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JimDomagalski

Partner

"My objective in every matter is to add value and help achieve my client's goals through strong advocacy and experienced, strategic counseling."

Overview

Biography

Jim is an experienced trial lawyer in both federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. He is also Barclay Damon’s Construction & Surety Practice Area co-chair. Jim primarily concentrates his practice on large construction disputes, complex commercial and municipal litigation, employer defense, and counseling on labor, employment, and discrimination matters.

A longtime community leader in Western New York, Jim has served in numerous civic and charitable leadership positions.

Bar Associations

  • Bar Association of Erie County
  • New York State Bar Association
  • District of Columbia Bar Association

Selected Memberships & Affiliations

  • Leadership Buffalo, Member
  • Erie County Republican Committee, Former Chair
  • Syracuse University College of Law, Board of Advisors
Experience

Representative Experience

Construction

  • Represents public and private owners and contractors in construction disputes involving large projects, including sewage treatment plants, historic renovations, commercial buildings, and airport and highway projects.
  • Represents universities and other higher education institutions in construction contract, project, and litigation matters.
  • Represented a specialty contractor in a construction dispute involving a domed roof at the Montreal Olympic Stadium.
  • Defended a contractor regarding a construction-defect and mold claim brought by an owner regarding a university-housing construction project.
  • Represented an engineering firm regarding a construction-cost-overrun dispute involving a major redesign and construction of a steel-blast furnace.

Labor & Employment

  • Represents public and private entities in labor contract negotiations.
  • Counsels regional retail enterprises, manufacturers, and businesses on employment-law issues and defends companies in court and before administrative agencies.
  • Counsels and defends governmental entities and public authorities on labor and employment law issues in court and before administrative agencies.

Commercial & Municipal Litigation

  • Defends municipalities regarding claims brought against government and law enforcement.
  • Represented the federal government in a major lease dispute arising from a federal statute enacted relating to the savings-and-loan crisis.
  • Defended municipalities and law enforcement in class-action lawsuits involving search-and-seizure claims.
  • Represents businesses, including pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers, hospitality enterprises, and private-equity investment firms in contract disputes and commercial litigation.

Prior Experience

  • Hiscock & Barclay, LLP, Partner

Selected Community Activities

  • Buffalo Bills Quarterback Club, Former President
  • Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Former Board Member
  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of WNY, Former Board of Trustees President
  • Notre Dame Alumni Club of Western New York, Former President
  • Roswell Park Cancer Institute Alliance, Former Board Member

Selected Honors

  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Buffalo "Lawyer of the Year": Construction Law, 2024 and 2026
  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Commercial Litigation, 2021–2026; Construction Law, 2022–2026; Litigation – Labor & Employment, 2023–2026
  • Selected to Super Lawyers Upstate New York: Business Litigation, 2010–2025
  • Buffalo Business First, Legal Elite of Western New York, 2014–2018, 2020
  • ECRC Jack Kemp Leadership Award, 2014
  • Am-Pol Eagle, Citizen of the Year for Law, 2004
Knowledge

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Western Chapter of the New York State Water Environment Association’s 35th Annual Greater Buffalo Environmental Conference, “The Marriage of Engineering and Law on Public Construction Projects: Getting It Right”
  • Sterling Educational Services, “New York Employment Law Update”
  • Lorman Education Services, “Real Estate Development From Beginning to End in New York”
  • WNY Business Forum, “Legal Insights Into Employee Management”
  • Lorman Education Services, “Construction Law Claims, Liens, Trust Funds, Performance/Payment Bonds, and Information Disclosure”

Selected Media

Selected Alerts & Blog Posts

Featured Media

Alerts

Third Department Takes a Strict Stance on Expert Disclosure Rule

Alerts

Six-Month CMS Moratorium on New DMEPOS Enrollment Applications Now in Effect: Key Details on Medicare Fraud, Compliance, and Transparency Initiatives

Alerts

United States Supreme Court Overrides State Law Requiring an Affidavit of Merit in Medical Malpractice Suits

Alerts

New York State Public Service Commission Approves Final Article VIII Rules

Alerts

New York Public Service Commission Commences Proceeding to Address Interconnection Reforms for Energy-Intensive Projects

Alerts

National PBM Reforms Enacted in 2026: What Independent Pharmacies Need to Know