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Biography

Richard J. Buturla is a senior partner and chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. He focuses his practice in the areas of municipal law, litigation, civil rights defense, transactions involving state and federal agencies, and defending government officials in a variety of contexts.

Mr. Buturla’s wide-ranging municipal and governmental law practice encompasses the full range of issues presented to a public institution. He has particular experience dealing with the freedom of information laws, conflict of interest, public records, public bidding, procurement, general municipal corporate law matters and a wide array of matters involving transactions with various state and federal agencies.

Mr. Buturla is a past chairman of the Stratford Town Council and has served in a variety of positions throughout his career. He has tried to verdict many complex matters ranging from excessive force cases against police officers to a complex case representing a national fraternity against a major university. Mr. Buturla presently serves as Town Counsel for the Town of Seymour and has served as Town Attorney for the Connecticut municipalities of Stratford, Derby and Cheshire.

In addition, Mr. Buturla represented the Town of Stratford in a variety of complex Superfund matters emanating from the Raymark Superfund site. Mr. Buturla represented the town in the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and structured a transaction that ultimately resulted in the infusion of approximately $183 million in federal Superfund money to the town and the conversion of a former Superfund site into a productive, revenue-generating shopping center.

Mr. Buturla has been selected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and a Sustaining Life Fellow of the James W. Cooper Fellow Program of the Connecticut Bar Foundation.  He holds an AV Peer Review Rating by Lexis Nexis Martindale Hubble, which is the highest possible rating, signifying very high to preeminent legal ability and integrity and is awarded based on confidential survey responses from practicing attorneys. Since 2019, Richard J. Buturla has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America© in the field of Litigation- Labor & Employment; since 2023 Edition he has also been recognized in the field of Litigation – Municipal. He has received Super Lawyer honors since 2020 for civil litigation.  An experienced trial lawyer and appellate advocate, Mr. Buturla has represented clients in countless jury and bench trials in state and federal courts. He has also appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals, the Connecticut Supreme Court and the Connecticut Appellate Court.

Practice Areas

  • Litigation
  • Insurance Defense
  • Municipal Law

Education

  • Villanova University School of Law, Villanova, Pennsylvania
    • J.D. – 1982
  • Southern Connecticut State University
    • B.S. – 1979
    • Honors: magna cum laude

Past Positions

  • Town Counsel, Seymour, Connecticut, 2011 – Present
  • Town Attorney, Stratford, Connecticut, 2005 – 2009, 1995-1999
  • Town Attorney, Cheshire, Connecticut, 2002 to 2004
  • Corporation Counsel, Derby, Connecticut, 1997 to 2005
  • Assistant Town Attorney, Stratford, Connecticut, 2000 to 2003

Published Works

  • “In re Bollinger Corp., A Financing Statement, Promissory Note and Letters Constituting The Course of Dealing are Sufficient to Serve as A Valid Security Agreement”, 26 Villanova Law Review 931, 1981
  • Comment, “The Handicapped Child’s Right to A Free Appropriate Education: Defining The Limits of Responsibility”, 27 Villanova Law Review 567, 1982
  • “Limitations on Discovery, Civil Discovery Practice Law Connecticut”, 1995

Professional Associations

  • Connecticut Bar Association, Member
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, Member
  • American Association for Justice, Member

Bar Admissions

  • Connecticut, 1982
  • U.S. District Court District of Connecticut, 1982
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1982

Honors

  • AV Peer Review Rating by Lexis Nexis Martindale Hubble, the highest possible rating, signifying very high to preeminent legal ability and integrity and is awarded based on confidential survey responses from responses from practicing attorneys
  • Connecticut and New England Super Lawyers® – Civil Litigation, since 2020
  • The Best Lawyers in America® – Litigation / Labor & Employment since 2019, and Litigation / Municipal since 2023
  • Sustaining Life Fellow, James W. Cooper Fellows Program, Connecticut Bar Foundation
  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation
  • Council Chairman, Stratford Town Council, Stratford, Connecticut

