Biography
John DiBlasi became a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York at the age of 39, one of the youngest in the history of the state. As a Judge he developed extensive experience in the trial and settlement of complex personal injury, commercial, and matrimonial matters.
Judge DiBlasi presided over catastrophic personal injury cases involving automobile accidents; birth defects and cancers resulting from exposure to toxic substances; products liability; premises liability; construction accidents; labor law violations and injuries resulting from medical malpractice. Judge DiBlasi mediated the settlement of a personal injury action for 19 million dollars, and supervised toxic tort litigation involving in excess of 150 plaintiffs and 25 defendant corporations.
Judge DiBlasi was the first Presiding Justice of the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court, Westchester County. As a Justice of the Commercial Division, Judge DiBlasi presided over complex commercial litigation involving contracts, employment disputes, real property/land use matters and environmental litigation. He created the Alternative Dispute Resolution Program used successfully by this court. His extensive experience also involves presiding over the settlement and trial of numerous complex and high profile matrimonial proceedings.
John DiBlasi was a Judge of the City Court of Mount Vernon where he presided over hundreds of criminal proceedings.
Prior to becoming a Judge, he served as a member of a Public Employment Relations Board where he mediated labor disputes and supervised the election of collective bargaining representatives. He has substantial experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in personal injury actions having been a partner in the law firm of Pizzitola & DiBlasi, P.C. and of counsel to the law firm of Clark, Gagliardi & Miller. He began his career as an Examining Attorney with the New York City Department of Investigation handling matters involving white collar crime and official corruption. He also served in the United States Army Reserve, Judge Advocate General’s Corps, retiring with the rank of Captain, and as Chief of Staff for the City of Mount Vernon, N.Y., and Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Services for Westchester County.
Judge DiBlasi has taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Pace University and St. John’s University Schools of Law. He has lectured for the New York State Bar Association, New York State Trial Lawyers, the New York State Judges’ School, the Practicing Law Institute of New York, and other Bar Associations. He has published five articles on trial tactics in the New York State Bar Journal.
Judge DiBlasi is a Fellow of both the American and New York State Bar Foundations, and the recipient of the New York State Bar Association’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Law Related Education, and the Pace Law School Awards as Outstanding Adjunct Professor of the year (the first such award ever conferred) and for his service to the community and the bar. He received his BA from Syracuse University, and his Juris Doctor Degree at St. John’s University. He possesses a Certificate in Professional Human Resource Management from Villanova University.
Judge DiBlasi is an arbitrator and mediator working exclusively through National Arbitration and Mediation.
Hon. John DiBlasi
Justice of the New York State Supreme Court (RET)
Arbitrator and Mediator
122 East 42nd Street
Suite 803
New York, New York 10168
