William Thomas McCaffery

Mr. McCaffery’s practice concentrates in the areas of legal malpractice defense, professional liability, commercial litigation, and general liability defense. He is experienced in both trial and appellate practice. Among other areas of professional liability and defense litigation, he represents attorneys and law firms that have been sued for legal malpractice in cases ranging from real estate and personal injury matters to complex business transactions and commercial litigation.

Prior to joining L’Abbate, Balkan, Colavita & Contini, L.L.P. in 2001, Mr. McCaffery had a general practice in which he handled real estate transactions, business formations, commercial litigation, will drafting, and personal injury matters. Prior to his general practice, he was associated with two defense firms in New York City, where he defended Labor Law actions, dental malpractice actions, general liability claims and represented individuals, small businesses and large, self-insured corporations. This broad range of experience enables Mr. McCaffery to better represent his clients in the varied subject matter that arises in the context of legal malpractice actions and other defense litigation.

Mr. McCaffery has received an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, their highest rating for general ethical standards and legal ability, and he has received the highest rating of "Superb" from AVVO. He is a member of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM); Vice President of the Long Island Chapter of CLM; and a member of CLM’s Professional Liability Committee. He is also a member of the Nassau County Bar Association, the University of Scranton Council of Alumni Lawyers, and the Chaminade Lawyers Association. He has authored articles for the New York Law Journal ("Trusts and Estates Lawyers Face Increasing Risks of Malpractice Claims," "Build a Stronger Firm Through Risk Management," "Basic Principles Make Exceptional Attorneys," and "Avoiding Attorney Fee Claim Litigation"), Nassau Lawyer ("Time Management for Lawyers"), and co-authored the CLM Claims Handling Resources for New York. He is a regular speaker on matters of legal malpractice, professional liability, risk management, and litigation before insurance carriers and groups such as the New York State Bar Association, the Nassau County Bar Association, the Suffolk County Women's Bar Association, and the Affiliated Lawyers of the Americas (ALTA).

He received his Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law in 1996 and his undergraduate degree from the University of Scranton in 1993. He is admitted to practice law in the State of New York and is admitted to the United States District Courts for both the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.