James N. Blair, Attorney

James N. Blair concentrates his practice in all forms of commercial litigation. He has appeared in a wide variety of matters, including commercial issues, real estate, copyright and trademark matters (particularly with regard to maps), product liability and assessment of complex multi-jurisdiction enterprises. He has also been active in the legislative process, leading to successful conclusion of railroad assessment litigation after passage of favorable legislation and several successful legislative initiatives concerning New York Civil Practice.

Mr. Blair is an active member of several groups concerned with New York's Civil Practice Law and Rules and the courts, including the Advisory Committee on Civil Practice to the Chief Administrator of the Courts (since1995), Commercial Litigation Section of the New York State Bar Association (Executive Comm., 1990; CPLR Committee 1990, Chair 1991-95, co-chair 1999-2004); NSYBA Standing Committee on the CPLR (since 1995) and the Commercial Division Advisory Panel to the Chief Administrator of the Courts (since 2004). He is a member of the Arbitration Panel of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York and Mediation Panel of the Commercial Division of Supreme Court, New York County. He is currently a practice insight author and revision editor for Lexis Nexis publications concerning the UCC and has had articles published in the New York Litigator and Federal Rules Decisions.

He is a graduate of Dartmouth College (1962), where he majored in mathematics, and Harvard Law School (1970). Between college and law school he served in the nuclear submarine force of the United States Navy. He was admitted to practice in New York in 1971 and is now also admitted in the Southern, Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of the United States District Court in New York and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.