Sean F.X. Dugan

Practice Areas

Sean F.X. Dugan is a senior partner and trial attorney at Martin Clearwater & Bell LLP. He obtained his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 1977. He has been associated with MCB since 1979, and has been a member of the firm since 1985. He is engaged in the defense of all aspects of professional liability claims on behalf of physicians and other health care professionals, medical groups, and health care institutions. He manages the defense of litigation against several large groups of physicians. He defends all dialysis cases filed in New York State for one of the publicly traded provider corporations. Mr. Dugan manages the defense of lead exposure cases filed against a major metropolitan medical center.

Mr. Dugan has published articles in several peer reviewed medical and scientific journals, including:

Dugan, S., “Regulated Medical Waste: Is any of it Infectious?” New York State Journal of Medicine, 92 (1992).

Dugan, S., “Reliance on Advice of Counsel”, For the Defense, 35 (1993).

He has authored a chapter in a text:

Dugan, S., “Legal Implications for the Physician in the Wake of Automation: Medical Malpractice” in Automated Cervical Cancer Screening, IGAKU-SHOIN Medical Publishers Inc, 1994.

Mr. Dugan is called upon by Firm clients to present legal and health related issues to different groups. For instance, he has made presentations to the departments of neurology, pediatrics and nursing at client medical institutions, and to groups of health care providers in clinic settings concerning quality assurance and medical claims issues. He has lectured to claims people and hospital administrators at PIAA, to lawyers at NYSBA meetings, and surgeons at the International Congress for Joint Reconstruction.

In 1991, Mr. Dugan obtained an LL.M. in Environmental Law to assist the Firm in defending complex exposure claims. These include mold, asbestos, lead, silicone, Hepatitis C, different medications, etc. which are claimed to have caused injury to a plaintiff. He completed Harvard University's Program on Negotiation. He obtained a Mediator Training Certificate from the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, where he is regularly called upon to mediate to resolution complex matters pending there. He completed Seton Hall University’s Center for Public Service Board Leadership Institute Program, and he also obtained a Financial Management Certificate from Seton Hall University’s Nonprofit Sector Resource Institute. He is admitted to practice law before both the State and Federal Courts in New York and New Jersey.

The National Board of Trial Advocacy certified Mr. Dugan as a Civil Trial Advocate. He was elected by his peers before the bar as a Diplomate of the American Board of Trial Advocates and serves as the Vice President of its New York City chapter. He is board certified by the ABA accredited American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. Mr. Dugan is certified by the National Board of Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy as a Civil Pretrial Practice Advocate.

Mr. Dugan is a member of the American Bar Association, Section of Dispute Resolution; New York State Bar Association, Professional Liability Section, Committee on Professional Discipline; Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Westchester County Bar Association, Essex County Bar Association, American Health Lawyers Association and the Defense Research Institute. He is also a member of the Association for Healthcare Risk Management of New York, as well as the Association for Conflict Resolution, and is listed in Marquis Who's Who in American Law. He is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell®.* He is a Senior Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America. Mr. Dugan received a Lifetime Achievement award from America’s Top 100 Attorneys.

In 2018, Mr. Dugan was elected President and National Board Representative of the New York City Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Mr. Dugan served his community as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Westchester County. He is presently a Member of his condo board, where he serves as Secretary.

Education

Pace University School of Law, LL.M., Environmental Law, 1991

Brooklyn Law School, J.D., 1977

State University College at Oneonta, B.A. 1973

Admitted

New York

New Jersey

United States District Court, Southern District of New York

United States District Court, Eastern District of New York

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

United States Supreme Court