Hon. Thomas E. Mercure (Ret.)

Hon. Thomas E. Mercure served on the bench for 33 years and has the distinction of being the longest serving appellate court justice in the 118-year history of the 3rd Department. He has broad judicial and appellate experience in a wide variety of complex subject matters. Judge Mercure’s years of serving as a jurist and settling cases makes him well-suited to be a fair and impartial arbitrator and mediator for NAM.

In 1988, Judge Mercure was appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division, 3rd Department, and subsequently reappointed three times by Governors George Pataki and David Paterson. He served as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division for over 25 years, heard more than 21,000 appeals and wrote more than 3,000 signed opinions. Among his many accolades, Justice Mercure sat on the New York State Court of Appeals, by designation, twice in 1994 and 2011 for two cases, including one related to the World Trade Center bombing in 1993. (In the Matter of World Trade Center Bombing Litigation v. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey).

The Commission on Judicial Nominations deemed him “well qualified” for a seat on the high court three times in 2006 and 2007, twice for Associate Judge and once for Chief Judge of the State of New York. He was also elected a New York State Supreme Court Justice for the Fourth Judicial District in 1982 and re-elected in 1995 and 2009.

Judge Mercure has vast knowledge and experience in complex commercial litigation, construction, property disputes, boundary line issues and
adverse possession on the judicial level as well as cases involving negligence, medical malpractice, and products liability and torts.

In addition to providing arbitration and mediation services at NAM, Judge Mercure is Of Counsel to the firm of Rowlands, LeBrou & Griesmer, PLLC
where he specializes in complex litigation and appeals.

He is active in professional and community affairs and has lectured on appellate practice and ethics.