Our People

Tom is Co-Chair of the School Law Practice Group and is active in all areas of school law, including labor negotiations for certified and non-certified staff, teacher tenure proceedings, grievance arbitration, freedom of information hearings, student disciplinary matters, special education disputes and all other legal proceedings involving boards of education. Tom is the author of A Practical Guide to Connecticut School Law (8th Edition, 2014), a comprehensive treatise on Connecticut school law, and two monthly columns, “See You in Court!,” which appears in the CABE Journal, and “Legal Mailbag,” which appears in the CAS Bulletin.

Anne represents schools in labor relations, employment and education law, including collective bargaining, personnel policies and practices, constitutional law, special education, student discipline, freedom of information, and education policies. She negotiates collective bargaining agreements on behalf of schools, including representation in interest arbitration proceedings as needed. Anne works with schools to address issues such as bullying and sexual harassment. She is often called upon to advise schools regarding professional boundaries and child abuse and neglect issues.  In her role as general counsel to boards of education around the state, Anne facilitates self-evaluation and goal-setting sessions. She also leads Shipman & Goodwin’s model policy project, which provides policy support and guidance to a number of school districts.

Anne serves as General Counsel to Shipman & Goodwin. From 2010 through 2017, she was Co-Chair of the firm’s School Law Practice Group, and from 2011 through 2017, she served on the firm’s seven-member Management Committee.

Alyce focuses her practice in the area of School Law. She has experience with special education, regular education, bullying, residency and disciplinary issues. She regularly speaks on the topic of special education law for various organizations in Connecticut and nationally.

Laurann Asklof practices in the area of construction litigation, representing colleges, universities, public schools and independent schools in various construction projects. She has experience in the drafting and negotiating of construction contracts and the bid process. Laurann is the principal litigator for a national University’s construction infrastructure programs, acting as its Lead Counsel and primary construction litigator.

Lisa Banatoski Mehta practices in the areas of employment law and employee relations, including collective bargaining matters for municipal employers and representation of employers in labor and employment matters before administrative agencies and the courts.

Andreana represents boards of education in education law matters, labor relations and employment law, including labor negotiations for certified and non-certified staff, grievance arbitration, freedom of information hearings, student disciplinary matters, special education disputes, and education policies and practices. Andreana frequently speaks on education law and labor relations matter.

David Bigger practices primarily in the areas of international, federal, state and local taxation, with particular emphasis on personal income tax, mergers and acquisitions, and matters involving the taxation of partnerships.  David has represented individuals and companies with regard to multi-state taxation issues, tax planning, reorganizations, enforcement and collection defense, and other federal and state tax controversies.

Thadius Bochain advises public school districts on a variety of general education issues.  Prior to joining Shipman & Goodwin, Thadius served as a law clerk for the Honorable Douglas S. Lavine of the Connecticut Appellate Court and as a law clerk for the Connecticut Superior Court. While in law school, he worked as a legal intern for the Office of the State’s Attorney and the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office.

In addition to representing businesses in diverse industries as “outside” general counsel, Donna represents independent schools, colleges and universities. Donna counsels educational institutions on general contracting matters, governance issues, joint ventures, affiliations, mergers and acquisitions, finance, endowment and charitable giving matters and related investment management.

Ray practices in all areas of federal, state and local tax law. He has extensive experience representing tax-exempt organizations including schools, private foundations and public charities. Ray regularly deals with federal and state income tax issues, Connecticut sales and use tax issues, federal and state payroll tax issues, and private foundation excise taxes.

Michael Chase represents organizations and individuals in government investigations, internal investigations, and criminal matters.  He regularly represents clients in matters being investigated by the United States Department of Justice, the FBI, federal and state regulators, state attorneys general, and other law enforcement agencies.  Michael also conducts internal investigations for companies in a variety of industries, including higher education.

Christine assists owners, developers, contractors and design professionals with construction-related contracting and procurement matters. She provides guidance to public and quasi-public owners, such as public school districts and universities, in connection with bidding/procurement practices, including statutory and regulatory compliance and bonding and insurance requirements.

