Francis John Tierney Smithtown, New York
| Partner | |
| phone | (631) 724-8833 (866) 851-1123 (Toll Free) |
| fax | (631) 724-8010 |
| Email Me | |
Frank has extensive litigation experience representing insurance companies and public corporations. His pre-legal career included several years in claims supervision, overseeing the evaluation and resolution of claims for Geico's New England region, as well as significant trial prep work for the office of the Manhattan District Attorney.
Upon his admission to the bar, Frank was appointed a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the New York State Special Prosecutor. Thereafter, he accepted a position with a negligence defense litigation firm, where he received extensive experience in civil litigation involving medical and hospital malpractice, motor vehicle, premises, and labor law liability including appeals. In addition to handling a variety of individual cases, he also became the Managing Attorney for the firm, responsible for the daily supervision of the legal staff, including assigning and monitoring cases from pleadings and discovery through appeal.
Frank also served as an Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Islip where he handled hundreds of transactions and litigation issues on behalf of the Town, including negligence, environmental, land use, and appellate work. Frank was the architect of the Town's self-insurance program, successfully planning, negotiating and implementing the transition to a self-insured program.
As a partner at Devitt Spellman Barrett, Frank continues to handle complex litigation cases involving motor vehicle, premises liability, labor law construction, errors and omissions, defamation and general liability claims.
- Areas of Practice:
- Insurance Defense
- Personal Injury -- Defense
- Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Defense
- Premises Liability -- Defense
- Property Damage -- Defense
- Slip and Fall -- Defense
- Products Liability Law
- Machinery & Tools
- Motor Vehicle Defects
- State, Local & Municipal Law
- Land Use & Zoning
- Municipal Liability
- Bar Admissions:
- New York, 1980
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 1990
- U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1990
- Education:
- St. John's University School of Law,
1979
J.D. - St. John's University, New York, New York,
1971
B.A.
Major: Political Science
- Professional Associations and Memberships:
- New York State Bar Association, 1980 - Present
- Suffolk County Bar Association, 1994 - 2000
- Nassau County Bar Association, 1994 - 2000
- Past Employment Positions:
- Office of the Special Prosecutor, Special Assistant Attorney
- Town of Islip, Assistant Town Attorney






