Andrew M. Debbins

Biography

Andrew earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude. He now focuses his practice on commercial litigation, federal court practice, class actions, torts and personal injury both at trial and the appellate level. Andy was the second chair attorney on the trial team that achieved one of the top fifty bench awards in the nation in 2020.

While in law school, Andy served as a competitor and coach for NYU’s Moot Court Board and as a research and teaching assistant in criminal and administrative law. He also competed in NYU’s Marden Oral Advocacy Competition and participated in its Environmental Law Clinic, where he assisted the Natural Resources Defense Council in environmental impact litigation. Before finishing his third year of law school, Andy joined The Order of the Coif and was designated a Florence Allen Scholar. Before attending law school, Andy worked at several mobile advertising technology startups in New York City.

After graduation, Andy served a one-year term as a confidential law clerk to the Honorable Lawrence J. Vilardo of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York. He now serves as a member of the Local Rules Committee for the United States District Court for the Western District of New York and the New York State Bar Association Committee on Courts of Appellate Jurisdiction.

Education

• New York University School of Law, New York, New York

Honors: magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Vanderbilt Scholar, Florence Allen Scholar

• University of Rochester

Honors: summa cum laude

Fraternities or Sororities

• Sigma Phi Epsilon
  
  

Bar Admission

• New York
• United States District Court for the Western District of New York
• United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  
  

Honors

• Eagle Scout
• Nationwide Top 50 Bench Awards of 2020
• Super Lawyers 2023–24 Upstate New York Rising Star, Business Litigation
  
  

Professional Associations

• Erie County Bar Association
• Erie County Bar Association, Appellate Practice Committee
• Erie County Bar Association, Negligence Committee
• New York State Bar Association
• New York State Bar Association Young Lawyers Section
• New York State Bar Association Commercial and Federal Litigation Section
• New York State Bar Association Committee on Courts of Appellate Jurisdiction
  
  

Representative Cases

• Culhane v. United States, No. 17-CV-005, 2020 WL 7692766 (2020), Western District of New York
• Vaccaro v. Chiari & ILecki, LLP, 470 F.Supp.3d 305 (2020), Western District of New York
• Miami Prods. & Chem. Co. v. Olin Corp., No. 19-CV-385, 2021 WL 2587214 (2021), Western District of New York
• Kavanaugh v. Consumers Beverages, Inc., et al., Index No. 806587/2022, Erie County Supreme Court, Commercial Division
• Agricultural Development Services LLC v. Ryan P. Rich, et al., Index No. E2019008635, Monroe County Supreme Court, Commercial Division
• Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection v. JPL Recovery Solutions, LLC, et al., No. 20-CV-1217, Western District of New York
• Jonathan B. Wile v. James River Insurance Company, No. 17-CV-01275, 2022 WL 309953 (Feb. 2, 2022), Western District of New York
• Maldovan v. County of Erie, et al., APL No. 90, 2022 WL 17095561 (Nov. 22, 2022), New York Court of Appeals
  
  

Pro-Bono Activities

• Western District of New York Local Rules Committee, March 2020 – Present
  
  

Current Employment Position

• Associate
  
  

Clerkships

• Honorable Lawrence J. Vilardo of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, Confidential Law Clerk