Shannon T. O’Connor
- Member
Practice Areas
- Municipal And Governmental Liability
- Professional Liability
- General Liability
- Employment And Labor
Biography
Shannon focuses her practice on municipal and governmental liability, professional liability, general liability, and matters involving employment and labor. She defends clients in a range of matters in both federal and state court, and have taken nearly 10 trials to verdict in the Northern District of New York on Section 1983 civil rights matters and Title VII employment discrimination cases. I also have significant appellate experience, and have submitted several briefs to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Before entering private practice, Shannon served for several years as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Syracuse, where she represented the city and its officials in a wide variety of litigation and in administrative proceedings before New York State agencies such as the Department of Environmental Conservation. Shannon also provided advice and recommendations to the City of Syracuse Police Department on its policies and procedures related to officer training and the use of force, including tasers, and drafted legal opinions on various City of Syracuse departments, including the mayor's office.
Shannon resides in the City of Syracuse with her wife and two dogs. She enjoys hiking and mountain biking in her spare time.
Education
- Syracuse University College of Law, Syracuse, New York
- J.D. - 2010
- University of Buffalo
- B.A. - 2001
Bar Admissions
- New York
- U.S. District Court Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court Western District of New York
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court Southern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit
Honors
- IMLA Marvin J. Glink Award, 2018
- Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating: AV Preeminent
- Irish Legal 100, 2018
- Upstate New York Super Lawyers, Rising Stars 2016 – 2020
- Community Service Appreciation Award from the City of Syracuse Neighborhood Watch Association, 2011
- IMLA Amicus Service Award, 2019
Classes and Seminars
- IMLA Conference, Speaker and Presentation for CLE Credit: “Preparing Witness for Depositions and Trial”, Houston TX
- The Evolving Landscape of Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals; Western NY Institute of Real Estate Managers, Buffalo, NY
- De-Coding the Visual Landscape: Municipal Sign Ordinances, Murals, and the First Amendment, IMLA, 2018
- Preventing Unlawful Harassment and Discrimination in the Workplace, Association of Towns, Seminar
- Police Body-Worn Cameras: Is your Police Department Ready to Implement Body Cameras?, New York Sheriffs Association, Albany NY
- Administrative Search Warrants; Webinar IMLA
- County Attorney’s Association of the State of New York (CASSNY), 2nd Circuit Federal Law Update on Municipalities, 2019
- Annual Code Enforcement Program, IMLA – 2-day workshop, 2018
Published Works
- Second Circuit’s ‘Melendez’ Decision and the Reasonableness of Emergency-Related Laws, ALM, January 7, 2022
- “The Winning Edge: Preparing Witnesses for Depositions and Trial”, IMLA Municipal Lawyer, February 1, 2019
- “Federal Laws Applying to Opioid Use and Addiction”, Construction Executive, February 2, 2018
- "De-Coding the Visual Landscape: Municipal Sign Ordinances, Murals, and the First Amendment", Municipal Lawyer, Jan./Feb. 2018, Vol. 59, No. 1
- “Data Breach Notification Statutes”, American City & County, July 26, 2017
- “Guideposts for Assessing Excessive Force”, Defense Research Institute For the Defense, June 1, 2017
- “What’s at Stake When Government’s Data Is Stolen”, Governing, May 23, 2017
- “Is Your Police Department Ready to Implement Body Cameras?”, Defense Research Institute For the Defense, July 1, 2016