Judge Anthony J. Brindisi
confirmed
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
On July 31, 2024, President Biden nominated Judge Anthony J. Brindisi to the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. Brindisi, an experienced pro-plaintiff litigator, is currently an acting supreme court justice in Oneida County, New York, and previously served as a judge on the New York State Court of Clams in Utica. Brindisi has also served as an assemblyman in the New York State Assembly and as a representative in the United States Congress.
Biography
Judge Brindisi was born in Utica, New York in 1978. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Siena College in 2000 and his J.D. from Albany Law School of Union University in 2004.
Legal Experience
Following his graduation from law school, Brindisi joined Brindisi, Murad & Brindisi Pearlman LLP as a litigation associate. He was named a partner in 2008 and was appointed as of counsel in 2014. While working at the firm, Brindisi specialized in medical malpractice, personal injury, labor law, and product liability litigation.
In 2011, Brindisi was elected as a Democratic assemblyman to represent New York’s 119th State Assembly District. Throughout his eight-year tenure, Brindisi pioneered initiatives to increase educational funding to low-income school districts in New York and worked to improve economic development in the Mohawk Valley region.
In 2018, Brindisi was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving New York’s 22nd Congressional District. While in Congress, Brindisi garnered a 90% labor voting record, gaining the endorsement of union members across Central New York when he ran for re-election in 2020.
Following his term as a congressman, Brindisi returned to Brindisi, Murad & Brindisi Pearlman, where he worked as a partner from 2021-2022. In 2022, Brindisi was appointed as a judge on the New York State Court of Claims in Utica. Since the beginning of 2024, he has served as an acting supreme court justice in Oneida County, New York.
Judicial and Legal Career
Maynor v State of New York
UID No. 2024-065-501 (Ct. Cl., Feb. 7, 2024)
Brindisi presided over a bifurcated bench trial relating to the issue of liability in Maynor, a personal injury suit. Maynor sued the state of New York for serious injuries that he sustained while at a correctional facility. Specifically, Maynor argued that the state was liable for an incident during which a ceiling in a laundry room collapsed and struck him on his head. The defendant questioned the claimant’s competency and ability to testify due to his mental health diagnosis. Brindisi found for the claimant, ruling that he was competent to testify and that the defendant was fully liable for the claimant’s injuries.
Kemp v. State of New York
UID No. 2023-065-518 (Ct. Cl., Dec. 4, 2023)
Brindisi presided over a bifurcated bench trial which centered on the liability of a nurse for injuries sustained by a paraplegic resident at a psychiatric facility during a physical restraint/takedown procedure. The state contested liability, arguing that the nurse’s actions were unforeseeable and outside the scope of his employment. After a complex trial during which multiple witnesses testified, Brindisi ruled that the state was fully liable for the actions of the nurse and ordered a damages trial.
Laskowski v. Barr & Barr, Inc., & Murphy Excavating
(Supreme Court, Oneida County, Index No. CA2007-000186)
In Laskowski, Brindisi was lead counsel for the plaintiff, a construction worker who was injured while working as a demolition contractor. The plaintiff sued the owner and general contractor on the construction project, alleging several violations of the New York State Industrial Code and Labor Law, following an incident wherein he was knocked down and dragged across the floor by a construction vehicle at work. As lead counsel, Brindisi handled each phase of litigation, including the $750,000 settlement agreement, which was made prior to trial.