Go To Lawyers: Stephen M. O’Shea

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Years in practice:

34

Best known for:

The tenacious defense of medical malpractice and Board of Registration matters.

Why I chose my practice area:

Health care providers save lives and improve the quality of life every day, and they deserve the best representation they can get when they suffer an adverse outcome, an unfortunate risk of their profession.

Most memorable case:

[Among others,] I defended a funeral director who was sued for negligent embalmment of a body that was then shipped to El Salvador. Five of the six family members were named as plaintiffs and alleged that when the casket was opened in El Salvador, the body was riddled with maggots. We arranged for the telephonic deposition of the one family member who was not a plaintiff, and he contradicted the testimony of his five siblings.

What makes me a leader in my field:

We have a lot of excellent lawyers in our field, and I don’t necessarily consider myself a leader among them. We all know that we need to work extremely hard to ensure that the work product we produce is consistent with what our clients deserve. That means paying extraordinary attention to all details and trying to lead by example.

Outlook for 2025:

I’m hopeful that we will continue to see a return to more in-person depositions, client meetings, and court appearances, especially for the next generation of lawyers. Video conferencing has proven to be a useful tool, but I think we lose a lot with so much less personal contact.

Bar involvement/leadership roles:

For over a decade, I have served as the author for “Massachusetts Courtroom Advocacy, Chapter 14, Damages – Defendant’s Perspective.” I am also a member of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association and the Massachusetts Bar Association, and mentor younger attorneys in our office.

Representative clients:

Coverys, Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company, American Association of Orthodontists Insurance Company, CRICO, and Hospitality Mutual Insurance Company.