Bruce represents independent schools, colleges and universities and various public sector entities. His practice focuses on general legal matters, such as contract issues (e.g., enrollment contracts and enforcement) and liability issues (e.g., student activity and travel waiver forms).  A former certified public accountant with Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers, Bruce is experienced in representing our independent school, college and university clients as counsel on their capital project and debt financings, either through the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority or with private capital sources.

Brian represents public and private employers in labor relations, personnel problems and other employment law matters. Brian has taught various courses in labor relations and employment law at the University of Connecticut School of Law, and served two terms as Chairman of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section. He is a frequent speaker on employment-related topics at programs sponsored by business and professional groups.

Richard Cohen’s practice encompasses pensions and employee benefits, including tax-qualified retirement plans, 403(b) plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, SERPs, cafeteria plans, ERISA and COBRA compliance. Richard speaks on pension and employee benefit issues to business associations, such as the WEB Network of Benefits Professionals, client groups, and the Connecticut Bar Association.

Lauren Cullen is an associate in the firm’s School Law Practice Group, where she advises public school districts on a variety of general education issues.

Prior to joining Shipman & Goodwin, Lauren was a law clerk at a major New York City law firm. While in law school, she was a summer associate at a New York City law firm and a pro bono scholar at the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest.

Admitted only in New York. Supervision by partners of the firm admitted to the Connecticut Bar.

Andrew Davis, Ph.D., is a partner in the firm’s Environmental Practice Group. He counsels clients in transactional, permitting, compliance and enforcement matters under federal and state health and safety, hazardous waste, air and water pollution, site development and property transfer laws.

Robert is a member of the Tax and Employee Benefits Practice Group and practices primarily in the areas of federal, state and local taxation.  Robert regularly counsels a wide variety of taxpayers including individuals, manufacturers, insurers, media companies, financial institutions, hedge funds, and asset management funds.  He also has experience representing these clients in tax controversies before the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and other taxing authorities.

Leander represents public school districts, independent schools, and colleges and universities in education and employment matters, including student discipline, special education disputes, disability-related matters, employee discipline and discharge, and investigations. In addition, she represents clients in claims before the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and the Office of Civil Rights. Leander has conducted numerous professional development workshops for private and public sector clients on topics such as sexual harassment, bullying, special education, disability discrimination, and confidentiality issues.

Keegan Drenosky practices in the area of labor and employment law and business litigation. She has represented employers in cases involving claims of discrimination and retaliation before the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and state and federal Court.

Brenda Eckert practices in the areas of civil litigation, civil rights, employment law litigation, and employment-based immigration law before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. She has successfully defended public and private sector employers against employment law claims, including contract claims, discrimination claims and related state tort claims.

Chris Engler focuses his practice on the area of labor and employment law. He has assisted both public and private sector clients in a range of legal matters, running the gamut from grievance arbitrations before the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration and prohibited practice proceedings before the State Board of Labor Relations, to claims of employment discrimination and retaliation before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.

Julie represents public and independent schools in a variety of special education and general education law matters, with a particular focus on issues relating to students with disabilities, student discipline, confidentiality, school governance and policy. Julie frequently represents schools in administrative hearings, including expulsion hearings, special education due process hearings and related proceedings, and is often called upon to guide districts in drafting policies and administrative procedures in all education law areas. As part of her practice, Julie has conducted numerous professional development workshops for clients and other school organizations.

Susan represents school boards and independent schools with regard to education matters, the Americans with Disabilities Act and general litigation, including special education, at the administrative level and in state and federal courts. In her practice, Susan calls upon her 14 years of experience as a teacher. She is a frequent speaker on education matters for CABE, CONN-CASE, the Connecticut Bar Association and other groups, and is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut.

Alfredo Fernández focuses his cybersecurity practice on international trade and national security issues, with an emphasis on the aerospace and defense industries.  His cybersecurity practice includes assisting clients on compliance with contractual requirements and regulatory standards, such as the NIST basic safeguarding requirements for federal contractors, and developing/implementing Systems Security Plans and Plans of Action and Milestones.   Alfredo’s practice also covers assessments for internal/external risks to IP and export-controlled information.  As needed, Alfredo guides clients through breach/crisis response as well as drafting voluntary disclosures of identified violations. Alfredo’s complete biography can be found here.

