The O'Reilly Law Firm is very pleased to announce the return of James P. Collins to the noted trial law firm headquartered in San Mateo, effective immediately. The name of the firm is now O'Reilly II Collins. 

Collins was a founding member of the firm in 1987, originally known as O'Reilly & Collins.  In 2002, Collins left the firm in order to teach algebra and coach football and rugby at Menlo Atherton High School, a public school located in Atherton, California. 

A graduate of UC Berkeley and University of San Francisco Law School, Collins first worked as an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco, then with Gerry Sterns's trial law firm before joining O'Reilly to form their own firm.

O'Reilly & Collins soon became pre-eminent in the field of aviation law,winning many air disaster cases for plaintiffs with scores of multi-million judgments and settlements.  The firm also won major product liability cases that received national media attention.  Collins investigated, prosecuted and won many landmark cases involving tires and improper tire replacements which led to loss of control by cars on wet roads, resulting in many deaths and serious injuries to consumers.  Collins's thorough investigations of the causes of these accidents led to important changes in the tire replacement industry that resulted in many lives being saved.

O'Reilly said, "Obviously, I am extremely happy to welcome Jim back in the fold.  He is a great friend and a great trial lawyer.  It is also a reunion of my old teammate, for we both played for the Old Blues Rugby Club of Berkeley, one of the great rugby clubs in the United States, and national champions." Collins lives in San Carlos.

In 2008, the firm set a record for judgments and settlements of air disaster with $300 million in awards for its plaintiffs.   www.oreillylaw.com