Robinson+Cole Rebrands and Launches New Website

The law firm of Robinson+Cole has revealed a new look, complete with a new logo and a new website.

Among the changes to the firm's identity are brighter, bolder colors and a streamlined user experience on www.rc.com, but the most striking change is the replacement of the ampersand in its name with a plus (+) sign.

United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut Honors Eric Daniels with 2013 Community Service Award

The highest honor United Way bestows upon a volunteer is its Community Service Award. Robinson & Cole’s Eric D. Daniels received this honor at the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut’s annual meeting on March 25, 2014.

“We’re honored to count ourselves among those who have benefitted from Eric’s time and talent,” said Susan Dunn, president and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. “When he commits to something, he commits fully. He doesn’t just lend his name.”

Among the many organizations and causes to which Mr. Daniels has committed his time and skills are Achieve Hartford!, HARC, Hartford Hospital, Interval House, New Horizons, and The Bushnell. He has also served on the Board of Directors of The iQuilt Plan, a community revitalization initiative for Hartford, since his appointment in 2011 by Governor Dannel Malloy. With United Way, he has been involved in various capacities over the years, including as chair of the professional services division of the United Way Campaign in 2007 and 2008, and as chair of the 2012 Community Campaign. Currently, he is co-chair of the Tocqueville Society of leadership donors.

Michael Wirvin Elected to Robinson & Cole’s Managing Committee

J. Michael Wirvin has been elected to serve a two-year term as the Boston office member of Robinson & Cole's Managing Committee. The committee is the firm's governing body and consists of the managing partner and four partners.

Brian Moran Co-authors Antitrust Guidebook for Business Executives

Antitrust compliance is complicated and nuanced, but "The Executive's Antitrust Guide to Pricing: Understanding Implications of Typical Marketing, Distribution, and Price Practices" offers straightforward answers to the most-commonly asked pricing questions posed by executives and sales personnel. The typical resources available to business executives are academic in focus and written for antitrust practitioners. This first-of-its-kind guide, co-authored by Robinson & Cole lawyer Brian E. Moran and Baker Hostetler lawyer Lee H. Simowitz, is written for C-level executives, marketers, and sales people.

Jeffrey White Appointed Corporator of Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center Foundation

Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center Foundation has named Robinson & Cole lawyer Jeffrey J. White a Corporator. Saint Francis Foundation operates exclusively to advance the charitable, scientific, and educational purposes of the hospital through relationship building, community visibility, and fundraising.

Robinson & Cole Welcomes Eight New Lawyers

Robinson & Cole is pleased to welcome eight new lawyers to the firm. The lawyers include seven associates spread across the firm’s Boston, Hartford, Stamford, and Sarasota offices, and Shant H. Chalian, a counsel in the New York office.

“As a firm, we are always looking for ways to better serve our clients, and the addition of these lawyers in our major offices and across the breadth of our practices will enhance the level of service and depth of experience we can provide,” said John B. Lynch Jr., Robinson & Cole managing partner. “We are pleased to welcome them all to the firm.”

Hartford Lawyers Participate in CBA Land Use Seminar

Land use lawyers Evan J. Seeman and Brian R. Smith participated in the CLE program "Tips and Traps in the Land Use Approval Process and Litigation" on March 31, 2014, at the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) Law Center in New Britain, Connecticut. Mr. Seeman moderated the program and Mr. Smith served as a panelist, along with the Honorable Marshall K. Berger Jr., presiding judge of the Land Use Litigation Docket; and Hiram Peck, director of Community Planning & Development for the Town of Simsbury, Connecticut. The program, which provided useful advice to lawyers of all levels of experience who appear before administrative agencies and courts, was sponsored by the CBA's Young Lawyers and Planning & Zoning Sections.

