Commentary

Closing Argument: Time to Stop Ignoring the State's Eviction Crisis

Connecticut Editorial Board| June 14, 2018

Lawyers can do much to prevent or mitigate the poverty-causing effects of evictions, and we must do more to address this growing crisis.

News

Justice Dept., Threatening Supreme Court Action, Imposes Deadline in Sanctuary Cities Case

Marcia Coyle | June 14, 2018

The U.S. Justice Department told the Seventh Circuit that it would ask the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a nationwide injunction if the appeals court doesn't rule by June 18. The appeals court, responding to Main Justice, refused to budge. The court said it was awaiting the Supreme Court's decision in Trump v. Hawaii, which raises issues about the propriety of nationwide injunctions.

Best Practices

Health Care Litigation Steers Innovation, Progress at Leading Connecticut Firm

Michael Marciano | June 14, 2018

Murtha Cullina has established itself as a big fish among firms in the Nutmeg State and a nationally competitive midsize player that takes on complex litigation issues and health care cases that are constantly evolving with the regional and national political tides.

Analysis

Supreme Court Justices Continue to Shed Stock Holdings, New Disclosures Show

Tony Mauro | Marcia Coyle | June 14, 2018

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justices Samuel Alito Jr. and Stephen Breyer each reported selling stock holdings, according to the latest financial disclosure forms, released Thursday. Other stock sales reported in the forms also help explain justices' recusal behavior in cases before the Supreme Court.

News

Complaint: Paralegal Stole More Than $900,000 From Firm, Family

Robert Storace | June 14, 2018

For the second time in 12 years, paralegal Stephen Gionfriddo has found himself on the wrong side of the law. This time, he was charged with stealing more than $900,000. He was convicted of fraud in 2006.

News

Federal Appeals Court Rejects Insurers' Claims for Millions in ACA Payments

Kristen Rasmussen | June 14, 2018

In an opinion likely to have far-reaching implications for similar pending litigation, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Thursday ruled that the federal government does not owe Moda Health Plan Inc. nor Land of Lincoln Mutual Health Insurance Co. about $200 million and about $76 million, respectively, under the ACA risk corridors program.

News

New Bill Would Protect Law Licenses of Student Loan Defaulters

Karen Sloan | June 14, 2018

A bipartisan effort would prohibit states from revoking professional licenses from people who default on their federal student loans, which would help protect lawyers struggling with education debt.

News

Alex Kozinski Pays Tribute to Late Colleague Stephen Reinhardt

Tony Mauro| June 14, 2018

From his essay, posted to the Concurring Opinions blog, it appears retired judge Alex Kozinski and Stephen Reinhardt kept up their friendship of more than three decades until Reinhardt died.

News

'Indefensible': Attorneys Expect Fallout From Sex Misconduct Complaints Against CCSU Professor

Robert Storace | June 13, 2018

CCSU works on damage control as one of its professors is accused of longtime sexual misconduct against faculty and students. That professor, Joshua Perlstein, is now on paid administrative leave.

Commentary

Alarming Increase in Suicide Rate Needs to Be Addressed Everywhere

Mark L.. Dubois| June 13, 2018

Suicide in the United States has been on the rise, going up 25 percent since 1999.

News

AT&T Judge Richard Leon Wasn't Mocking Trump! Exclamation Points Are His Mark!

Ellis Kim | June 13, 2018

Anyone who's ever had occasion to read a ruling from U.S. District Judge Richard Leon has probably run into an exclamation point somewhere along the line.

News

Danbury Law Firm Files Suit Against Opioid Makers on Behalf of Four Municipalities

Robert Storace | June 12, 2018

Four more Connecticut municipalities have filed a lawsuit against the distributors and manufacturers of opioids, bringing the number of communities in the state that have filed suit the past year to about 25.

News

READ THE DECISION: Judge OKs AT&T-Time Warner's $85B Merger

Ellis Kim | June 12, 2018

Read U.S. District Judge Richard Leon's decision here.