Danielle Ferrucci practices in the areas of estate planning, estate settlement and trust administration. She assists clients with the full range of planning techniques for tax-effective intergenerational and charitable transfers. Danielle also prepares, and advises those preparing, probate documents, estate tax returns and fiduciary income tax returns as well as represents estates before the IRS and DRS on audit.

Eric Goldstein practices in the areas of bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, representing clients throughout the United States. He has served as lead national or regional bankruptcy counsel for a variety of businesses, including Fortune 500 companies. Eric has extensive experience handling complex commercial litigation matters and foreclosure actions.

Andrea Gomes is a member of the Real Estate, Environmental and Land Use Practice Group.  She practices in the areas of environmental law, construction, and land use permitting and litigation.  Andrea has represented private companies, developers, and property owners in various site plan applications, administrative appeals, affordable housing matters, and property disputes.  She has also represented municipalities, contractors, and subcontractors in their construction litigation matters.

Chuck Howard is the author of The Organizational Ombudsman: Origins, Roles and Operations-A Legal Guide, and has a national practice in representing organizational ombudsmen at universities and multinational corporations. He has lectured and written extensively on ombuds and related topics. In January of 2002, he was appointed by the United States Sentencing Commission to serve as one of sixteen members to a national Advisory Group to review and recommend revisions to the federal organizational sentencing guidelines. Chuck serves on the ABA Dispute Resolution Council and is also a member of the Dispute Resolution Section Publications Board.

Zachary Hummel focuses his practice in the areas of labor and employment law and has extensive experience advising clients in a wide variety of industries, including banking, finance, retail, health care, life sciences, hospitality, trucking, mining, manufacturing and service. He represents clients in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies in the full range of employment matters such as employment discrimination, wage and hour class and collective actions, illegal harassment (including sexual harassment), legally mandated leaves and retaliation. Zachary regularly advises clients on personnel issues that arise under these same topics in addition to disciplinary issues; hiring and termination; reductions in force; internal investigations; requests for accommodations; personnel policies, handbooks and manuals; and non-compete agreements.

Catherine Intravia focuses her practice on intellectual property, technology and information governance matters. Catherine represents clients in the areas of technology protection and agreements, trademark and copyright protection and licensing, confidentiality agreements, e-commerce and related internet issues, software licensing, and information governance. She regularly counsels clients on intellectual property protection and licensing matters and on matters related to information protection, privacy, and security and e-discovery and information retention and destruction policies. In the information governance area, she has experience with personal information privacy matters, data breach notification requirements, written information security programs, records retention policies, and compliance with federal laws, state laws and related implementing regulations’ privacy and information security requirements.

Gabriel Jiran is Chair of the Firm’s Employer Defense and Labor Relations Practice Group. Gabriel practices labor and employment law on behalf of corporations and public employers. He assists employers in addressing the full spectrum of issues associated with the employment relationship. He negotiates collective bargaining agreements, and frequently represents employers before administrative agencies and courts in labor disputes. Gabriel also litigates employment disputes on behalf of employers.

Gregory Jones is an associate in the firm’s Employer Defense and Labor Relations Practice Group. He assists both public and private sector clients in a wide range of labor and employment matters.

Prior to joining Shipman & Goodwin, Gregory served as a judicial law clerk for both the Honorable Dennis Eveleigh (ret.) and the Honorable Raheem Mullins of the Connecticut Supreme Court. Before and during law school, he served as a Connecticut Police Officer.

Aaron Levy is a partner in the firm’s Real Estate, Environmental and Land Use Practice Group.  Aaron’s practice involves providing environmental regulatory compliance and transactional due diligence and business counseling with respect to a wide range of federal and state environmental, health and safety laws. Aaron regularly counsels public entities regarding compliance with remediation requirements under federal and state laws, as well as the abatement of hazardous building materials (e.g., asbestos, lead, PCBs).

