Stephen R. Coffey

Stephen R. Coffey is the founding partner of O'Connell & Aronowitz Attorneys at Law in Albany, New York, and serves as chair of the firm’s Personal Injury and Criminal Defense practices. With over 35 years of experience at both the state and federal levels, he has earned a reputation as one of upstate New York’s most accomplished trial attorneys. Under his leadership, the firm has grown into one of the region’s most active and respected personal injury and criminal defense practices.

Few lawyers combine experience in both personal injury and criminal defense as successfully as Mr. Coffey. He has represented thousands of clients in cases ranging from street-level crimes to complex white collar matters. His fearless advocacy has led to numerous high-profile courtroom victories, including multimillion-dollar verdicts for clients in brain injury and product liability cases. Notably, he secured a $43 million verdict for a brain-injured woman after multiple attorneys had declined the case, and a $20 million verdict for a child in a complex product liability matter.

Mr. Coffey began his career in public service, serving as an assistant district attorney and chief felony prosecutor in Albany County, where he was the youngest Felony Bureau Chief in the county’s history. He also served as special prosecutor in Fulton and Albany counties. His extensive trial experience is complemented by a robust appellate practice and frequent media commentary on high-profile criminal cases.

A graduate of Albany Law School and Siena College, Mr. Coffey is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, multiple federal district courts including New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and the New York state courts. His proficiency has been recognized through numerous honors, including The Best Lawyers in America, the Daniel Mahoney Memorial Award and an AV Preeminent* peer-review rating through Martindale-Hubbell.

Beyond the courtroom, Mr. Coffey is actively involved in charitable initiatives supporting disabled individuals, including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Living Resources and The Miracle League. He is widely regarded as a dedicated, strategic and highly effective attorney committed to achieving justice for every client he represents.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.