 

Providence Office Sponsors RICH's Annual Luncheon

Robinson & Cole's Providence office was a sponsor of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless's (RICH) annual awards luncheon, held on March 24, 2014, in Warwick, Rhode Island. Representing the firm were Providence lawyers Patricia J. Igoe, Peter V. Lacouture, and George W. Watson. The event provided an opportunity for RICH members to celebrate their achievements, honor their community heroes, and show their commitment to ending homelessness in Rhode Island. The mission of RICH is to "promote and preserve the dignity and quality of life for men, women, and children by pursuing comprehensive and cooperative solutions to the problems of housing and homelessness."

Brian Wheelin Presents at Subpoena Compliance Seminar

Business litigation lawyer Brian J. Wheelin was a panelist for a seminar entitled "How to Get What You Need: A Primer on Federal (the 'New' FRCP 45) & State Subpoena Practice," hosted by the Fairfield County Bar Association on March 25, 2014. The seminar covered various topics to assist litigation lawyers with obtaining nonparty discovery and subpoena compliance, including issuing and serving the subpoena, providing applicable notice, determining witness fees, obtaining documents without a deposition, obtaining discovery in Connecticut for out-of-state actions, employing subpoena enforcement, and using best practices for responding to a subpoena.

Virginia McGarrity Speaks at CBIA Conference

Employee benefits lawyer Virginia McGarrity recently presented at the Connecticut Business & Industry Association's (CBIA) 2014 Human Resources Conference on March 20, 2014, in Cromwell, Connecticut. Ms. McGarrity partnered with Michelle Zettergren, senior vice president, chief sales, and marketing officer at ConnectiCare, Inc., to present "Benefits: What to Prepare for in 2015." The session provided HR professionals with key information on how to effectively manage the current health care environment. The conference attracted approximately 100 human resource professionals from across Connecticut.

Hartford Lawyer Speaks on Takings Law, Zoning, and Koontz

Dwight H. Merriam of the LandLaw Section spoke at Technion (Israel Institute of Technology) in Haifa, Israel, to an international audience of the International Academic Association of Planning, Law, and Property Rights on February 14, 2014. He presented a comparative analysis of takings law internationally. Other speakers included Jerold Kayden, professor of Urban Planning and Design at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design; Chris Webster, dean of the University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Architecture; and retired Israeli Supreme Court justice, the Honorable Justice Dalia Dorner, who announced right before she spoke that she was a candidate for president of Israel.

Mr. Merriam appeared on Larry Rifkin's Talk of the Town radio show on WATR in Waterbury, Connecticut, on February 20, 2014. The topic was on zoning in Connecticut.

Finishing up his February speaking engagements on the 26th, Mr. Merriam, along with John Echeverria, professor of law at Vermont Law School, conducted a half-day workshop for the New Hampshire Municipal Lawyers Association in Concord, New Hampshire, where they discussed the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Koontz.

Rebecca Levy-Sachs Presents at the 2014 Windstorm Insurance Network Conference

Rebecca Levy-Sachs, a member of the firm's Insurance and Reinsurance Group, co-presented the two-hour workshop "It's Not Easy Being Green – Green Buildings, Insurance, and Repair" at the 2014 Windstorm Insurance Network Conference in Orlando, Florida, on January 28 and 29, 2014. Ms. Levy-Sachs, along with co-panelists Jeffrey Peters, P.E., LEED ® AP, vice president of Rimkus Consulting Group, Inc.; and Michael Coleman, co-founder and vice president of Bay Area DKI, as well as a Florida certified general contractor, covered the following topics: Green Building Basics; Green Initiatives, Certifications & Building Codes; Green Building & Property Insurance Ordinance and Law Coverage & Endorsements; and Adjusting Green Building Claims. In addition, the panelists presented several case studies for group discussion.

Sorell Negro Writes about Climate Change Impacts, Receives Award

LandLaw Section lawyer Sorell E. Negro published the article "Recent Developments in Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change" in The Urban Lawyer, Fall 2013 issue. This article discusses significant developments in state and local laws, and federal and state case law, pertaining to responses of coastal communities and property owners to impacts from rising sea levels and severe storm events. Ms. Negro addresses emerging policies, legislation, and zoning issues in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, as well as permitting and takings cases related to erosion and coastal protection efforts. Please click here to view the article.*

In addition, Ms. Negro was awarded a 2013 Excellence in Writing Award from the American Bar Association's Probate & Property magazine for the Best Cutting-Edge Article in Real Property for her article on land use issues related to natural gas development, "Looking Below the Surface: Planning for Impacts on People, Places, and Property from Natural Gas Development." This article was published in the July/August 2013 issue of Probate & Property. 