Representative Cases

  • Armac Industries, Ltd. v. Citytrust, 203 Conn. 394, 525 A.2d 77 (1987)
  • B.A. Ballou and Company, Inc. v. Citytrust, 218 Conn. 749, 591 A.2d 126 (1991)
  • Bombero, Jr., Etal v. Planning and Zoning Commission of the Town of Monroe, et al., 17 Conn. App. 150, 550 A.2d 1098 (1988)
  • Citytrust v. Page, 28 Conn. App. 907 (1992)
  • D.J. Quarry Products, Inc. v. Planning and Zoning Commission of the Town of Beacon Falls, 217 Conn. 447, 585 A.2d 1227 (1991)
  • Dean v. Filipowich, et al, 20 Conn. App. 825, 570 A.2d 243 (1990)
  • Dennin v. Connecticut Interscholastic Ath. Conf., 94 F.3d 96 (D. Conn. 1996)
  • Dennin v. Connecticut Interscholastic Ath. Conf., 913 F. Supp. 663 (D. Conn. 1996)
  • Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation v. Sextant Development Corporation, et al., 142 F.R.D. 55 (1992)
  • FDIC v. Suna Assocs., 80 F.3d 681 (2d. Cir. 1996)
  • J. F. Barrett & Sons, Inc. v. Rosenshein, 23 Conn. App. 817 (1990)
  • Hedberg v. Pantepec Int’l, 35 Conn. App. 19 (1994)
  • Huff v. West Haven Board of Education, et al, 1998 WL 386167 (D. Conn. 1998)
  • Kornatowski v. Wallingford Police Dep’t, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10695 (D. Conn. July 26, 1993)
  • Meyers v. Arcudi, 947 F. Supp. 581 (D. Conn. 1996)
  • Meyers v. Arcudi, 915 F. Supp. 522 (D. Conn. 1996)
  • Mrs. B. v. Milford Bd. Of Educ, 103 F.3d 1114 (2d Cir. 1997)
  • Mr. & Mrs. B. ex rel. W.B. v. Weston Bd. of Educ., 34 F. Supp. 2d 777 (D. Conn. 1999)
  • Smart SMR of New York Inc. d/b/a v. The Zoning Commission of the Town of Stratford, 9 F.Supp. 2d 143 (1998)
  • Smart SMR of New York, Inc. d/b/a v. The Zoning Commission of the Town of Stratford, 995 F.Supp. 52 (1998)
  • Smith v. Planning & Zoning Bd., 3 Conn. App. 550 (1985)
  • Smith v. Planning & Zoning Bd., 203 Conn. 317 (1987)
  • Town of Monroe, et al v. Renz, et al., 46 Conn. App. 5, 698 A.2d 328 (1997)
  • Town of Stratford v. International Ass’n of Firefighters, Local 998, 48 Conn. App. (1998)
  • Town of Stratford v. International Ass’n of Firefighters, Local 998, 248 Conn. 108 (1999)
  • Howley v. Town of Stratford, 87 F. Supp. 2d 97 (D. Conn. 1999)
  • Omnipoint Communications, Inc. v. Planning & Zoning Commission of the Town of Wallingford, 91 F.Supp.2d. 497 (2000)
  • Howley v. Town of Stratford, 217 F.3d 141 (2d Cir. 2000)
  • Lillbask v. Sergi, 117 F. Supp. 2d 182 (D. Conn. 2000)
  • Lillbask ex rel. Mauclaire v. Sergi, 193 F. Supp. 2d 503 (D. Conn. 2002)
  • Lillbask ex rel. Mauclaire v. Conn. Dep’t of Educ., 397 F.3d 77 (2d. Cir. 2005)
  • Lillbask v. Conn. Dep’t of Educ., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24263 (D. Conn. Mar. 17, 2006)
  • Harbor Pointe, LLC v. Harbour Landing Condo. Ass’n, 300 Conn. 254 (2011)
  • J.E. Robert Co. v. Signature Props., LLC, 309 Conn. 307 (2013)
  • Waterview Site Servs. v. Pay Day, Inc., 125 Conn. App. 561 (2010)
  • Burke v. Miron, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26815 (D. Conn. Mar. 22, 2010)
