Parimal Garg will leave the Murphy administration on November 15 to become a partner at Lowenstein Sandler, one of the state’s top law firms, ending his stint as the longest-serving chief counsel to the Governor of New Jersey in state history.
One of Gov. Phil Murphy’s original senior staffers, Garg joined the administration on inauguration day as deputy chief counsel and became chief counsel following Matt Platkin’s departure in October 2020.
In 2016, Garg joined the Murphy for Governor campaign as a senior policy advisor at a time when the future governor was viewed as the third candidate in a three-man field. He had previously served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.
“Parimal Garg has been by my side for the last eight years, from the early days of my first campaign through nearly seven years in the Governor’s Office,” Murphy said. “I relied heavily on Parimal’s advice and counsel on issues from managing a once-in-a-century pandemic to selecting four Supreme Court Justices — and everything in between.”
Garg helped confirm 160 nominees for Superior Court judgeships, roughly 35% of the entire state judiciary. Along with the nominations of Rachel Wainer-Apter, Douglas Fasciale, Michael Noriega, and John Jay Hoffman, Garg worked on the nomination of a fifth justice, Fabiana Pierre-Louis, while serving as deputy counsel in 2020.
He helped Murphy codify legal abortion into state law, pass landmark affordable housing legislation, and strengthen gun safety laws. The Harvard law graduate played a key role in litigation leading to the U.S. Supreme Court allowing New Jersey to withdraw from a bi-state waterfront commission with New York and helped legalize adult-use marijuana.
“No matter the complexity of the challenge, Parimal always thought through every angle of the issue, identified goals, and formulated strategies for achieving them,” stated Murphy. “I am grateful for Parimal’s many years of service and his unwavering friendship, and I know he will excel in this next chapter of his legal career.”
During his record tenure, Garg touched every piece of legislation that came to the governor’s desk. He is the only chief counsel to serve in the first and second term of a Democratic governor and the second person of color to serve as chief counsel; he was the first since the 1960s.
The record he broke as longest-serving chief counsel had been held since 1986 by Cary Edwards, a Republican who was chief counsel during Gov. Thomas Kean’s entire first term.
“Parimal was enormously successful as Governor Murphy’s Chief Counsel because of his brilliance, his impeccable integrity, and his work ethic,” said Christopher Porrino, the chair of the litigation department at Lowenstein. “His in-depth government experience further bolsters our firm’s ability to serve the business community in all aspects of litigation and complex bipartisan problem-solving.”
Porrino is a former chief counsel to Gov. Chris Christie and later the 53rd Attorney General of New Jersey.
U.S. Senator George Helmy, who served as Murphy’s chief of staff, extolled Garg’s skills.
“My dear friend and trusted colleague, Parimal Garg, today announced he is departing the Murphy Administration after serving the Governor of New Jersey with distinction for nearly a decade, including his senior roles in the administration and the 2017 campaign. Parimal’s expertise and tireless dedication were instrumental in advancing Governor Murphy’s vision for a stronger and fairer New Jersey since the beginning of the administration. His fingerprints are on every single one of the Governor’s many legislative victories and accomplishments that will benefit New Jerseyans for years to come,” said Helmy. “During my time as Governor Murphy’s Chief of Staff, it was a privilege to work with Parimal, whose work ethic and professionalism exuded in everything he did. I am excited to see where his talents take him next and wish him the best as he moves on to his next venture.”
Garg’s service in the governor’s office won widespread acclaim from colleagues and leaders of both parties.
“I have seen Parimal’s legal acumen firsthand as both Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State,” said Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way. “I could always count on his thoughtful counsel, especially when it came to ensuring that our elections were conducted in a free and fair manner. He will be missed, and I wish him all the best as he moves to private practice.”
Platkin, who was Murphy’s first chief counsel and worked with Garg in the 2017 policy shop, hailed Garg’s work in the governor’s office.
“Ten years ago, I was introduced to Parimal by a mutual friend based on our shared love for New Jersey. I could not have imagined then that, following that meeting, we would go on to work together for the better part of the next decade,” said Platkin. “Over the years, I have seen Parimal draft executive orders that saved countless lives during the COVID pandemic, manage legislation that reformed industries and created new ones, oversee the confirmation of a remarkable four Supreme Court justices, advise the Governor on various high stakes litigations, and lead efforts to increase affordable housing and create a first of its kind clemency program, among so many others.”
The attorney general also paid tribute to Garg’s legal mind.
“Parimal’s intellect is unquestioned; that much is obvious. But what stands out most to me about him — from the very first time I met him to today — is his decency and his steady hand. Despite serving as the longest-tenured Chief Counsel in the history of the office — a role that is among the most demanding in the country — Parimal always treats everyone he comes across with respect and kindness and somehow never loses his composure, even when facing extraordinarily stressful situations.” stated Platkin, the 55th attorney general. “This rare combination of intellect, decency, and composure will make Parimal successful in whatever he chooses to do in the future. I will miss working with Parimal, and I congratulate him on a remarkable run in State service.”