*This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or downloaded or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.

Robinson+Cole Rallies to Support National Wear Red Day

Robinson+Cole once again participated in National Wear Red Day on February 7, 2014, to help raise funds to fight cardiovascular disease, the number one killer of women. By making a donation of five dollars or more and wearing a piece of red clothing or an accessory—a red pin, a red tie, or red socks—those who took part could also wear jeans that day.



The American Heart Association launched Go Red for Women in 2003 to save lives and to raise awareness of heart disease in women, which is no longer "an old man's disease." Leading this effort for the firm was Nancy Munroe, IT services coordinator in the Stamford Office. Brenda Fishman in New York, Jennifer O'Brien in Providence, Linda Riddell in Boston, and Michele Sexton in Hartford also helped with the effort in their respective offices. With offices throughout the firm participating, a total of $980 was collected for the American Heart Association. Please click here to see R&C office photos from the event.

Hartford Lawyer Pens Article for HBJ's Connecticut Green Guide

Environmental and utilities lawyer Brian C. Freeman wrote an article,
"Food Waste Recycling," for the Spring 2014 issue of Connecticut
Green Guide, a special publication of the Hartford Business Journal
(HBJ). In the article, Mr. Freeman discusses the recent legislative mandate in Connecticut for recycling of waste organics by certain facilities. The mandate is an effort to boost Connecticut's flat-lined recycling rate and to propel the development of a statewide infrastructure for organics recycling, as an alternative to the current practice of burning it for limited energy recovery and landfilling the residual ash. As of January 1, 2014, this legislation requires large-scale organics waste generators (such as commercial food wholesalers and distributors, industrial food manufacturers and processors, supermarkets, and resorts) located with 20 miles of a food waste composting facility to separate and send their organics waste to such a facility.

The Connecticut Green Guide presents an "unprecedented forum
centered on the most important matters to sustainable business: enhancing bottom lines and achieving environmental responsibility." Please click here to view Mr. Freeman's article, which appears on page 29 of the publication.

Former R+C Managing Partner Reflects on His Career in Business Law Today

The Honorable Alvin W. Thompson, former managing partner of Robinson+Cole, was interviewed for the Member Spotlight column in the January 2014 issue of Business Law Today, a publication of the American Bar Association (ABA). Now a judge for the U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, Judge Thompson has devoted much of his life to public service, serving on boards of numerous organizations, both civic and charitable. Of note, his longest involvement has been as a member of the local Advisory Board of the Salvation Army. In 2008, he received the Edwin Archer Randolph Diversity Award from the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity, a nonprofit that works to advance the professional status of attorneys of color and women in law firms throughout Connecticut. In addition, he has served in various leadership roles in the ABA. In the article, Judge Thompson reflects on his career path in the legal field, in particular what inspired him, how he dealt with being a minority, and why he focused on banking and finance as a practicing lawyer. During his tenure at Robinson+Cole, he served as managing partner for three years, the first African-American to lead a large Connecticut law firm. Interspersed within the interview are some special memories that Judge Thompson shares about his time at Robinson+Cole. Please click here to view the article.

Real Estate Partner Receives 2013 Westchester County Lease of the Year Award Presented by NAIOP Connecticut and Suburban New York Chapter

Garry C. Berman , a partner in Robinson & Cole's Real Estate and
Development Practice Group, received the 2013 Westchester County Lease of the Year Award presented by the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP), Connecticut and Suburban New York Chapter. The awards ceremony was held on March 6, 2014 at L'Escale Restaurant in Greenwich, Connecticut. The deal that garnered the award was a 266,000 square foot headquarters sublease on
Westchester Avenue in White Plains, New York, for PepsiCo's bottling division. Clients Jeffrey Randolph and Carl Chaleski of PepsiCo, and brokers Robert Caruso and Paul Jacobs of CBRE, also received awards for the deal at the ceremony.

