Joseph A.H. McGovern

Joe McGovern practices in the general liability area and has extensive experience litigating high-exposure personal injury claims in New York and Connecticut, state and federal trial and appellate courts. Joe has tried civil actions in New York State Supreme Court and New York City Civil Court, and he has argued before the Appellate Division, First and Second Departments, and the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Joe’s practice currently is focused on defending automobile and trucking accident cases – including cases involving catastrophic injury and death – and in defending vicarious liability claims against companies engaged in the business of leasing and renting motor vehicles, as well as large transportation and e-commerce companies. Other areas in which Joe has experience include premises liability claims, construction accident cases, replevin actions, employment discrimination, and antitrust matters. In addition to defending insureds, Joe frequently provides coverage opinions, analyzes policies and defenses, and monitors litigation on behalf of excess carriers.

Joe began his professional life as a reporter, editor, and commercial writer, including a 10-year position with PepsiCo’s public affairs department. Prior to that, he served on active duty in the U.S. Army (Air Cavalry) from 1981 to 1984, including service on the East/West German Border. Joe's tenacity and his ability to find, organize and present information in its clearest form has been a key asset in his legal career. This is evidenced by the numerous successful summary judgment motions and appellate briefs he has written and argued. For example, Joe wrote the prevailing appellate brief submitted to the Connecticut Supreme Court in the case of Wesley v. Schaller Subaru, Inc. (277 Conn. 526 [2005]), an important case on contract reformation and the law of agency. He also wrote the prevailing brief and successfully argued the case of Bayles v. Manns (2006 US App LEXIS 2728, 2006 WL 249560) in which the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that the owner of a leased motor vehicle could not be held vicariously liable for injuries arising from the purposeful, criminal conduct of the driver of that vehicle. He has 47 published appellate decisions.