
Dr. Halpern is certified in EPA Hazardous Materials Incident Response Operations (2006) and has completed USDA Tuberculosis Epidemiology Training (2005) and management-level training for Preparedness and Response to Agricultural Terrorism (2005). She has also completed the IS-700 Introduction to NIMS (2005), presented by FEMA.
Dr. Halpern speaks frequently about the legal issues affecting animal-related industries, including issues of animal welfare and the shifting laws governing animal ownership and use. She has delivered presentations most recently at the 53rd Annual Association of Primate Veterinarians (APV) Workshop andthe New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research’s annual IACUC Conference-the region’s premier training event for Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee members and managers, laboratory animal veterinarians, animal welfare compliance specialists, laboratory animal care staff and other research team members.
In addition, Dr. Halpern founded and Chairs the Animal Health, Welfare, Agriculture and Veterinary Practice Committee and has taught Animal Law classes at Rutgers University and Seton Hall Law School.
Practices
Environmental, Health, and Safety
FDA
Healthcare
Mergers and Acquisitions
Regulatory Law & Government Contracts
Admissions
New Jersey
New York
District of Columbia
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Education
Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., cum laude
Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
Duke University, B.A., magna cum laude
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Anthropology
Veterinary License
New Jersey
Memberships
National Assembly of State Animal Health Officials, 2003 to 2011
New Jersey Animal Welfare Task Force
Governor Appointee, 2003 to 2004
New Jersey State Bar Association, May 2013 to present
Appointee, Legislative Committee
Appointee, Long-Term Planning Committee
Chair, Animal Law Committee, May 2011 to May 2013
Founder and Chair, Animal Health, Welfare, Agriculture and Veterinary Practice Law Committee
New Jersey Veterinary Medical Education Advisory Committee
Governor Appointee, 1987 to present
New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association
Member, 1991 to present
President, 1999 to 2000
Northeast United States Animal Health Association
Member, 1999 to 2011
President, 2004 to 2006
State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
Governor Appointee, 2004 to 2011
Board of Directors
Americans for Medical Progress (2014-2017)
United States Animal Health Association (Board of Directors, 2001 to 2011)
New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research
Honors and Awards
Selected to the “Super Lawyers - Rising Stars” list for Animal Law in New Jersey (2016-2020)
This award is conferred by Thomson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the New Jersey Supreme Court.Recipient, Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders Volunteer Award (2003)
Recipient, State of New Jersey Team Partnership Achievement Award (2001)
USDA Year 2001 Secretary’s Honor Awards (2001)
Law Firm Experience
Fox Rothschild LLP
Veterinary Experience
New Jersey Department of Agriculture – Director, Division of Animal Health
New Jersey Department of Agriculture – Assistant Director, Division of Animal Health
Large Animal Medical Associates
Furlong and Associates
University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine
Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
Selected Publications and Seminars
Client Alert: Alert to Research Institutions with PHS-approved Animal Welfare Assurances: OLAW Issues Clarification on Prompt Reporting Guidance, January 27, 2026
IACUC 30: The Charge & The Challenge; Adverse Event Reporting; Understanding The Mandate, Presenter, November 17, 2023, New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research.
Legal Tips for Internal Compliance & External Reporting to Federal Agencies/What to Do and What Not to Do, Presenter, October 22, 2023, American Association for Laboratory Animal Science National Meeting.
Animal Law 101: The consequences of Enhanced Animal Protective Laws, N. Halpern, New Jersey Lawyer, October 2023.
Legal Considerations of USDA Contingency Rule, Presenter, 2022, Zoological Association of America. Proactive Animal Welfare Strategies, Presenter, 2022, States United for Biomedical Research.
COVID-19: Legal, Social and Policy Aspects, Presenter, December 13, 2021, Webinar Hosted By: Fox Rothschild LLP
Federal v. State Regulations on Animal Use in Agriculture – Presenter, Lawline Webinar, May 7, 2018.
Animal Welfare Panel, Panelist, Northeast Organic Farm Association-NJ’s 28th Annual Conference, June 27, 2018.
Update on Compounding for Animals, Presenter, 2018 NYSBA Annual Meeting - Food, Drug & Cosmetic Law Section Meeting, January 25, 2018.
Legal Issues Facing the Biomedical Research Community – Presenter, IACUC 22, IACUC 23, IACUC 24, New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research, 2015-2017.
Puppy Mills and Pet Stores Words Still Matter Presenter, American Veterinary Medical Law Association, Annual Meeting, July 11, 2015.
When Does Zealous Representation Become Professional Misconduct? – Presenter, American Veterinary Medical Law Association, Annual Meeting, July 26, 2014.
Legal and Ethical Implications of Animal Use in Biomedical Research Workshop – Presenter, Princeton University, June 14, 2014.
What You Need to Know about Animal Law-a webinar – Presenter, June 4, 2014. How FDA Would Alter Use Of Antibiotics In Food Animals, Law360 January 3, 2014.
Tips for Veterinarians Responding to Complaints Filed with the New Jersey State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, New Jersey Law Journal, June 24, 2013.
Hot Topics in Animal Law – Moderator, New Jersey State Bar Association 2013 Annual Meeting and Convention.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Phil Goldberg & Nancy Halpern, D.V.M., New Jersey Law Journal Vol. 209, No. 12 (September 17, 2012).
Hot Topics in Animal Law, Moderator, New Jersey State Bar Association 2012 Annual Meeting and Convention.
Proposed FDA Restrictions Add Limits, Preserve Access to Antibiotics for Livestock, Nancy E. Halpern, DVM, Esq., Healthcare Financial Management Association, Vol. 58. No. 4 (January/February 2012).
The Evolution of Statute and Regulations Governing the Use of Antibiotics in Animals – How You Can Make a Difference – Speaker, International Conference on Responsible Use of Antibiotics in Animals, Egmond aan Zee, the Netherlands (November 14-16, 2011).
Caring for Pets in Wills and Trusts, NJICLE, New Brunswick, NJ (September 7, 2011).
Antibiotics in Food Animals: The Convergence of Animal and Public Health, Science, Policy, Politics and the Law, Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M., Drake Journal of Agricultural Law, Volume 14, Number 3, Fall 2009, 401.
Equine Parasite Control Program, Nancy Halpern, D.V.M. and Jorgen Hansen, D.V.M., Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication, Publication 406-904, September 1985.
Dysphagia in Horses: The Differential Diagnosis - Part I, Karen H. Baum, D.V.M., Paula Modransky, D.V.M., M.S., Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. and Linda D. Banish, D.V.M. The Compendium on Continuing Education, Vol. 10, No. 12, November 1988.