CONNICK MCNAMEE - Key Persons
Frank A. Whelan has been a litigator and trial attorney his entire career. He has tried over one hundred cases to verdict in both criminal and civil matters.
Mr. Whelan developed and honed his trial skills as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County, NY. He was a Major Offense Bureau Senior Assistant for serious felony offenses. He was responsible for Homicide, Rape, Robbery and Assault prosecutions including media covered and pattern criminal activities. Mr. Whelan functioned as a Supervisor Assistant directing police investigations and authorizing homicide and major felony offense arrests. He was also entrusted with the training and mentoring of junior Assistants District Attorneys.
Following his time as a prosecutor, Mr. Whelan transitioned to Civil practice as a lead trial attorney for a well-known insurance company with a national presence. He administered major exposure cases for both liability and damages issues in State and Federal Courts. Mr. Whelan served as the managing attorney for the Long Island trial division for the company. In that role, in addition to his continued handling of multi-million-dollar exposure cases, he supervised the performance of the legal staff and continued his mentoring and training of the attorneys in the office regarding trial techniques and strategies. Mr. Whelan also lectured and counseled multiple insurance companies on topics that included trial advocacy, coverage issues and exposure potentials for a wide variety of claims. His area of specialty was, and remains, New York Labor Law construction site accidents, complex automobile injury cases and premises liability/security matters.
Mr. Whelan was partner and co-founder of a boutique litigation firm where he operated as the head of the Criminal Defense division as well as being the lead trial counsel for all cases managed by the firm. The firm existed for 15 years. Additionally, Mr. Whelan headed the Appellate work for the firm as to both State and Federal matters. The firm's cases include plaintiff personal injury litigations related to automobile accident, premises liability, medical malpractice and employment discrimination and Labor Law disputes in New York State and Federal venues.
Mr. Whelan brings his extensive litigation experience to Connick McNamee PLLC as a Senior Trial Counsel, primarily for the defense of companies sued for alleged worker injuries alleged to have occurred on active construction sites.
Gerald "Jerry" Murphy is a Partner at Connick McNamee PLLC. Mr. Murphy joined the firm as a member in 2023, arriving as a Partner from another prominent metropolitan medical malpractice and general liability insurance defense firm. Mr. Murphy has focused his practice on insurance defense litigation for over twenty years. He has devoted his entire career to the defense of hospitals and physicians involved in medical malpractice claims. As a hybrid attorney defending traditional medical malpractice and general liability claims, Mr. Murphy has developed extensive and unique experience in defending nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. He represents various clients who provide a full range of Aging services including skilled nursing and rehabilitation, assisted living and home health care agencies in matters involving falls, supervision, pressure ulcers (bedsores), alleged abuse and infection control.
In Mr. Murphy's broad-based legal practice, he also litigates complex, high exposure construction accident claims, including "Labor Law 240" cases, and has defended various municipalities and local governments in general liability matters. He has also had the honor to have successfully defended police officers, firefighters, and other emergency first responders in general liability matters, as well as lawsuits alleging civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C ยง 1983, including but not limited to claims involving excessive force, wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution, warrantless searches and seizures, and rights of due process. Mr. Murphy is well-versed and knowledgeable with respect to the governmental immunity statutes that protect our police officers, firefighters and first responders. He is also familiar with the statutory conditions precedent under the General Municipal Law that are required to be satisfied before a claimant files a lawsuit against a municipal entity and/or public corporation, their employees and/or agents. Therefore, he has been able to dispose of many cases at the time of commencement due to procedural defects and non-compliance with the law.
Mr. Murphy has also successfully prepared and argued numerous appeals before the Appellate Divisions of the First and Second Department in cases involving premises liability, general liability, construction and labor law, municipal and commercial liability, as well as medical malpractice and veterinary malpractice.
Mr. Murphy grew up in Suffolk County, New York and received his undergraduate degree in 1998 from Stony Brook University where he was a member of the Division I Rugby Club. Thereafter, he received a Juris Doctorate from Touro Law School in 2001. He was admitted to the New York State Bar and to the USDC, Eastern District in 2002. He is a member of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, as well as the Nassau-Suffolk Trial Lawyers Association.
Mr. Collorafi joined Connick McNamee PLLC in March of 2023. Following law school, Mr. Collorafi practiced as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the New York City Law Department, where he defended the New York Police Department in connection with alleged excessive force and false arrest actions. Thereafter, Mr. Collorafi was associated with a large, well-respected metropolitan law firm and managed all aspects of civil litigation defense from inception up until trial in the areas of general liability, premises liability, and motor vehicle accident cases. Mr. Collorafi focuses his practice on the defense of New York Labor Law and catastrophic construction accidents, as well as medical and veterinary malpractice actions. Mr. Collorafi is admitted to practice before the Courts of the State of New York, as well as before the United States District Courts for the Eastern District and Southern District of New York.