  • A.E. v. Westport Bd. Of Educ, 463 F. Supp. 2d 208 (D. Conn. 2006)
  • Davidson v. Tesla, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10529 (D. Conn. Feb. 12, 2008)
  • DeFelice v. Warner, 511 F. Supp. 2d 241 (D. Conn. 2007)
  • Perkowski v. Stratford Bd. Of Educ., 455 F. Supp. 2d 91 (D. Conn. 2006)
  • Pulaski v. Stratford Bd. Of Educ., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56735 (D. Conn. Aug. 15, 2006)
  • Vic’s Super Serv. v. City of Derby, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60381 (D. Conn. Aug. 24, 2006)
  • Drazen v. Town of Stratford, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113870 (D. Conn. Aug. 13, 2013)
  • Drazen v. Town of Stratford, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47908 (D. Conn. Mar. 28, 2013)
  • Gugliotti v. Miron, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77305 (D. Conn. July 30, 2010)
  • Guizan v. Solomon, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103592 (D. Conn. Sept. 30, 2010)
  • Guizan v. Town of Easton (In re Estate of Guizan), 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123727 (D. Conn. Aug. 29, 2012)
  • Popow v. Town of Stratford, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12472 (D. Conn. Feb. 12, 2010)
  • Rossi v. W. Haven Bd. Of Educ., 359 F. Supp. 2d 178 (D. Conn. 2005)
  • Rossi v. W. Haven Bd. Of Educ., 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6086 (D. Conn. Apr. 8, 2005)
  • Bd. Of Educ. v. Tavares Pediatric Ctr., 276 Conn. 544 (2006)
  • Gaynor v. Payne, 261 Conn. 585 (2002)
  • Town of Stratford v. State Bd. Of Mediation & Arbitration, 239 Conn. 32 (1996)
  • In re Tribune Co. Fraudulent Conveyance Litig., 831 F. Supp. 2d 1371 (2011)
  • Mr. L. v. Sloan, 449 F.3d 405 (2d. Cir. 2006)
  • Anzalone v. O’Connell, 51 Fed. Appx. 75 (2d. Cir. 2002)
  • Colombo v. O’Connell, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22081 (D. Conn. Dec. 27, 2001)
  • Cowras v. Hard Copy, 56 F. Supp. 2d 207 (D. Conn. 1999)
  • Cowras v. Hard Copy, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22269 (D. Conn. May 19, 1998)
  • Garamella v. City of Bridgeport, 63 F. Supp. 2d 198 (D. Conn.1999)
  • In re Galaxy Assoc.,118 B. R. 8 (1990)
  • Langer et al. v. Town of Stratford et al., docket 3:01-CV-897 (D. Conn. 2001)
  • Langer et al. v. Town of Stratford et al., docket 02-7100 (2d. Cir. 2002)
  • J.S. v. Norwalk Bd. Of Educ., 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16131 (D. Conn. Aug. 26, 1999)
  • Mulligan v. Loschiavo, 173 Fed. Appx. 26 (2d. Cir. 2006)
  • Schirillo v. Town of Stratford, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20175 (D. Conn. Sept. 9, 2005)
  • Silberberg v. Lynberg, 186 F. Supp. 2d 157 (D. Conn. 2002)
  • Walpole Woodworkers v. Atlas Fencing, 218 F. Supp. 2d 247 (D. Conn. 2002)
  • Balogh v. City of Shelton, 1999 U.S. App. LEXIS 10216 (2d. Cir. Jan. 13, 1999)
  • Ortiz et al. v. Stratford et al., docket 3:07-CV-1144 (D. Conn. 2008)
  • Murvin v. Jennings et al., docket 3:00-CV-2222 (D. Conn. 2006)