James C. Riley
Partner
Jim is a skilled and sought-after litigator with over 40 years of experience handling complex commercial, employment, and property disputes.
Clients know they can rely on Jim for sound advice, both with respect to pre-litigation strategy and how to prevail when litigation is necessary. He has represented business entities and individuals in a wide range of matters, including multi-million dollar contract disputes and related business tort claims, construction disputes (representing construction professionals, contractors, and owners), employment-related disputes (including trade secret, restrictive covenant, fiduciary duty, and discrimination claims), and First Amendment matters (defamation and related claims). Jim has litigated dozens of cases to conclusion before the state and federal courts of Connecticut and New York, conducted numerous mediations and arbitrations, and handled appeals to the Connecticut Appellate Court and the Supreme Court of Connecticut, as well as the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He has testified as an expert witness on various aspects of Connecticut law, including before the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division (London), on the subject of Connecticut law governing the construction of commercial contracts, the rights and obligations of debtors and creditors in commercial relationships, and other guaranty-related issues. Jim has also been engaged as a mediator by parties seeking to resolve civil disputes.
Services/Industries
Education
- Georgetown University School of Law (J.D.)
- Georgetown University (A.B., cum laude)
Bar Admissions
- Connecticut
Court and Other Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
Memberships
- Connecticut Bar Association
- Fairfield County Bar Association (Board of Directors, 2017-2021)
- Board of Directors, Fairfield County Bar Foundation (2021-present)
- Greenwich Bar Association
- Special Master, Connecticut Superior Court
Honors
- AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating
- Selected by peers for inclusion in New England Super Lawyers under Business Litigation
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation (2020-2025)
- Connecticut Super Lawyer® for Business Litigation (2015-2025)
- Recognized in Greenwich Magazine’s Top Lawyers in Fairfield County for Commercial Litigation (2021 and 2023)
- Connecticut Bar Foundation, James W. Cooper Fellow
Learn more about the third-party ratings, rankings, and selection processes used for inclusion.
Sample Reported Decisions
- In re Sesum, 662 BR 840, 2024 WL 2989239 (Bankr. SDNY 2024); 71 Bankr. Ct. Dec. 240, 2022 WL 4137153 (Bankr. SDNY 2022)
- COF Real Estate Investments, LLC v. Town of Windsor, 2022 WL 14439463 (Conn. Super. Oct. 19, 2022)
- Jafri v. Town of New Canaan, 2022 WL 344230 (D. Conn. 2022)
- Zuro v. Town of Darien, 2020 WL 127703 (D. Conn. 2020)
- Ladd v. Foley, 2020 WL 5607778 (Conn. Super. Aug. 24, 2020)
- SBD Kitchens, LLC v. Jefferson, 157 Conn. App. 731, cert. denied, 319 Conn. 903 (2015); 2015 WL 425156 (Conn. Super. 2015); 2013 WL 6989409 (Conn. Super. 2013); 2012 WL 4801368 (Conn. Super. 2012)
- Porter Capital Corporation v. Masters, Claim No. HC 12 T00556 (High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, London, Dec. 13, 2013) (expert witness testimony)
- Nowacki v. Town of New Canaan, 2013 WL 785355 (D. Conn. 2013)
- Weinberger v. Shaw, 2012 Conn. Super. LEXIS 3191 (Conn. Super. 2012)
- Citibank, N.A. v. Marholin, 2012 WL 1434901 (Conn. Super. 2012)
- McCoy v. Brown, 130 Conn. App. 702 (2011), 2011 WL 3506149 (Conn. Super. 2011), and 2010 WL 1233816 (Conn. Super. 2010)
- Mara v. Otto, 127 Conn. App. 404 (2011), 2009 WL 532202 (Conn. Super. 2009) and 2009 WL 3285075 (Conn. Super. 2009)
- Loeb v. Blue Star Jets, LLC, 2009 WL 4906538 (S.D.N.Y. 2009)
- Failla v. Kripki, 2008 WL 5216298 (Conn. Super. 2008)
- Harmon v. Pearson, 2007 WL 1321680 (Conn. Super. 2007)
- Gattegno v. PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, 204 F.R.D. 228 (D. Conn. 2001), 205 F.R.D. 70 (D. Conn. 2001)
- Bryan v. William M. Mercer, Inc., 76 F.Supp.2d 198 (D. Conn. 1999)
- Itoba Limited v. LEP Group PLC, 54 F.3d 118 (2d Cir. 1995), cert. denied, 516 U.S. 1044, 116 S. Ct. 702, 133 L. Ed. 2d 659 (1996); 32 F.Supp.2d 516 (D. Conn. 1999)
- Vanacore v. Kennedy, 86 F.Supp.2d 42 (D. Conn. 1998)
- Rogen v. Memry Corp., 886 F. Supp. 393 (S.D.N.Y. 1995)
- Tuttle v. Fahnestock & Co., Inc., 1992 WL 16945 (Conn. Super. 1992)
Experience
- Representation of NY venture collective firm in numerous transactional, trade secret, fiduciary duty and contract disputes.
- Representation of construction manager in defense of $20 million claim by State of Connecticut arising from construction of correctional facility.
- Successful defense of Connecticut-based asset manager and its majority shareholder on $20 million claim for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.
- Successful arbitration of multi-million dollar claim for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty by former member of broker-dealer, arising from respondents’ refusal to liquidate member’s capital account upon his resignation from the firm.
- Defense of various news organizations in defamation claims.
- Representation of former shareholders of insolvent management consulting firm in adversary proceedings by bankruptcy trustee, seeking to clawback payments on promissory notes.
- Representation of various entities in defending employment discrimination claims.
- Representation of property owners in high stakes construction disputes.
