O'Rourke, Maureen T

Scott Occhiogrosso joined the firm in June, 2011. He adds another young, aggressive and very experienced trial atttorney to the talented roster of Block O'Toole & Murphy. Mr. Occhiogrosso will be handling catastrophic construction accidents and serious personal injury cases on behalf of the firm.

After graduating from law school, Mr. Occhiogrosso - - like several of his colleagues at the firm - - began his training as a trial lawyer working as a prosecutor under Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes. He handled thousands of serious cases and spent most of his days navigating the gritty, cavernous courtrooms in downtown Brooklyn. He had occasion to work side-by-side with Stephen Murphy and S. Joseph Donahue and made a distinct impression on them while he honed his skills as a prosecutor. Mr. Occhiogrosso was recognized for his tenacity and skills, resulting in a promotion to Hynes' Gang Unit. While with the Gang Unit, Mr. Occhiogrosso focused on prosecuting criminals that were involved in violent crimes and gang related activities. He handled cases involving drug, robbery, burglary, assault, atttempted murder and murder charges and did so with tremendous success. It was at the District Attorney's Office where Mr. Occhiogrosso developed a reputation for being an ethical but formidable adversary. Most importantly, his experiences solidified his desire as a lawyer to impact people in a positive way. He left the District Attorney's Office in 2005 determined to advanced his skills and experience as a trial attorney, beginning as a defense attorney in the civil arena for the Port Authority. Mr. Occhiogrosso, a Senior Trial Attorney with the Port Authority, fought on behalf of police officers and other Port Authority employees, successfully defending hundreds of multi-million dollar cases through trial and settlement. He continued to gain valuable courtroom experience while learning the nuances of civil practice. In 2010, he left the Port Authority and joined a well respected, boutique plaintiff personal injury practice, continuing his career as a New York City trial attorney. In his brief but invaluable tenure with that firm, among other successes, he obtained a jury verdict of $5.5 Million in a fiercely contested medical malpractice case against a seasoned adversary in Manhattan. Mr. Occhiogrosso is now the fifth attorney at Block O'Toole & Murphy that boasts a trial verdict in excess of five-million dollars.

He works as an adjunct professor in trial advocacy at St. John's University School of Law where he teaches trial techniques and has coached national and regional championship trial advocacy teams. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two young children.