News

Stratford Woman's Equal Access Suit Dismissed

Robert Storace | June 12, 2018

Representatives of Margarette Charles say she will file an amended lawsuit following a federal judge's dismissal Monday of her lawsuit alleging improprieties on the part of a housing clerk.

News

These Companies and Trade Groups Spent Millions Lobbying on Net Neutrality

MP McQueen | June 11, 2018

As the Federal Communications Commission considered repealing net neutrality under new FCC chairman Ajit Pai last year, telecom and tech companies, internet service providers and consumer and open-internet advocacy groups poured millions of dollars into lobbying the commission and members of Congress, spending that continued into the first quarter of 2018. Here are some law firms that benefited.

News

Cravath Sets New High in Associate Salary Race

Meghan Tribe | June 11, 2018

The new associate salary scale set by Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy last week has been surpassed by Cravath, Swaine & Moore. The firm has agreed to pay $5,000 and $10,000 more for its midlevel and senior associates.

Q&A

Attorney General Candidate Mattei Talks Opioids, Prosecuting Rowland

Robert Storace | June 11, 2018

Trial attorney Chris Mattei is leaning on his experience as a Connecticut assistant U.S. attorney, where, among other things, he helped prosecute former Gov. John Rowland, to put him over the top to become the state's next attorney general.

News

Animal Rights Group Revives Claim Seeking CT Elephants' Release

Robert Storace | June 11, 2018

The Florida group filed a habeas corpus petition Monday seeking removal of three elephant from a Connecticut petting zoo.

Best Practices

How to Execute a Legal Project

Lean Adviser Legal| June 11, 2018

Establish what's critical, and then focus on that, applying the appropriate resources to every necessary task.

June 11, 2018

Connecticut Law Tribune| June 11, 2018

Connecticut Law Tribune Digital Edition

Commentary

Golden State Killer Case Raises Legal, Ethical DNA Issues

Connecticut Editorial Board| June 08, 2018

We urge lawyers and bar associations to take the lead in giving guidance to practitioners and clients about the issues raised by this new forensic technology.

Best Practices

Beyond Civility: Avoiding Misconduct in Deposition

Alanna G. Clair and Shari L. Klevens| June 08, 2018

By keeping mindful of a party’s—and an attorney’s—obligations not to engage in unethical conduct during depositions, attorneys can help ensure that the case will be considered on its merits, rather than impacted by sanctions or other issues.

News

Connecticut Movers: Leadership Council Honors Attorney Agostinho 'Augie' Ribeiro

Michael Marciano | June 08, 2018

The award honors individuals who have excelled or served as role models in their Portuguese-American communities.

News

UPDATE: Mueller Hits Paul Manafort With Obstruction Charge: Read the Document

Ellis Kim | June 08, 2018

The special counsel has added obstruction of justice to the list of charges the former Trump campaign chairman faces.

Commentary

Not Dead Yet: When Is It Time to Hang Up the Robe?

Mark L. Dubois| June 08, 2018

I’m glad I’m not a judge and can choose when to stop. For now, balancing the sacred and the profane, with a dose of public service on the side, seems to be working.

Commentary

Napping While Black: Policing Northern Color Lines in the Modern Day

Connecticut Editorial Board| June 08, 2018

Recent incidents have revealed ways white people—often specifically white women—are still using the law to maintain white dominance in the northern states.

Q&A

Attorney General Candidate William Tong Talks Guns, Discrimination in Interview

Robert Storace | June 08, 2018

William Tong became the first Asian-American to serve in the Connecticut General Assembly. The Stamford representative is now looking to become the state's chief law enforcement officer as he runs for attorney general as a Democrat.

News

Attorney Must Pay $103,000 After Flinging Hot Pasta During Restaurant Fight

Robert Storace | June 08, 2018

A jury found against former New Jersey attorney James Sweeney, accused of throwing hot pasta and sauce on a woman, who claimed she then fell and hit her head.

News

DOJ Civil Chief, 3 Former SCOTUS Clerks Among Latest Trump Court Picks

Ellis Kim | June 07, 2018

The president's 15th round of judicial nominations also included a slate of Big Law lawyers.

