Practices
- LITIGATION
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (Arbitration and Mediation)
- Antitrust and Trade Regulation
- Appeals
- Bankruptcy Court Litigation and Appeals
- Class Action Defense
- Complex Contract and Commercial Litigation
- Contested Administrative Proceedings and Litigation: Banking
- Criminal, Administrative and Regulatory Defense
- Entertainment Litigation
- Intellectual Property, Copyright and Trademark Litigation
- Music Litigation
- Privacy and Defamation
- Real Estate Litigation
- Regulatory and Corporate Compliance Investigations
- Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets and Duty of Loyalty
- Securities Litigation
- Trade Secret Litigation
- Trusts and Estates: Litigation
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
- ENTERTAINMENT, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS
- LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
- BANKRUPTCY, REORGANIZATION AND CREDITORS' RIGHTS
- CORPORATE
Education
- J.D., Tulane University Law School, 1986
- B.S., United States Merchant Marine Academy, cum laude, 1979
Bar Admissions
- New York (1987)
- U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York (1987)
News
- Pryor Cashman Wins $9.4 Million Judgment Against Savings Deposit Insurance Fund of the Republic of Turkey
- Pryor Cashman Wins Arbitration and Recovers Payments Due Plus Attorneys’ Fees For Breach of Purchase and Sale Agreement Relating To Film Post-Production Company
- Pryor Cashman Closes Three Major Apparel Deals
- Pryor Cashman Wins $1.5 Million Intellectual Property Case On “Unjust Enrichment” Theory After Week-Long Trial
- Pryor Cashman Wins Trial Upholding Inviolability of Offshore Trust Against Spouse’s Claims
Print Email this page Vcard Attorneys
James S. O'Brien, Jr.
Partnerjobrien@pryorcashman.com
New York, NY 10036-6569
James O'Brien is an experienced litigator specializing in complex commercial litigation and arbitration, including SEC proceedings and shareholders' class actions, entertainment and intellectual property litigation, and all types of contractual disputes. James tries cases in both federal and state courts, and litigates cases across the country.
James was principally involved in Pryor Cashman's representations of the CEOs of two Fortune 500 companies in separate consolidated, multi-district, shareholder class-actions. He was also lead trial counsel in Lockheed Martin Corporation v. Spencer Trask Intellectual Capital Company, L.L.C., in which James successfully defended six scientists in New Hampshire against Lockheed Martin's charges of theft of cutting-edge photonics technology.
James successfully defended the directors of a Connecticut corporation against allegations of fraud, RICO violations, and securities law violations arising from an $80 million stock and debenture fraud that resulted in substantial prison terms for a number of defendants, including the corporation's president.
James also has experience with bankruptcy-related litigation and represents the indenture trustees of bond issues in federal bankruptcy courts around the country. James represented the indenture trustees in Delaware in In re Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, Case No. 02B-10429 (JKF), in Delaware and in In re American Business Financial Services, Inc., Case No. 05-10203, one of the first sub-prime bankruptcies.
James also routinely litigates real estate-related matters and was lead counsel in a number of construction law actions arising from the construction of a union-financed hospital in New York City. James also has litigated product liability and toxic tort cases, having been lead counsel representing Boyle Drug Company in 242 DES (diethylstilbestrol) cases brought in New York County.
James graduated from Tulane University Law School, where he was Articles Editor of the Tulane Law Review, in 1986. James won the Tulane Law School Writing Competition in 1984 and the Moot Court Competition in 1986. He was a Senior Fellow, Legal Research and Writing, in 1985-86. James earned a B.A. degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, where he graduated cum laude, in 1979.
Previous Positions
- Olwine, Connelly, Chase, O'Donnell & Weyher, Associate (1989-91)
- Burlingham, Underwood & Lord, Associate (1987-89)
Professional Affiliations
- New York State Bar Association
Other Activities
- FAA Certified Private Pilot
- U.S. Coast Guard licensed Master Mariner
