James P. O'Brien

  • Of Counsel

Contact

Bio

Mr. O'Brien joined Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP in 1980 and is Of Counsel with the firm. Mr. O'Brien's 40 plus years of civil litigation experience includes intellectual property litigation, including patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret matters. Mr. O'Brien has been the lead counsel in a number of large business and intellectual property cases. His experience also includes commercial litigation and representation of plaintiffs in personal injury cases, defense work for insurance carriers and individuals and corporations. Mr. O'Brien has successfully prosecuted and defended numerous lawsuits in the areas of intellectual property, business litigation, personal injury, wrongful death, products liability and medical malpractice.

Mr. O'Brien is a member of the Intellectual Property Section of the New York State Bar Association. Mr. O'Brien is a member of the Committee on Premises Liability/Labor Law for a section of the New York State Bar Association, is a member of the Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law section, and is a former member of the Executive Committee of the General Practice Section, representing the Sixth Judicial District. Mr. O'Brien is also a member of the New York State Bar Association, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, the Broome and Tompkins County Bar Associations and the New York Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Union Volunteer Emergency Squad, Inc., and is on its Executive Committee. Mr. O'Brien is also a charter member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms.

Practice Areas:

  • Litigation
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution

Education

  • Syracuse University College of Law, Syracuse, New York
    • J.D. - 1980
    • Honors: magna cum laude
  • State University of New York College, Oswego, New York
    • B.A. - 1977
    • Honors: magna cum laude

Bar Admission

  • New York, 1981
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1984
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of New York, 1981
  • U.S. District Court Western District of New York, 2002
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 2006
  • U.S. District Court District of Colorado, 2003
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 2004

Honors

  • Listed, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers in America©, 2012 – 2020 (Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants; Product Liability Litigation-Defendants)
  • Life Member Designation/Award from Union Volunteer Emergency Squad, 2010 – Present
  • Appreciation Award from the Southern Tier Zoological Society, Inc.
  • Justinian Society (Member)
  • Moot Court Board (Member)

Pro-Bono Activities

  • Board of Directors & Executive Committee of the Union Volunteer Emergency Squad, 1998 – Present

Professional Associations

  • New York State Bar Association
  • Broome County Bar Association
  • Intellectual Property Section of the New York State Bar Association, Member
  • Young Lawyers Section of the New York State Bar Association, Chair, 1990 to 1991
  • Southern Tier Affiliate of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Vice President
  • Committee on Premises Liability/Labor Law (Section of the NYSBA), Member
  • Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section (NYSBA), Member
  • Executive Committee, General Practice Section representing the 6th JD of NYS, Former Member
  • New York State Trial Lawyers Association
  • Tompkins County Bar Association
  • New York Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Board of Directors of the Union Volunteer Emergency Squad, Inc., Member
  • International Society of Primerus Law Firms