News

Judge Grapples With Democrats' Standing in Trump Emolument Lawsuit

Ellis Kim | June 07, 2018

The lawmakers claim President Donald Trump, who as president has not divested from his business empire, has denied members of Congress their individual rights to vote on each emolument.

News

Hartford Jury Awards $236,520 to Dancer Injured in Car Crash

Robert Storace | June 07, 2018

Aspiring dancer Alejandro Cruz injured his back after the car he was driving in was rear-ended. A jury recently awarded him $236,520.

News

Greenberg Traurig Helps Defendants Beat Back Securities Fraud Charges in Connecticut

Robert Storace | June 07, 2018

Greenberg Traurig's Marc Mukasey leads a team of white collar defense attorneys who successfully represented two traders charged with crimes.

News

New London Attorney Gets $320,000 Settlement for Pawcatuck Man After Dog Attack

Robert Storace | June 06, 2018

Michael Berk, who was bitten several times by a yellow Labrador retriever, has settled his lawsuit for $320,000. He suffered permanent injuries to his right forearm.

Commentary

This is an Awesome Time to be a Big Law Associate—Not!

Vivia Chen | June 05, 2018

Too much upbeat news makes The Careerist skittish. And there's plenty out there right now for young lawyers.

News

Sixth Circuit Rejects Challenge to 'In God We Trust' Motto on Currency

Michael Booth | June 05, 2018

"[T]he inscription of the motto on currency would place sufficiently substantial pressure on plaintiffs to violate their alleged religious beliefs only if using payment methods other than cash is more than a mere inconvenience," Judge Jane Stranch said.

D.C. Circuit Won't Block Injunction Halting Trump Policy on Immigrant Minors' Abortions

Marcia Coyle | June 05, 2018

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit unanimously denied the U.S. Justice Department's request to stay the entire injunction pending the government's appeal in the case Garza v. Azar. The Justice Department is challenging the injunction and a trial judge's certification of a nationwide class of pregnant immigrant minors in U.S. custody.

News

Defense Verdict After Goshen Plaintiff's Own Doctors Contradict Her

Robert Storace | June 05, 2018

Mary Louise Hawk claimed she sustained injuries to her back, right arm and left leg after the car she was in was rear-ended by another vehicle. But a Connecticut jury found for the defense June 1 and awarded Hawk nothing.

News

In-House Counsel's Gender Discrimination Suit Claims Company Fired Her Over 'Family Status'

Robert Storace | June 05, 2018

Attorney Erin Ryan filed a federal gender discrimination lawsuit against MDC, alleging the agency fired her after she returned from maternity leave.

Expert Opinion

What Masterpiece Cakeshop Tells Us About the Travel Ban

Leah Litman| June 05, 2018

The high court has underscored that government officials cannot act on the basis of religious animus. Will the justices hold President Donald Trump to those same principles of religious neutrality?

News

Paul Manafort Accused of Witness Tampering in New Mueller Filing

Ellis Kim | June 04, 2018

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the District of Columbia on Tuesday has set a June 15 hearing on Mueller’s bid for the court to reconsider Manafort’s bail.

Where the Justices Found Middle Ground in Gay Wedding Cake Case

Marcia Coyle | June 04, 2018

Justices Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer joined Justice Anthony Kennedy's majority ruling. Kagan opened her concurring opinion by quoting Kennedy: "It is a general rule that [religious and philosophical] objections do not allow business owners and other actors in the economy and in society to deny protected persons equal access to goods and services under a neutral and generally applicable public accommodations law."

News

This Attorney Cheated on His Taxes. Now He Can't Practice Law for 5 Years

Robert Storace | June 04, 2018

A Hartford Superior Court judge has suspended attorney Donald McCarthy Jr. from practicing law for five years. McCarthy had previously been sentenced to two years in prison for tax evasion.

News

Trump Tweet Revives Old Question: Can the President Pardon Himself?

