Hon. Richard T. Andrias (Ret.)

Honorable Richard T. Andrias’ illustrious judicial career includes serving for more than two decades as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department as designated by Governor George Pataki. Prior to serving as a Supreme Court Justice, he was appointed to the New York City Criminal Court by New York City Mayor Edward Koch and was the Supervising Judge of the New York County Criminal Court. He was elected to the Supreme Court in 1987 and re-elected in 2001, serving in the criminal and civil divisions.

During his distinguished 35 years on the bench, he presided over innumerable motions, hearings, jury trials and bench trials and is known and respected for his legal acumen and superior settlement skills. His significant experience includes handling real estate, construction, matrimonial, copyright and trademark, and textile disputes. Judge Andrias also represented the interests of the consul general of Yugoslavia in all of that country’s commercial and trade issues. Prior to his judicial service, he was a trial lawyer for the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Division and in private practice, focusing on corporate and commercial litigation.

As a private practitioner, Judge Andrias handled numerous construction disputes where he represented architects, engineers, ownersand general contractors in matters that included contract interpretation, change orders, delays, cost overruns, labor, wage issues, and environmental impact statements. These projects involved both major public and private entities including, but not limited to, issues such as site selection, building collapses and water infiltration.

Judge Andrias is an avid supporter of ADR and is well known for his fair and unbiased manner when assisting parties with the settlement of their cases. He has the aptitude to handle all matter of case types, from the simplest to the most complex of legal issues and is regarded by his peers as a hard-working and detail-oriented jurist. He has the intelligence, patience and ability to bring parties together and assist in the resolution of even the most contentious cases. These qualities make him extremely well suited to his role in private alternative dispute resolution.

He is a member of the American Law Institute, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and has served on the Nominating and Executive Committees of the New York City Bar. He is an ASTAR Fellow (Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center) in the U.S. Department of Justice Financed Life Sciences Program for State Court Judges and is a member of the Advisory Board of the George Mason University Law and Economics Judicial Education Program.

He served as a member and Chair of Community Board 12, Manhattan; Chair of the Board of Directors of the Bronx Legal Services Corp.; and a board member of the Veteran’s Leadership Program, a non-profit job-training program for Vietnam and Post-Vietnam era veterans. He was also a board member of New York City Audubon.

Judge Andrias obtained his J.D. from Columbia Law School and attended the Graduate Law School of the London School of Economics. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowdoin College where he was Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with high honors in Economics. Prior to law school, he served in Vietnam as an Army Intelligence Officer with the First Air Cavalry Division and was awarded the Bronze Star and Air Medal.

He is available to arbitrate and mediate cases throughout the United States.