Terence P. O’Connor
Partner
Contact
Fax:
Location
Albany, NY
Practice Areas
- Insurance Defense
- Medical Malpractice Defense
- Appellate Practice
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
Biography
Currently, the focus of my practice is handling mediations and arbitrations across the 62 counties of New York State, as well as the State of Vermont. I have mediated more than 1200 cases over the past decade and have served as an arbitrator on approximately 100 cases. I am an appointed Federal Court mediator for the United States District Court, Northern District of New York (having mediated more than 225 cases) and serve as a court-appointed mediator for the Third and Fourth Judicial Districts of the New York State Supreme Court. I am an appointed member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, and I have lectured regarding mediation, alternative dispute resolution and arbitration.
Throughout my career as a trial attorney, I handled all phases of litigation for cases pending throughout New York State and Vermont. I successfully litigated to verdict over 150 cases involving medical malpractice defense, plaintiff’s personal injury, contractual and commercial disputes, Labor Law liability, trucking/motor vehicle accidents, premises liability and product liability.
Education
- Notre Dame Law School, Indiana
- Juris Doctor - 05/1983
- Honors: American Jurisprudence Award
- St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York
- B.S., Bachelor of Science - 05/1980
- Honors: magna cum laude
- Honors: Faculty Scholar
- Honors: Omicron Delta Kappa
- Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
- University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen
- Spring semester - 1978
Bar Admissions
- New York, 1984
- U.S. District Court Northern District of New York, 1984
- U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1985
- Vermont, 2013
- U.S. District Court District of Vermont, 2017
Honors and Awards
- Appointed Federal Court Mediator/Arbitrator/Early Neutral Evaluator – United States District Court for Northern District of New York
- "The President's Award"/Albany County Bar Association
- “The Shirtsleeve Lawyer Award”/Albany County Bar Association – Recognizing Pre-Eminent Trial Skills
- Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers 2015
- Martindale Hubbell - AV Rated - Legal ability very high to preeminent
- New York Super Lawyers - Voted "Top Ten" in Upstate New York (Voted #1 2023-2025)
- Best Lawyers - Lawyer of the Year, Medical Malpractice Law/Personal Injury/Product Liability
- Attorney of the Year/Defending the Specialty of Oral Surgery/OMS National
- Chairman/Judicial Screening Committee/Albany County Bar Association
Classes / Seminars
- A Mediator’s Advice to Lawyers for Successful Mediations and Arbitrations
- New York State Supreme Court Association — Lecturer
- New York State Court of Claims Judges — Lecturer
- Sky Radio and American Airlines — Lecturer on Tort Reform
- New York State Bar Association — Power Advocacy
- New York State Bar Association — Basic Civil Practice: The Trial
- New York State Bar Association — Expert Testimony in Federal Court
- New York State Bar Association — Medicine in the Courtroom
- New York State Bar Association — Examining Plaintiff's Experts in Federal Court
- New York State Bar Association — How to Handle a Neck and Back Injury Case
- New York State Bar Association — Jury Selection Techniques
- New York State Bar Association — Proving and Defending Damages
- Risk Management — New York State Dental Society
- Albany Medical College — Medical Malpractice Litigation from Soup to Nuts
- Albany Law School — Ethics in the Courtroom
- Dealing with the Snake in the Grass during Voir Dire
- Jury Selection and Trends
- Nuts and Bolts of Trial Practice from Opening Statements to Summations
- Nuclear Verdicts in the Post-COVID Era
Pro Bono Activities
- Center for Disability Services/Board of Directors/Chair
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Jimmy Fund – Boston Marathon Fundraising
- Siena College Board of Associate Trustees
Professional Associations and Memberships
- The International Academy of Trial Lawyers
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers
- New York State Bar Association
- Vermont Bar Association
- Vermont Trial Lawyers Association
- American Bar Association
- Albany County Bar Association
- Physician Insurers Association of America (PIAA)
- Professional Liability Underwriting Society
Past Positions
- O’Connor, O’Connor, Bresee & First, PC, Albany, NY, Managing Partner/Lead Trial Attorney/Mediator/Arbitrator, March 1994-December 2025
- Carter, Conboy, PC, Albany, NY, Associate Attorney (1983-1989) & Managing Partner/Trial Attorney (1989-1994)