Senate President Nicholas Scutari called Garg “a dedicated public servant.”
“He worked tirelessly to address some of New Jersey’s most pressing issues,” Scutari said. “Perhaps most importantly, we worked together to fill judicial vacancies and confirm associate justices to the New Jersey Supreme Court.”
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco said that Garg “served the Governor’s office with integrity and dignity, setting a standard that all civil servants should aspire to meet.”
“It was always a pleasure to work with him on the important issues facing this state, and I wish him well in his future endeavors,” Bucco said.
Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, who served as Murphy’s chief of staff and as Commissioner of Transportation, said that “working with Parimal was a privilege.”
“Parimal is a skilled attorney with a keen sense of the political landscape. He worked tirelessly to support the passage of critical legislation in support of the Governor’s platform. He was equally committed to ensuring a well-staffed Judiciary,” stated Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “Both as a colleague and friend, I will enjoy watching his continued success.”
Democratic State Chairman LeRoy Jones, Jr. credited Garg with being instrumental in helping Murphy and Democrats “implement the most consequential policies in the history of this state” since day one of the governor’s administration.
“With Parimal’s help, New Jersey has achieved a $15 minimum wage, created a robust adult-use cannabis industry, made record pension contributions year over year, and passed commonsense gun safety legislation that protects our children and our communities, Jones said. “He provided counsel throughout the worst health pandemic in history, and helped the state address the numerous post-pandemic challenges we faced.”
Jones added, “Parimal was a key figure in helping New Jersey codify the right to reproductive freedom in this post-Roe world and has worked tirelessly to ensure that women’s freedoms in this state continue to be protected. I know that Parimal will continue to thrive as he begins this new chapter of his professional life, and we wish him all the best.”
Middlesex County Democratic Chairman Kevin McCabe said that ‘countless New Jerseyans are better off today because of his work with Governor Murphy and the legislature.
“Parimal’s four years as chief counsel will be remembered for the professionalism, collaboration, and expertise he brought to the office,” McCabe said. “I wish him and his family all the best as he moves forward and begins his career n private practice.”
Republican State Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), a gubernatorial candidate and Senate Judiciary Committee member, called Garg “a class act.”
“We worked together on multiple appointments to the judiciary,” he said. “He was always thoughtful and open-minded. He will be missed.”
Bill Castner, a former chief counsel to Gov. Jon Corzine and a senior advisor to Murphy on gun safety, praised Garg’s role in nominating top court justices and drafting “life-saving executive orders during the pandemic that all survived legal challenge, and launched the most comprehensive COVID-19 after-action report in America.”
“His intellect, honesty, and passion for the law is a guarantee for success at Lowenstein and for the balance of his already impressive career,” Castner said.
Brendan Gill, an Essex County commissioner who hired Garg when he was managing Murphy’s first campaign, said he was “proud to congratulate my longtime colleague and dear friend, Parimal Garg, on his exceptional service as Chief Counsel to the Governor of New Jersey.”
“Since the day I was lucky enough to bring him on Governor Murphy’s first campaign in 2016, Parimal has shown himself to be one of the smartest, hardest-working, and most effective critical thinkers our team has ever seen,” Gill stated. “His dedication and skill in both the Governor’s Counsel’s office and as a vital member of our policy team have been instrumental to New Jersey’s progress. It has been a privilege to work alongside him, share in critical decision-making, and witness his unwavering commitment to the people of our state. I look forward to seeing all that he will accomplish in the future and wish him nothing but success in the years to come.”
State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) lauded Garg’s work over the last seven years.
“Under Parimal’s leadership as Chief Counsel, the Governor in my opinion, has appointed the best group of commissioners to finish out his administration along with selecting Supreme Court justices who have received bipartisan praise,” he said. “He also led the effort in making tremendous progress in filling judicial seats across the state – much of this credit goes to the leadership of Parimal Garg. I thank him for his commitment to public service and wish him all the best in the private sector. He has been a fantastic colleague and am proud to call him a friend”
State Sen. Raj Mukherji (D-Jersey City), who served as Assembly Judiciary Committee chairman until his election to the Senate last year, said that Garg is “in every respect, the type of man you want your son to grow up to be like”
“Parimal Garg is a humble but brilliant lawyer, artful but principled negotiator, creative dealmaker, and impassioned public servant who always championed progressive values during his tenure as New Jersey’s longest-serving chief counsel,” Mukherji said. ““I always admired his fierce loyalty to the Governor but am also deeply grateful for his friendship. I wish him the best of luck wherever his success may take him, but I hope someday it lands him back in public service.”
POLITICO first reported speculation of Garg’s departure earlier this month.