Jerry Brydges has twenty years of experience in commercial litigation across a wide variety of disciplines. He is proud to have started his career as a law clerk to then-Chief Judge Thomas J. McAvoy in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, after which he joined the litigation department of the global firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City. Jerry has been with HSE since 2002, and his practice includes the representation of clients in technology, health care, manufacturing, and banking.
Jerry appears in state and federal courts across the country. His commercial litigation practice includes trials, appeals, arbitrations, special proceedings, and mediations involving a variety of business disputes among public and private companies and individuals. He has litigated shareholder disputes, intellectual property and trade secret claims, class actions, the dissolution of partnerships, corporations, and other business entities, as well as numerous contract and non-compete claims involving restrictive covenants of all varieties.
Jerry also regularly counsels the boards of public and private companies on a wide range of litigation and risk management matters, including mergers and acquisitions, whistleblower issues, and corporate governance. He also conducts internal investigations and defends clients under investigation by state and federal agencies.
Representative Experience
- Represented a global manufacturer in a federal court action for trade secret theft against an overseas competitor, leading to a civil injunction and criminal convictions of the individuals involved.
- Represented a group of physicians against an insurer in an action to collect numerous payments under a reimbursement contract, leading to judgments and a settlement recovery in excess of $50 million.
- Represented a global technology company in an action alleging breach of a non-solicitation covenant; successfully vacated a preliminary injunction.
- Successfully represented a national brewery in an AAA arbitration seeking foreclosure of an alleged security interest in the client’s manufacturing equipment.
- Represented a leading 3D imaging company in ICC arbitration and related litigation in federal and foreign courts leading to a favorable settlement.
- Successfully defended a multinational technology company against multiple preliminary injunction motions based upon alleged trade secret misappropriation in federal court.
Professional & Civic Affiliations
- Board of Directors, Charles Settlement House, 2008-2019
Honors & Awards
- Recognized by Chambers USA from 2015-2021 in the field of Litigation: General Commercial (Upstate NY)
- Named as Best Lawyers® 2020 Litigation - Securities “Lawyer of the Year” in Rochester, NY
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America-Trial Lawyer Honorary Society
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the fields of Commercial Litigation, Litigation ‐ Construction, and Litigation ‐ Intellectual Property, and Litigation - Securities
- Selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers list, 2007-2020
News
- "Local Attorneys Weigh in on Force Majeure Clauses, Employment During COVID-19," Rochester Business Journal, May 1, 2020
Press Releases
- Harter Secrest & Emery Attorneys Named to 2020 Upstate New York Super Lawyers, Rising Stars Lists, August 25, 2020
- Harter Secrest & Emery Shines in Prestigious Chambers USA 2020 Rankings, April 24, 2020
- Harter Secrest & Emery Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers In America 2020, August 15, 2019
- Harter Secrest & Emery Attorneys Named to 2019 Upstate New York Super Lawyers, Rising Stars Lists, August 14, 2019
Admissions
- New York
Clerkship
- Thomas J. McAvoy, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, 1996-1998
Education
- St. John's University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
- SUNY Geneseo, B.A.