Get to Know... Jeremy Sher

January 1, 2026

When one thinks about the qualities of an effective litigator, courtesy, respect and fidelity may not be among the first attributes that come to mind; that is, unless you’ve met Jeremy Sher.

Jeremy’s embodiment of these and other soft skills, combined with his unswerving work ethic and problem solving acumen make him a potent advocate.

“Litigation is an interesting tightrope,” he explains. “It pays to be pleasant and have a sense of humor but also to be forceful and nuanced to dial it up or back to fight for your client.”

Not all of his opposing counsel adhere to a similar code of conduct. “You don’t want to get sucked into an argument,” he cautions. “Persevere, push back and sound assured, even if you don’t feel especially confident.”

A New Jersey native, Jeremy has earned a positive reputation in Rochester, which places an emphasis on personal connections.

Raised by college history professor parents, as a teen Jeremy regularly hopped the train to Manhattan to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its ancient civilizations collections. He also pursued an interest in board and card games. These trips continued while he studied Greek and Roman history at Princeton University.

While he originally expected to follow in his parents’ footsteps, Jeremy’s interest in problem solving led him to New York University School of Law (NYU).

“I became excited about trying cases. Cycling through law firm interviews, one interviewer asked what I hoped to accomplish. When I said I wanted to be a trial lawyer, he dismissively said that no one tries cases anymore. Fortunately, he was wrong. Trying cases is my favorite thing. I love the ‘I’ve got this’ feeling when I get admissions during cross examination.”

Not only did he find a career he loves at NYU, it was there that he met his future spouse, fellow Bond member Kate McClung. The couple spent what Jeremy calls “an incredible eight years living in Manhattan” and launching their careers.

What does Jeremy miss about working in New York City? “The endless lunch options,” he says without hesitation, “and there was always something to do right outside your door.”

The couple, who were living in a one bedroom, started considering life outside the city when they had twins. Jeremy wondered about finding a good career fit in Rochester, but what he found in there was in many ways better. Jeremy spent his first decade there achieving partnership at Adams Leclair LLP before he joined Kate at Bond when the time was right. “I was very happy at Adams Leclair but what [managing member] Ed Hourihan outlined to me made sense as I grew in my career. I hadn’t fully understood the breadth of knowledge available at a firm of Bond’s size. I have taken on larger cases and been exposed to new areas of law, particularly school law. There’s a great variety of new and stimulating challenges here.”

Jeremy recently argued a constitutional case in front of the Second Circuit regarding a child’s desire to use preferred names and pronouns at school without the school informing their parents. “Arguing this case in front of an engaged panel of judges felt like the culmination of a lot of hopes I had as a student. The judges posed many interesting questions and hypotheticals. It’s humbling to play a role in a major case that will affect a lot of schools and students however it comes down. My wish is that I’m doing good job for the client and all the people the outcome will affect.”

Jeremy credits his success to outstanding mentors at every stage of his career and likewise seeks to mentor junior associates. “I want to teach them how to be successful beyond sharpening their research and communication skills. This job can be stressful. Having the tools to manage one’s mental health is critical to long term success.

“Litigation is not strictly quantitative. You must be able to manage the relationships with people going through challenges.”

Jeremy’s pro bono work includes for Just Cause and as assigned counsel in federal cases in Rochester. His work earned him the Rochester Business Journal’s 2025 Pro Bono Excellence award.

Jeremy sits on the board of Publick Musick, which performs classical music on authentic period instruments.

As a long-time resident of Rochester, does Jeremy miss his former life in New York City? Without any apparent doubt he gives assurance that he’s “found a wonderful life here in Rochester and wouldn’t change a thing. New York City is always there as a great place to visit.”