Education:
JD, Harvard Law School (1974)
BSFS, The School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Summa Cum Laude (1971)
Certifications:
U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey (1974); U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (1976)
Career:
Member, Sills, Cummis & Gross P.C.
Partner, New Jersey Office, Locke Lord
Managing Partner, New Jersey Office, Latham & Watkins
Regional Managing Partner, New York and New Jersey Offices, Patton Boggs
Member, Executive Committee, New York and New Jersey Offices, Patton Boggs
Attorney, Townley & Updike
Associate Attorney, Sullivan & Cromwell
Clerk, Honorable Leonard I. Garth, The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Career Related:
Speaker In The Field, Symposiums And Seminars
Military:
Lieutenant, JAG Corps, the United States Navy
Civic:
Chairman of the Board, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Association
Achievements:
World Trade Center Litigation (SDNY): Selected, in competition with the top 30 toxic tort law firms in the country, to represent the City of New York and 150 of its contractors in more than 10,000 lawsuits alleging personal injury and property damage arising from the debris removal and cleanup operations at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 attacks. Appointed by the Court as liaison counsel for more than 500 defendants. Led in oral arguments before the District Court and the Second Circuit.
Agent Orange Litigation (EDNY): Served as chief trial counsel for Monsanto in class actions alleging personal injuries to 10 million veterans and their families for exposure to dioxin contained in herbicides used to defoliate the jungle during the Vietnam War.
Deepwater Horizon Litigation (EDLA): Represented SEACOR, owner of the ocean-going fireboats that extinguished the fires on the drilling platform. SEACOR was accused of destabilizing the platform causing its collapse. Won dismissal for SEACOR based upon immunity doctrine.
Y2K Litigation – Served as chief trial counsel for Lucent Technologies, AT&T and Avaya in multiple class actions on behalf of 80,000 customers of business phone systems alleging that the products ceased performing as represented after the turn of the millennium.
Awards:
Honoree, Commercial Litigation, The Best Lawyers in America (2007-2019); Honoree, New Jersey Litigation: Products Liability, Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2006-2019); Honoree, Benchmark Litigation: America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys (2019); Honoree, Class Action/Mass Torts, Civil Litigation, Defense, Personal Injury, Products, New Jersey Super Lawyers (2005-2019); Honoree, “Master of Disaster,” Super Lawyers (2007); Honoree, American Lawyer, Lawyer of the Week (2011); Honoree, Lawdragon 500-Leading Lawyers in America
Memberships:
Member, American Bar Association; Member, New Jersey State Bar Association; Member, New York State Bar Association
Family:
Son of James E. Tyrrell
Married: Kathleen A. (Gilvey) Tyrrell
Four Children
Grandchildren: James Edward Tyrrell IV; Madelyn; Charloette
Hobbies:
Spending time at New Jersey shore; Boating; Golf; Spending time with family