Services
Education
- Notre Dame, J.D., 1978
- University of Nebraska at Omaha, B.A., 1975
James E. O'Connor
1700 Farnam Street
Omaha, NE 68102-2068
James E. O’Connor is the chairperson of the Technology and Intellectual Property Practice group and a member of the Corporate Section of the firm. He represents the firm's clients with respect to the development, acquisition and use of technology and other forms of intellectual property. In addition, he assists clients with matters involving e-commerce, the internet, privacy and security, risk assessments and emerging technologies. Mr. O'Connor represents clients in the financial, health, technology and cyber industries.
Prior to joining the Firm in 1999, Mr. O'Connor worked for a Fortune 500 insurance company for 17 years in various positions including Senior Counsel & Special Technologies Counsel, Assistant General Counsel, Associate General Counsel and Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer. He counseled senior operations and division officers on all aspects of their business, chaired the negotiating teams responsible for acquiring mission critical technologies, and structured and negotiated complex systems integration agreements, software development transactions and hardware acquisitions.
Mr. O'Connor has also served as Secretary and General Counsel for a national software development and services company.
Mr. O’Connor is active in the legal community. He taught “Technology and the Law” at Creighton University School of Law for nearly a decade and is currently teaching "Law of Electronic Commerce." He is a member of the Omaha Bar Association, Nebraska Bar Association, the Computer Law Association and the American Bar Association’s Section of Intellectual Property Law and Section of Science & Technology. Mr. O’Connor is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2011 (copyright 2010 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC) for his work in Information Technology Law and Intellectual Property Law and Great Plains Super Lawyers 2009 for his work in Information Technology/Outsourcing.
Selected Practice Highlights
- Extensive experience in negotiating contracts for mission critical data processing, telecommunications and related technologies
- Provides on-going representation to a national cyber security company
- Assisted in the startup and provides on-going representation to several regional Health Information Exchanges (HIEs)
- In-depth expertise regarding privacy and security issues in the banking, insurance and healthcare industries including assistance in identifying risks and mitigation strategies
- Drafted and negotiated vendor standard contracts for several national software vendors in the financial, healthcare and energy sectors
- Assisted Fortune 500 company in divesting itself of major line of operations, including all related technology
Publications
- “ALI Adopts New Principles of Software Contracts: Time to Review and Update Standard License Agreements,” May 2009
- “Health Information Technology and the Stimulus Package: What does it mean to you?,” February 2009
- “Time to Renew Your Internet Domain Name Strategy,” February 2009
- “New Massachusetts Data Security Standards Mandate Encryption of Portable Devices - Compliance Deadline: May 1, 2009,” February 2009
- HITECH Privacy and Security Compliance Toolkit with policies, forms, flowcharts and analysis
Recent Speaking Engagements
- Mr. O'Connor is a frequent speaker at national and regional conferences regarding current topics involving legal issues emerging from technological developments
- Recent Engagements:
- Nebraska Medical Group Management Association: "Meaningful Use - EMR Vendor Contracting"
- Nebraska Health Information Management Association: The Reality of the New E-Discovery Rules and HIM
- Infotec 2010, Healthcare IT track leader, moderated CEO panel on prioritization
- Baird Holm CLE Program: Protecting What’s Valuable to Your Organization -- Your Data: Evolving Privacy and Security Requirements, May 2010
- Baird Holm 2010 CLE Program: Multi-State Tax Issues: "Buying and Selling Over the Internet" -- Software Development Consulting Services: Subject to Sales Tax? And Sales and Use Taxation of Other Internet-Related Services
Bar & Court Admissions
- Nebraska, 1982
- Wisconsin, 1978
News
Seminars & Events
- New HIPAA Requirements for Group Health Plans Webinar
- 23rd Annual Health Law Forum
- Baird Holm CLE Program: March 23, 2011
- Baird Holm CLE Program: November 3, 2010
- Baird Holm CLE Program: August 25, 2010
- Baird Holm CLE Program: May 19, 2010
Professional and Civic Affiliations
- Omaha Bar Association
- Nebraska Bar Association
- Computer Law Association
- American Bar Association’s Section of Intellectual Property Law and Section of Science & Technology
- Board member, Nebraska Infragard (an association of businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies and the FBI created to help protect the critical national infrastructure)