Ellis Kim | June 04, 2018

President Donald Trump tweeted Monday that legal scholars are on his side. Here's a review of the mixed opinions on this idea.

June 04, 2018

Connecticut Law Tribune| June 04, 2018

Connecticut Law Tribune Digital Edition

News

Connecticut Movers: Saluting Heroes of Pro Bono Assistance

Michael Marciano | June 01, 2018

"Robinson & Cole continually demonstrates significant and longstanding dedication to the delivery of pro bono legal services,” said SLS Pro Bono Attorney Manager Ashleigh M. Backman.

News

Bridgeport Attorney Pleads Guilty to Stealing $1.3 Million From Clients, Friends

Robert Storace | June 01, 2018

Thomas Murtha, a former longtime Connecticut civil and criminal attorney, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

News

Bridgeport Lawyer Scores $940,000 Chiropractic Settlement for Maine Man

Robert Storace | June 01, 2018

Plaintiff Stephen Astran reached a $940,000 settlement with a Naugatuck-based chiropractor who allegedly did not send him to get an immediate MRI when he showed symptoms for a possible spinal cord infection. He needed spinal cord surgery as a result, according to his lawsuit.

News

Prosecutors Plan to Appeal Kennedy Nephew Michael Skakel's Murder Exoneration to US Supreme Court

Robert Storace | May 31, 2018

State prosecutors are hoping the U.S. Supreme Court hears the case of Michael Skakel. The Kennedy nephew was convicted of murder in 2002, but had his conviction vacated in May.

Expert Opinion

Technological Advancements Can Be Stranger Than Fiction

Mark Dubois| May 31, 2018

One technology, individualized advertising, is starting to attract serious attention from both the bar and bar regulators.

News

Behind Sanofi's Response to Roseanne’s ‘Ambien Tweeting’ Excuse

C. Ryan Barber | May 31, 2018

Chan Lee, the North America general counsel to drugmaker Sanofi, explains how the company's now-famous social media response to Roseanne Barr came about. "The approval of that tweet was a fairly easy one for me," Lee says.

News

'I Never Had a Drinking Problem': Attorney Suspended Over DUIs Blames Arrest on Medical Condition

Robert Storace | May 31, 2018

After serving six months in prison for two drunken-driving offenses, former Connecticut attorney Paul Buhl maintains the affects of the medical condition hypothyroidism caused his arrests. He denies being drunk on both occasions.

Commentary

What Clients Really Want From Outside Counsel

Lean Adviser Legal| May 31, 2018

It doesn't take a magic formula or a lengthy pitch to impress clients, just master these five fundamentals.

News

Grand Jury Indicts Harvey Weinstein on Rape Charges

Andrew Denney | May 30, 2018

A grand jury in Manhattan voted on Wednesday to indict Tinseltown titan Harvey Weinstein, who was arrested and arraigned May 25 but who declined to testify before the grand jury, on charges of first- and third-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act.

News

Shelton Attorney Gets $105,000 Settlement for Wallingford Woman With PTSD

Robert Storace | May 30, 2018

Nadine Bontatibus, who suffered neck and back injuries from a January 2017 crash, has settled the case for $105,000. Bontatibus also suffers from PTSD.

News

Judge Suspends Attorney for Multiple DWIs

Robert Storace | May 30, 2018

Connecticut attorney Paul Buhl has been suspended from practicing law for about two years following his sentencing for two separate driving-under-the-influence charges.

Slideshow

Now Showing: Summer Movie Watch List for Your Legal Indulgence

Karen Sloan | May 30, 2018

It's summer! Catch up on the best legal films and documentaries from the past nine months that you were too busy to watch.

News

Legal Defense Fund Formed for Paul Manafort

Ellis Kim | May 30, 2018

The creation of this fund comes as friends and relatives of other individuals wrapped up in the Mueller probe solicit donations to defray legal costs.

Q&A

Is Sandra Goldstein the Highest Paid Female Partner in Big Law?

Vivia Chen | May 29, 2018

Any way you look at it, the Kirkland & Ellis litigation partner is making fat stacks of cash—particularly at a time when women still lag behind men at most firms.

