Mr. O’Brien began his career as an
Assistant District Attorney with the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. Serving as a prosecutor from 2002 until 2006,
Mr. O’Brien handled a wide array of criminal matters including the most serious
violent felonies. Upon leaving the
District Attorney’s Office, Mr. O’Brien managed a criminal defense firm in
Garden City and Huntington for fourteen years.
During that time, he amassed
significant litigation experience. This
experience includes grand jury, litigated motions, pre-trial hearings, and
trying cases to verdict. His
litigation practice also included varied administrative proceedings such as
refusal and fatality hearings and the corresponding departmental appeals
procedures, firearms licensing, and New York Police Department administrative
reviews.
In 2016 Mr. O’Brien was recognized
by the members of the Fraternal Order of Court Officers (FOCO), which is an
organization of New York State Court Officers and Court Clerks, with the Amicus
Fraternitas Award, which is awarded to a member of the legal community based on
his professionalism, dedication and integrity.
He was elected and served as a
member of the Board of Directors of the Criminal Courts Bar Association of
Nassau County from 2008-2016. During his time on the Board of Directors, Mr.
O’Brien chaired the Legal Action Committee. In this capacity, he authored several
Amicus Curiae briefs on behalf of the Association. In 2015, he was
elected President of the organization and dutifully served in this office,
frequently participating in meetings with senior representatives of the Office
of the District Attorney and the Supervising and Administrative Judges of the
Courts of Nassau County. In addition to
his service with the Criminal Courts Bar Association, he has also served as
Vice Chair and Chair of the Criminal Courts Law and Procedure Committee of the
Nassau County Bar Association.
Mr. O’Brien is an Adjunct Professor
at St. John’s University and has been teaching courses on the law for the past
eighteen years. He also continues to present his academic writing at colloquia
and conferences throughout the country.
Mr. O’Brien received his J.D. from
Brooklyn Law School, M.A. from St. John’s University, and B.A. from St. John’s
University. He is also a graduate of Chaminade High School. Mr. O’Brien is a
member of the Nassau, Suffolk and New York State Bar Associations, the Criminal
Courts Bar Association of Nassau County, and the National Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers, and is admitted to practice law in New York State and
the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.