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Paul J. Sweeney
Partner

Education
Fordham University, B.A., in cursu honorum, 1984
Brooklyn Law School, J.D., 1987

Bar admissions
State of New York, 1988
State of New Jersey, 1987
State of West Virginia, 1987
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1987
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, 1987
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, 1992
U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, 1993
U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, 2003
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2008

Professional experience
Mr. Sweeney joined Coughlin & Gerhart, L.L.P. in 1992, following active duty as a Marine Corps judge advocate. He is a Partner in the Firm and a member of the Firm’s Management Committee. He is also the Co-Chair of the Firm’s Labor and Employment Law Practice Group and the Chair of the Personnel Committee. Mr. Sweeney concentrates in labor and employment law and commercial litigation. He defends employers against liability, discrimination and disability claims and represents employers in contract negotiations, arbitration, discipline and other administrative proceedings. In addition, Mr. Sweeney represents clients in complex contract, construction and real estate disputes.

Other
Mr. Sweeney is a member of the American, New York State, Broome County and Federal Court Bar Associations. He serves on the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section and is a Trustee of the Northern District of New York – Federal Court Bar Association. Mr. Sweeney was appointed to the Broome County Board of Ethics. He serves on the board of directors of the Southern Tier Chapter of the American Red Cross and is a past president of the board of directors of the Family and Children's Society. He is a bagpiper with the Broome County Celtic Pipes and Drums.

Military experience
Mr. Sweeney is a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve. Prior to joining the Firm, he served on active duty as a criminal defense attorney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. As a Reservist, he deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, with the I Marine Expeditionary Force. Other Reserve assignments include duty as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate at Marine Forces Pacific and Marine Forces Central Command and an Associate Deputy General Counsel (International Affairs) at the Department of Defense. Mr. Sweeney is currently assigned as the senior Reserve judge advocate in the Office of Counsel to the Commandant of the Marine Corps in Washington, D.C. where he serves as the Acting Deputy Counsel to the Commandant and officer-in-charge of the Reserve judge advocates assigned to the Counsel to the Commandant, the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant, the Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the DoD Office of General Counsel.