News

2 Judges Side With Former Ship Captain in Whistleblower Case; Uphold $1.1M Award

Robert Storace | May 29, 2018

Two judges Thursday affirmed former ship captain John Loftus' $1.1 million whistleblower ruling. Loftus was constructively discharged after complaining about alleged safety violations on the vessel.

Analysis

When #MeToo Leads to Litigation Against a Church

Barry Black and John B. Madden| May 29, 2018

New York courts have not yet decided whether they may hear sexual harassment lawsuits against religious institutions. Learn more in this Religion Law column by Barry Black and John B. Madden.

Analysis

GC Diversity Mandates Had a Soft Launch—Now They're Serious

Meghan Tribe | May 29, 2018

General counsel's push for diversity hasn't moved the needle yet, but it may soon kick into high gear.

May 28, 2018

Connecticut Law Tribune| May 28, 2018

Connecticut Law Tribune Digital Edition

News

Bridgeport Hospital Loses Discrimination Suit as Jury Awards Former Employee $345,000

Robert Storace | May 25, 2018

A Superior Court jury has awarded $345,000 to a woman who said Bridgeport Hospital retaliated against her because she had a mental health illness that required her to take time off from work.

News

And the Winner Is … Tribune Announces Attorney of the Year, Presents 2018 Awards

Michael Marciano | May 25, 2018

The 2018 Connecticut Legal Awards brightened the Bond Room at the Hilton Hartford Downtown Thursday night, with nearly 200 attendees on hand to celebrate professional excellence, including the 2018 Connecticut Law Tribune award for Attorney of the Year, which went to the University of Connecticut School of Law’s Karen DeMeola.

Expert Opinion

Privilege Maintenance: Protecting Law Firm In-House Counsel Communications

Alanna G. Clair and Shari L. Klevens| May 25, 2018

Although the majority of courts who have reviewed this issue have recognized and enforced a privilege shared between law firm attorneys and their in-house counsel, there is some uncertainty nationwide.

Commentary

Excelsior: Fondly Remembering the Late Tom Ullmann

Connecticut Editorial Board| May 25, 2018

The members of the editorial board were shocked and deeply saddened to hear that a beloved member, Thomas J. Ullmann, died in a hiking accident on April 13, 2018, in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York.

News

Plaintiffs Plot 'Way Around' Supreme Court's Ruling Against Worker Class Actions

Marcia Coyle | May 25, 2018

There may be another way: "non-mutual offensive collateral estoppel." The concept is fairly established in the law, but it has not been used much. And judges and arbitrators have broad discretion whether to apply it in any given case.

News

Harvey Weinstein Arraigned on Rape Charges

Colby Hamilton | May 25, 2018

The former Hollywood producer is facing multiple sexual assault charges connected to two separate incidents.

News

Mitchell & Sheahan Expands, Opens Third Office

Michael Marciano | May 24, 2018

A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, led by Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe. The new office is located at 246 Post Rd. East, on the second floor.

News

Settlement in Child Sex Abuse Case: Attorney Talks of Getting Emotional Representing Victims

Robert Storace | May 24, 2018

The attorney for a young girl allegedly sexually assaulted by a paraprofessioanal teacher opens up about taking on such personal cases.

Connecticut Lawyer Appears on National Television Accusing East Haddam Man of Murder

Robert Storace | May 24, 2018

The sudden and suspicious deaths of Robert Kalosky's two wives over a 19-year span has caught the attention of a nationally syndicated crime show.

News

Parkland Families Seek Clearance to Sue Gun Maker, Seller

Catherine Wilson | May 24, 2018

Two families file a lawsuit to clarify they can sue the maker and seller of the AR-15 rifle used in the Parkland school shooting for damages without risking financial ruin.

News

'You Have to Eat': How Working During Law School Hurts Bar Exam Performance

Robert Storace | May 23, 2018

"Preparing for the bar exam needs to be a full-time job," said Justin Dion, director of the Bar Success Program at Western New England University School of Law.

