Judge Dennis R. O’Brien
Of Counsel
Key Practice Areas
- Civil Mediation
- Family Mediation
Primary Focus & Experience
Judge Dennis R. O’Brien is Of Counsel to the Keefe firm, primarily providing mediation services to parties in Civil and Family matters as well as acting as a Special Master for discovery matters.
Judge O’Brien was appointed to the Superior Court in Monmouth County by Governor Jon Corzine in 2007. He served in the Civil, Family, and Criminal Divisions. He was rated by the New Jersey Law Journal as the Number One Judge in the Vicinage, receiving high marks for his ability to manage complex cases and his superior ability to settle the most difficult cases.
Prior to joining the bench, Judge O’Brien was twice certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney, recognizing his skills as a trial advocate. Judge O’Brien was an Associate, then Partner at Campbell, Foley, Lee, Murphy, and Cernigliaro in Asbury Park for 14 years before his appointment to the bench. At Campbell, Foley Judge O’Brien concentrated on defending personal injury claims and insurance issues. During that time, he served as a member of the Supreme Court Arbitration Advisory Committee (on which he continued to serve as a judge) the Supreme Court Committee on Evidence, the Supreme Court Best Practices Implementation Committee, and was Co-Chair of the Monmouth Bar Association Civil Practice and Arbitration Selection Committees. He also served as Chair of the District IX Ethics Committee.
Judge O’Brien started his legal career as a Law Clerk to the Honorable John P. Arnone, J.S.C. in Monmouth County. He then served as an Assistant Prosecutor in the Union County Prosecutor’s Office trying several dozen cases to jury verdicts. He began his civil practice career at Fitzpatrick, Reilly, Supple, and Gaul in New Providence, NJ before joining the Campbell firm.
Before receiving his J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, 1986, Judge O’Brien was an Associate Sales Estimator for Avon Products Company in New York. Judge O’Brien received his undergraduate degree from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business in 1981.
Outside of his practice, Judge O’Brien has also been a dedicated community volunteer, having served as a member, then Chair of the Fair Haven Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Fair Haven Juvenile Conference Committee, the Georgetown University Alumni Admissions Program, and as a member, then President of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Union County.