Mr. Berman and the same deal team won NAIOP's 2011 Westchester County Lease of the Year Award for the 540,000 square foot lease for Pepsi Bottling Group's headquarters in Somers, New York, which was the largest lease ever done in the region.

Boston Lawyer Judges Transactional LawMeet Northeast Competition

Kathleen M. Porter , a business and intellectual property lawyer,
served as a judge for the National Transactional LawMeet Northeast regional competition on February 12, 2014. Ms. Porter and 11 other business lawyers judged teams of students from Northeast law schools at the Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts. The LawMeet is a "moot court" for deal lawyers, where law students interested in a transactional practice compete in documenting and negotiating a transaction. Winners from each regional LawMeet will move on to the National Meet in New
York City, which will be held on April 3 and 4, 2014.

Boston Lawyer Appointed to Local Conservation Commission

Land use lawyer Karla L. Chaffee was recently appointed to serve on the City of Medford's Conservation Commission. Conservation Commissions in Massachusetts are the local environmental agencies responsible for protecting the land, water, and biological resources of their communities. Commissioners review permit applications to do work in and near wetlands, flood plains, banks, riverfront areas, beaches, and surface waters.

Dwight Merriam Presents on Key Land Use Issues in January

LandLaw Section lawyer Dwight H. Merriam gave several presentations in January 2014. At his first event, on January 10 at the Colorado Bar Association's annual National CLE Conference in Vail, Colorado, he presented the session "The Top Ten Land Use Law decisions of 2013: From Zoning to Regulatory Takings," where he discussed the most important land use developments of the last year. Click here to view his presentation. Click here to view his resource materials.

On January 14, along with Professor Daniel Mandelker of Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Mr. Merriam conducted the national teleconference "2013 Land Use - The Year in Review" for the International Municipal Lawyers Association. Panelists Carol Brown, professor at the University of Richmond School of Law; Peter Salsich, professor at the St. Louis University School of Law; Stuart Meck of the Rutgers Graduate School of Planning; and Nancy Stroud of Lewis Stroud & Deutsch, P.L., in Boca Raton, Florida, discussed the important land use developments of 2013. Click here for their materials.

As the Connecticut member of the Owners' Counsel of America (OCA), Mr. Merriam participated in the OCA's Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 25. Key discussions were with Coy Koontz Jr., the plaintiff in 2013's most important takings case in the U.S. Supreme Court, Koontz v. St. Johns Water Management District. Click here to view a photo of Mr. Merriam with Coy Koontz Jr., who is on the right.

Click here to view the rest of Mr. Merriam's January speaking engagements.

Hartford Lawyer Speaks to the ABA's YLD about Leadership

At the American Bar Association's (ABA) Midyear Meeting in Chicago on February 7, 2014, LandLaw Section lawyer Sorell E. Negro spoke at a Young Lawyers Division (YLD) program on serving in leadership positions as a young lawyer. She offered advice on effective leadership strategies, team building, and putting together successful national CLE panels, webinars, and teleconferences. Ms. Negro was asked to speak because of her work as the YLD liaison to the ABA's Section of State and Local Government Law, the co-chair of that section's Young Lawyers Committee, and a 2012-2014 fellow of the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section.

Norman Roos Presents at New England Mortgage Expo

Norman H. Roos, chair of Robinson & Cole's Finance Practice Group and counsel to the Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA), moderated the CMBA Legislative Panel "What's in Store for the Mortgage Industry 2014" at The New England Mortgage Expo on January 17, 2014, held at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Ledyard, Connecticut. The panel discussion featured speakers covering legislative activity in all six New England states. In addition Mr. Roos presented a "Connecticut Legislative Update," which examined mortgage-related legislation enacted in Connecticut in 2013 and previewed likely legislative activity that mortgage bankers can expect to see in 2014. The CMBA is a sponsor of this annual event, which features leading industry speakers, and this year drew nearly 2000 attendees from across the region.Click here to view Mr. Roos's presentation.