News

DOJ Apologizes for 'Oversight' on Trump Hotel Records Fight

Ellis Kim | May 23, 2018

That “oversight” came after the government attempted to withhold the names and email addresses of various members on President Donald Trump's transition team that were already available online.

News

Manafort Takes Supreme Court's Car-Rental Privacy Ruling for Test Drive

C. Ryan Barber | May 23, 2018

It didn't take long for a U.S. Supreme Court decision this term on privacy rights to emerge in perhaps an unlikely spot: the special counsel’s prosecution of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

News

Connecticut Lawyers Sue Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones for Sandy Hook Families, FBI Agent

Robert Storace | May 23, 2018

The suit names defendants in Texas, Florida, Connecticut and Minnesota. It cites a yearslong campaign of inflammatory statements by Jones, who claims the shooting was a government conspiracy.

News

This Dispute Over a Tweeting Judge Shouldn't Invite the Justices, DOJ Says

Marcia Coyle | May 23, 2018

Noel Francisco, the U.S. solicitor general, told the justices that questions surrounding judges’ use of social media “would benefit from further development in the lower courts” before the Supreme Court takes up a case raising these issues.

News

Trump Cannot Block Twitter Users From His Account, Court Rules

Colby Hamilton | May 23, 2018

U.S. District Judge Naomi Buchwald ruled Wednesday that the @realDonaldTrump Twitter account falls under the U.S. Supreme Court's public forum doctrine.

Introducing Lean Adviser Legal from Law.com

Lean Adviser Legal| May 23, 2018

There's a gap between the way lawyers are trained and the skills required to practice in today's competitive environment. That's where Lean Adviser comes in.

News

DC Circuit Will Soon Livestream Audio of All Oral Arguments

Tony Mauro | May 23, 2018

“This is an important additional step in bringing transparency to our proceedings,” Chief Judge Merrick Garland said in the announcement. The appeals court for the first time since 2001 last year permitted a live audio broadcast.

News

Several States Weigh ABA's Anti-Discrimination Rule

Scott Flaherty | May 22, 2018

With the public's eye trained on harassment and discrimination issues, Arizona and several other states are considering an anti-bias rule for lawyers that predates #MeToo.

News

Only 38 Percent Pass Connecticut Bar Exam as Success Rate Hits 18-Year Low

Robert Storace | May 22, 2018

That's a decline of 12 percentage points from February 2017, when 82 of 163 students, or roughly 50 percent, passed the exam.

News

Defense: Attorney Fee Award in Wage Case Could Mean 'Open Season' for Suits Against Restaurants

Robert Storace | May 21, 2018

Attorneys for Vito's By The Water restaurant said they are leaning toward appealing a Superior Court judge's ruling that states the eatery did not properly pay one of its workers under a law governing wages for employees earning tips.

News

Furniture Delivery Workers' Arbitration Agreement Held Unenforceable

Charles Toutant | May 21, 2018

A federal judge in Newark has rejected attempts by a discount furniture retailer and its delivery contractor to enforce arbitration agreements whose language was deemed ambiguous.

News

Federal Judge Dismisses Suit Claiming Poland Spring's Water Isn't From Spring; State Suits Coming

Robert Storace | May 21, 2018

Poland Spring got a victory of sorts from a Connecticut federal judge who dismissed a class action claiming breach of contract for saying the water comes from a spring. Suits are pending in state court.

News

ABA 'Furiously Working' to Craft Proposal on Lawyers' Mental Health

Ryan Lovelace | May 21, 2018

Ahead of the American Bar Association's annual meeting this summer, an ABA working group is debating a proposed resolution to help lawyers and law firms deal with problems of mental illness and impairment.

News

Justices, Divided, Say Employment Contracts Banning Class Actions Are Lawful

Marcia Coyle | Tony Mauro | May 21, 2018

"The policy may be debatable but the law is clear: Congress has instructed that arbitration agreements like those before us must be enforced as written," Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority. In dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called the decision "egregiously wrong."

