December 2011: The firm made holiday donations to charitable endeavors including the Connecticut Food Bank, Homes with Hope of Westport, and the Adopt-A-Family program administered by the Milford Department of Human Services in conjunction with United Way of Milford. Funds provided to the Connecticut Food Bank helped restock the shelves during the critical holiday period. Money provided to Homes with Hope was used for gift cards for homeless individuals and families transitioning into permanent housing. The donation to the Adopt-A-Family program was used to help a Milford family in need purchase children’s gifts during the holiday season.
December 2011: Richard J. Buturla was named Seymour Town Counsel by First Selectman W. Kurt Miller. Richard is a senior partner in the Milford office of the firm. He concentrates his practice in the area of civil litigation, including insurance defense. Richard previously served as Town Attorney in Stratford and Cheshire, and as Corporation Counsel in Derby.
Attorney Floyd J. Dugas won a state arbitration award for the City of New Haven and its Board of Education. The decision has allowed the city to privatize roughly half of its school custodian positions at a savings of approximately $4 million per year. The award also achieved changes in the areas of pensions and health care, including the elimination of retiree health insurance for new hires. The decision offers a precedent that may pave the way for other municipal employers seeking ways to reduce costs and budget deficits. Floyd is a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment Group, as well as its Education Law Group. Read more about the arbitration decision on the firm’s Connecticut Education Law Blog.
November 2011: Jonathan D. Berchem was named Milford City Attorney by Mayor Ben Blake. Jonathan holds the part-time position while practicing as a senior partner with the firm in the area of general civil litigation, including insurance defense, construction litigation and employment law. Jonathan, who is resident in the firm’s Milford office, is chairman of the board of the United Way of Milford, and also serves on the boards of the Woodruff Family YMCA in Milford and the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport.
Attorney Floyd J. Dugas spoke on Friday, April 8, 2011 at the National School Boards Association Counsel of School Attorneys’ annual meeting in San Francisco. Floyd co-presented on the topic of Negotiating Educational Reform.
Attorney Ira W. Bloom moderated and spoke on March 12, 2011 at a Connecticut Bar Association Planning & Zoning Section seminar on Land Use for Municipal Officials. The seminar was at Wesleyan University and attracted 325 board members and staff from municipalities throughout the state.
On January 21, 2011, Attorney Shelby L. Wilson served as a panelist of a presentation entitled “Giving Away the Store: A Primer on Business Succession Planning and Post-Mortem Financing of Tax Liabilities of Estates Holding Closely Held Business Interests” at the Midyear meeting of the American Bar Association, Section of Taxation, held in Boca Raton, Florida.