Jim is the founding partner and Senior Counsel to Hacker Murphy LLP. He is a 1981 graduate of Hamilton College and a 1984 graduate of Albany Law School. He is a member and the former Chair of the Albany Law Board of Trustees and a former member of the Hamilton College Board of Trustees.

He is an elected Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. The College is comprised of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada and membership is by invitation only. He is also an elected fellow of the International College of Trial Lawyers whose membership is limited to 500 US trial lawyers and whose membership is by invitation only.

He is the Past President of the of the Legal Aid Society for Northeastern New York and the Past President of the New York State Trial Lawyers Academy.

Locally, he is the Past President of the Albany County Bar Association, Past President of the Albany County Bar Foundation and received the President’s Award in 2022. He is also the Past President of the Capital District Trial Lawyers Association who honored him their Annual “Daniel H. Mahoney” Award.  In 2016 Mr. Hacker has received Albany Law School’s Distinguished Alumni Award and the Legal Aid Society’s Justice for All Award .

Mr. Hacker holds an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell and has been recognized as a “Best Lawyer in America” and “Super Lawyer” in both the fields of personal injury and commercial litigation. He has previously been recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in both categories. He has lectured extensively for the New York State Bar Association, the Albany County Bar Association, New York State Trial Lawyers Academy and the Capital District Trial Lawyers.

He is also an elected member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and has been appointed as a United States District Court Mediator. He has mediated and arbitrated over 1,000 cases in the last 25 years.

Mr. Hacker has tried over 100 cases to verdict and divides his practice between the areas of commercial litigation and plaintiff’s personal injury.

• Albany Law School Union University, Albany, New York - J.D. - 1984
• Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, B.A. - 1981 

• Albany County Bar Association Board, Past President
• New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, Past President
• Albany Law School, Board of Trustees,  Past Chairman
• Hamilton College, Board of Trustees, Former Member 
• New York State Bar Association
• American Association for Justice, Member
• Capital District Trial Lawyers Association, Past President
• Legal Aid Society for Northeastern New York, Past President 

James E. Hacker, Esq.

2026 Arbitration/Mediation Rate Schedule

Effective January 1, 2026:

Mediations:  $600.00 per hour

Arbitrations: $675.00 per hour

PLUS Mediation/Arbitration Administrative Fee : $100.00

USDC/NDNY Mediations

$500.00 for the first two (2) hours, $325.00 per hour for anytime thereafter. 

Preparation/Review: $250.00 per hour, up to four hours.

Cancellations:  If the mediation is cancelled by the parties less than 48 hours prior to the mediation session, the parties will be responsible for one hour of mediation time each to compensate the mediator for his preparation time.