Biography | Thomas C. O'Connor

Thomas O’Connor represents individuals and businesses in all aspects of civil litigation. His practice focuses on complex civil litigation with a concentration on defending general liability, product liability, premises liability, and construction-related claims, as well as actions arising under New York State Labor Law. Additionally, Tom represents national media companies in high-exposure matters on behalf of leading insurance carriers. He effectively handles cases from inception through final resolution, whether by settlement, dispositive motion, mediation, arbitration, or trial.

Tom is known for his strategic approach to litigation, conducting thorough legal and factual analyses early in the case to identify opportunities for efficient and cost-effective resolution. He is highly responsive, detail-oriented, and consistently professional in his interactions with the court, clients, and opposing counsel. His proactive case management style emphasizes the early development of sound litigation strategies to guide each matter toward its most favorable outcome.

Prior to joining Wilson Elser, Tom served as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the New York City Law Department, where he defended the City of New York and its agencies in a wide range of complex personal injury cases. Previously, Tom practiced at a prominent New York City personal injury firm, concentrating on high-stakes litigation involving catastrophic injuries arising from construction site accidents.

Education

Brooklyn Law School (J.D., cum laude, 2017)
- Notes and Comments Editor, Journal of Law and Policy
- CALI Award for Excellence in Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice
- Brooklyn Business Law Association
- Brooklyn Law School Real Estate Society
Syracuse University (B.A., 2014)

Bar Admissions

New York

Professional Affiliations

New York City Bar Association
Justice Brandeis Law Society
Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Society

Awards & Honors

Selected for inclusion in New York Metro Super Lawyers® Rising Stars™, 2024-2025

Thomas C. O'Connor

Margolis, O’Connor, and Stopnik Secure Discontinuance in Complex Declaratory Judgment Action Through Strategic Motion Practice

Bernice E. Margolis (Partner-White Plains), Thomas O’Connor (Associate-White Plains), and Scott Stopnik (Partner-White Plains) successfully represented an insurance and bonding company – securing a discontinuance and the court’s endorsement of their position – after being substituted in as counsel in a seven-year running declaratory judgment action pending in the New York Supreme Court, New York County. After reviewing years of inherited filings, Bernice, Tom, and Scott identified a critical procedural defect that had gone unnoticed for years: the plaintiffs were pursuing identical breach of contract claims in both the declaratory judgment action and the underlying liability action. They moved to dismiss under CPLR § 3211(a)(4), demonstrating that the actions involved the same parties, claims, and relief, and that the underlying action had already reached the summary judgment stage, and that the plaintiffs’ claims against our client were fully addressed in that action.

Opposing counsel later conceded they had no basis to resist dismissal and had included the client in the declaratory judgment action merely to obtain additional discovery. The White Plains team declined to delay the matter and instead proposed that the plaintiffs execute a Stipulation of Discontinuance as to the client in exchange for the withdrawal of the motion. At the subsequent appearance, the judge adopted this approach.

Through focused review and strategic motion practice, Wilson Elser extricated the client from a protracted action without further discovery, deposition activity, or costly litigation, eliminating duplicate exposure and streamlining related proceedings.

Bernice E. Margolis, Thomas C. O'Connor and Scott H. Stopnik