Greg Faulkner Speaks about Construction Law Careers at UConn Law School

Construction lawyer Gregory R. Faulkner, co-chair of Robinson+Cole's Construction Practice Group, served as a panelist at the University of Connecticut School of Law's "Careers in Construction Law" event on February 12, 2014, in Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. Faulkner co-led an interactive session that covered the current market for legal services and career opportunities in the construction law field. He and his co-panelists also introduced attendees to the American Bar Association's Forum on the Construction Industry, which focuses on the education and development of construction lawyers.

Robinson+Cole Lawyer Leading Efforts for CBA's Women in the Law Section Program

Intellectual property and technology lawyer Alaine C. Doolan, as chair of the Connecticut Bar Association's Women in the Law Section, is coordinating the annual "Pathways to Leadership for Women Lawyers" event on March 20, 2014, in Middletown, Connecticut. The keynote speaker will be Teresa Younger, executive director of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. This event honors women in the legal industry within the State of Connecticut. Click here to view program details.

Mandy Eckhoff Selected as One of Boston's Future Leaders

Commercial finance lawyer Amanda S. Eckhoff has been selected as one of Boston's Future Leaders by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Boston's Future Leaders program identifies midlevel executives with strong leadership potential, providing them with opportunities to engage in the region's business and civic communities, enhance their professional skills, and build their networks. Participants in the program have the opportunity to learn from world-class professors at the Harvard Business School and Suffolk University's Sawyer Business School, to learn about public policy issues affecting local businesses from some of the region's foremost political leaders, and to connect with prominent executives in the business and civic communities.

Stamford Lawyer Co-chairs CLE Seminar for ABA's Section of Litigation

Environmental lawyer Megan E. Baroni recently co-chaired the Environmental, Mass Torts & Products Liability Litigation Committees' Joint CLE Seminar. Held in Avon, Colorado, from January 30 to February 1, 2014, this CLE program offered workshops to litigators involved in environmental, mass torts, and products liability matters. Presenters included in-house counsel, government employees, members of the judiciary, university professors and deans, experts, and plaintiffs and defense counsel. Session topics ranged from managing changes in the practice of law, keeping up with the evolving world of technology and its impact on data and communications management, remaining ethical in a technological and global legal marketplace, and identifying trends in litigation and cases that make it to trial, among other issues.

Ms. Baroni is a member of the Environmental Litigation Committee of the ABA's Section of Litigation.

R+C Lawyers Speak About Health Care and Health Insurance Developments

Health and benefits litigation lawyers Theodore J. Tucci and
Jean E. Tomasco presented a webinar entitled "Health Care and Health
Insurance Developments: 2013 in Review and Forecasting Challenges and
Opportunities Ahead" for a firm client in the specialty risk insurance
industry on January 29, 2014. Mr. Tucci covered 2013 market developments, including
an update on the Affordable Care Act, accountable care organizations, and
health insurance marketplaces (exchanges), and provided insight on the issues
likely to be in the forefront for 2014 and beyond. Ms. Tomasco provided an
overview of the law and pending legislation concerning privacy, data security,
and reporting of data breaches, focusing particularly on HIPAA and HITECH. She
also gave an update on recent civil litigation and enforcement actions
regarding provider credentialing and whistleblower claims under the False
Claims Act. Well over 60 professionals from across the nation and from a wide
range of health care settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities,
and managed care organizations, registered for the webinar.

Hartford Lawyer Elected to Leadership Position of APA's Planning and Law Division

Land use lawyer Evan J. Seeman has been selected as the new secretary/treasurer of the American Planning Association's (APA) Planning and Law Division (PLD). He will be sworn in at the PLD's Annual Business Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 28, 2014.

The APA comprises a diverse group of professionals, including planners, citizens, and elected officials, who work to enhance the quality of communities. The PLD's members include attorneys, planners, students, and others, all with a professional or personal interest in the various laws that affect the planning profession. For the past two years, Mr. Seeman has served on the PLD's Education and Outreach Committee.