May 21, 2018

Connecticut Law Tribune| May 21, 2018

Connecticut Law Tribune Digital Edition

News

2nd Circuit Judges Dismiss Meriden Police Appeal Claim in Civil Rights Lawsuit

Robert Storace | May 18, 2018

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has ruled it lacks jurisdiction to hear an appeal by Meriden police in a civil rights lawsuit by a man who claimed he was stunned with a Taser during a drug sting.

Podcast

Big Law Leader Shares Struggles with Alcoholism, Challenges for Profession

Leigh Jones | Vanessa Blum | May 18, 2018

Steven Wall, managing partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, says this was his turning point: "The cracks were getting bigger and everything else around me was beginning to fail."

News

Connecticut Movers: Celebrations and Awards to Lawyers and Firms

Michael Marciano | May 18, 2018

Attorneys Erin E. Boatman, Irve J. Goldman, and Barbara H. Katz received Commercial Law and Bankruptcy (CLABBY) awards recently from the Connecticut Bar Association, in recognition of their professional achievements.

News

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Expresses Support for New Law Clerk Hiring Plan

Marcia Coyle | May 18, 2018

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spoke favorably of the plan last week during a meeting of the Federal Judges Association in Washington. Justice Elena Kagan said she supports the two-year pilot plan and will "take into account" in her own hiring whether judges and law schools comply with it.

News

No Jane Doe: Attorney Can't Hide Identity in Suit Against Bausch & Lomb, Valeant Pharmaceuticals

Robert Storace | May 17, 2018

Greenberg Traurig New York shareholder Toby Soli and Atlanta shareholder Lori Cohen filed a successful motion to compel the lawyer to reveal her identity in a products liability lawsuit against Bausch & Lomb.

News

Law Grads Jobs Report '17: Connecticut Skewing Negative?

Karen Sloan | Michael Marciano | May 17, 2018

The law class of 2017 overall fared better in the entry-level job market, but national figures obscure the extreme stratification of employment success for grads from individual schools. Our 10 charts break down all the latest hiring data, showing the schools that excelled, and those that lagged behind.

Update

Acting AG Underwood Announces Intent to Sue Purdue Pharma Over Opioids

MP McQueen | May 17, 2018

The statement of intent to sue the Stamford, Connecticut-based maker of OxyContin comes after a September 2017 announcement by a bipartisan coalition of 41 state attorneys general of an investigation into the role of major pharmaceutical companies in the current opioid epidemic.

News

Hartford Lawyer Gets $5M for Bicyclist Whose Leg Was Amputated After Truck Collision

Robert Storace | May 17, 2018

Bloomfield resident Michael Galikas got a $5 million settlement from the insurance carrier of a truck that struck him while biking. Galikas was in an induced coma and had his left leg amputated after the crash.

News

Disclosure of Trump Reimbursement to Cohen May Raise More Legal Questions Than It Answers

Colby Hamilton | May 16, 2018

The payment appears to represent Trump's reimbursement of funds his attorney Michael Cohen paid an adult film actress to keep her from going public about an alleged affair.

News

Supreme Court Justices Don’t Like to Be Nudged Off the Bench

Tony Mauro | May 16, 2018

Thurgood Marshall’s message was clear, and shared by most justices before and since: life-tenured Supreme Court justices don’t like to be told when to retire or move on. If anything, hinting that it is time to go seems to stiffen justices’ resolve to stay. But presidents and others keep trying.

Expert Opinion

Good Things Do Come to Those (Arbitrators) Who Wait

Harry N. Mazadoorian| May 16, 2018

Good news came May 9 for supporters of alternative dispute resolution, when, following passage in the Connecticut House of Representatives on April 26, the Senate passed the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act.

Analysis

Facebook’s Blockchain Bet Could Place It in the Data Decentralization Debate

Ian Lopez | May 16, 2018

Oft-considered an avenue for individuals to attain greater control over their digital information, blockchain could be leveraged by Facebook Inc. to change its status as "gatekeeper" for user data.