I have a table and four chairs that a client wants repainted. The table and chairs have some kind of thick epoxy resin for a finsh. Can I paint over this and if so what kind of clear finsh may I use that will protect as good as it seems to be protected now?

good luck with that. basically nothing sticks to epoxy except more epoxy... and only then if the surface is roughed up.

I should hedge that... often but not always the filled epoxy products sold for wood patching in rotten sections can be painted, as long as the surface is sanded and a rag wet with mineral spirits is run over it to get any chemicals left over.

but over a clear epoxy resin? usually not. attempts will peel and flake off at random. if you don't know exactly what resin and catalyst were used by brand and part number, nobody can check to see if there is a compatible product.

in short, no. the finish can probably be washed off with various and sundry nasty chemicals or mixtures thereof, and then a quick sanding to be sure it's clean would allow refinishing. the chemicals are known carcinogens and liver-eaters, so you need to determine if this is a job you want any part of at all.

I would pass on that job. Funny how short there memerys get when you tell that it will not work and they say do it anyway and it fails.