Eric Daniels to Receive United Way's 2014 Community Service Award

The United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut will honor products liability lawyer Eric D. Daniels with the 2014 Community Service Award at its 89th annual meeting on Tuesday, March 25, 2014. This is United Way's highest award, presented each year to a volunteer who has improved lives and community conditions through exemplary service in the community.

Alan Fox Participates in NYSBA Municipal Law Section Panel

Real estate and economic development lawyer Alan D. Fox was part of the panel discussion "Hot Topics Regarding IDAs and LDCs" at the New York State Bar Association's (NYSBA) Annual Meeting of the Municipal Law Section, held in New York City on January 30, 2014. Mr. Fox discussed current issues regarding Local Development Corporations (LDCs) and Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) in New York, along with Kenneth W. Bond, Squire Sanders LLP; Scott N. Fein, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP; and David Kidera, director of the New York State Authorities Budget Office.

R&C Attorneys Speak About Data Privacy and Security in the Workplace

Litigation lawyer Andrea Donovan Napp and employment lawyer Jean E. Tomasco presented a seminar entitled "Big Data, Big Problems: Data Privacy and Security in the Workplace" for the Labor & Employment Law Section of the Connecticut Bar Association on January 23, 2014. Ms. Napp provided an overview of the numerous federal and state statutes and regulations concerning privacy, data security, and reporting of data breaches. Ms. Tomasco gave an update on recent civil litigation and enforcement actions, including tips on best practices for minimizing the risk of data breaches in the workplace and containing potential exposure for any breaches that might occur. The presentation also included guidance on drafting various employment policies that might implicate data privacy issues, such as policies concerning mobile communication devices and protection of confidential personal and health information.

Dwight Merriam Covers the 2013 ZiPLeRs in the Zoning and Planning Law Report

LandLaw Section lawyer Dwight H. Merriam wrote the article "The 2013 ZiPLeRs: The Nineteenth Annual Zoning and Planning Law Report Land Use Decision Awards," published in the December 2013 issue of the Zoning and Planning Law Report. Covering the winners of the 2013 land use decisions awards, Mr. Merriam details the craziness of Koontz, recent news on rescuing chickens, and polygamist retirement communities. To read the article about these and the other big winners, please click here.

Keane Aures Presents at Connecticut Building Congress Program

Construction lawyer Keane E. Aures spoke to members of the building industry, including architects, engineers, owners, attorneys, developers, and consultants, on January 14, 2014, in Hamden, Connecticut. He presented the program "Construction Claims - Tricks, Traps, and Ploys," sponsored by the Connecticut Building Congress, along with Roy Cooper, vice president of Arcadis U.S., Inc. Mr. Aures and Mr. Cooper explored ways that firms can best handle critical issues during a construction project. In addition, they provided contract drafting and document retention strategies to avoid and resolve extra work and delay claims.

R+C's Boston Office Celebrates New Year with Old Friends

Robinson+Cole's Boston office celebrated the new year by hosting a cocktail reception on January 9, 2014. Coming on the heels of the hectic holiday season, this event provided attendees the opportunity to relax while enjoying hors d'oeuvres and cocktails and to connect with clients and colleagues. About 65 people attended the reception, including bankers, real estate property managers, and developers, most of whom were clients and friends of the firm.

Technology Lawyer Moderates Healthcare IT Panel

Intellectual property and technology partner Jacqueline Pennino Scheib presented at and moderated a panel discussion on "The Power of Big Data and Analytics Tools - Evolution and Opportunity in Healthcare IT" on January 9, 2014. The event was sponsored by the Crossroads Venture Group (CVG). The panel included leading investors and entrepreneurs in the healthcare IT industry who shared their views on the risks and rewards associated with starting businesses and investing in the healthcare IT space. Ms. Scheib serves on the Board of Directors of CVG's Hartford Chapter.

CVG's programs draw investors, mentors, academics, service providers, and entrepreneurs, who get together to network and learn and to further the economic development opportunities among investors and entrepreneurs in Connecticut and its surrounding areas.