The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court recently appointed Attorney Edward S. Cheng of Lexington to the Clients’ Security Board for a five-year term, effective December 1, 2008. Mr. Cheng fills the position previously held by Attorney Peter G. DeGelleke, the former Chair, whose term recently expired.

          The Justices also appointed Attorney Kathryn A. O’Leary of Lowell as the new Chair and Attorney Charles W. Goddard of Hamilton as Vice-Chair of the Clients’ Security Board

          Mr. Cheng is a litigation partner in the Boston law firm of Sherin and Lodgen LLP. Previously, he was of counsel to Cooke Clancy & Gruenthal and an associate at Hill & Barlow PC, from 1997 to 2002. He serves as a hearing officer on the Board of Bar Overseers and as an advisor to the Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Workshop. He is a member of the Board of Directors and serves as treasurer of the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts. He also is a member of the American Bar Association and the Boston Bar Association. Mr. Cheng received a J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Boston College Law School and an A.B. degree from Princeton University.

          Ms. O’Leary, who had served as the Vice-Chair of the Clients’ Security Board since December 17, 2007, is a trial attorney at the Worcester law firm of Gould & Ettenberg, P.C., which she joined in 1997. Previously, she was at the law firms of Madan & Madan, P.C. and Day Berry & Howard. A member of the Worcester County Bar Association, she co-chairs the Labor and Employment Section. She also participates in the Senior Women’s Practice Group and the Concord Attorney Round Table. Ms. O’Leary holds a J.D. degree, cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School and a B.A. degree from Boston College.

          Mr. Goddard is a partner in the Salem law firm of Goddard, Scuteri & Delaney. Prior to this position, he worked at Costello, Frattaroli, Barrett, Gonthier & Goddard, P.C. for three years and was in private practice for eighteen years. He began his legal career in 1964 at Avery, Dooley, Post & Avery in Boston. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, former president of the Essex County Bar Association, and is presently the Essex County Delegate to the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys. He graduated from Boston University School of Law with an LL.B and from Boston College with an A.B. degree.

          Established by the Supreme Judicial Court in 1974, the Clients’ Security Board is composed of seven attorneys who serve without compensation and oversee the disbursement of funds to clients who have been victimized by attorney defalcation. Through a portion of the annual registration fees paid by attorneys to the Board of Bar Overseers, Massachusetts reimburses clients who have been victimized by instances of attorney misappropriations.