Alan Lieberman is Chair of the firm’s seven-person Management Committee and acts as the firm’s Managing Partner.

Alan’s practice involves counseling clients on matters involving international, federal, state and local taxation, and representing them in tax-related disputes in administrative and court proceedings. In addition, Alan represents clients in the formation, reorganization, and liquidation of business entities and tax-exempt organizations.

Jarad practices labor and employment law on behalf of both public and private sector clients.  Jarad has successfully represented employers in grievance arbitration matters, prohibited practice proceedings before the State Board of Labor Relations, and unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board.  He has also represented employers in cases involving claims of discrimination and retaliation before the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and State and Federal Courts.

Peter is a member of the School Law Practice Group. He served as law clerk to the Hon. Thomas Vanaskie of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. While attending the University of Connecticut School of Law, Peter was the Assistant Managing Editor of the Connecticut Law Review. Before obtaining his law degree, he was a lead teacher at Centennial School of Lehigh University, where he taught special education.

Ashley is an associate practicing in the areas of labor and employment and school law. Prior to joining the firm, Ashley was a summer associate with Shipman & Goodwin. While in law school, she served as an intern with the Poverty Law Clinic through Connecticut Legal Services and was an Associate Editor for the Connecticut Law Review.

Rich represents numerous boards of education and other school law clients in labor, employment and school law matters. Rich counsels school law clients in a wide range of matters, including student discipline, Board of Education policies, First Amendment issues, Freedom of Information Act issues, residency matters and budgetary matters. He also advises school law clients extensively on labor and employment matters. Rich also negotiates collective bargaining agreements on behalf of school law clients, and has represented numerous clients in mediation and in interest arbitration proceedings.

Peter represents public and private sector employers in a broad array of cases, with a focus on cases involving claims of discrimination, wrongful termination, first amendment retaliation, and other labor and employment disputes. In addition, Peter advises employers on issues such as employee discipline, disability accommodations, and internal investigations, and provides training and seminar presentations on those issues.

Saranne represents public and private sector employers and non-profit organizations in all aspects of employee relations and employment law, including personnel policies and practices, equal employment opportunity, collective bargaining and related matters. A widely recognized authority on public sector collective bargaining, Saranne is counsel to a significant number of municipalities and serves as special counsel to the State of Connecticut, where she has worked with the State Board of Education and the state’s Division of Criminal Justice.

Robert J. O’Brien practices in the areas of construction, surety and specialized banking and commercial litigation. With more than three decades of construction law experience, he handles a broad range of construction-related matters on behalf of contractors, public and private owners, subcontractors, sureties, architects, engineers and condominium associations.  Bob’s banking litigation experience relates to check fraud liability and financial institution bonds. He has conducted numerous jury and bench trials, and has extensive experience with arbitration and mediation as dispute resolution alternatives.

Mark Ostrowski has over 25 years of experience defending chemical and product manufacturers, public utilities, retailers, pharmaceutical companies, and business and medical professionals in complex tort and product liability actions. Armed with the latest case management and courtroom presentation technology and with ready access to many of the northeast’s leading scientific, engineering and medical experts, Mark regularly handles cases in all courts throughout Connecticut and has appeared pro hac vice in many other jurisdictions.

Elva Perales assists clients in matters related to federal, state and local taxation. While in law school, Elva served as a volunteer tax adviser for the Global Connections’ Tax Assistance Program at Penn State University, and as a research assistant for the International Sustainable Development Projects Law Clinic at Penn State Law. In addition, Elva worked as an intern for the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic of Philadelphia Legal Assistance.

* Admitted only in New York.

Matthew Ranelli’s practice includes environmental, energy and land use law. Matt represents schools, municipalities, developers and other end-users regarding clean energy projects, green building standards, energy conservation and efficiency projects, energy savings performance contracts, electric and natural gas purchasing, and managing energy options.

Jessica represents schools in a variety of education, labor relations and employment law matters.  She negotiates certified and non-certified collective bargaining agreements on behalf of numerous public boards of education.  Jessica also represents school districts in labor and employment disputes, freedom of information hearings, teacher tenure proceedings, student disciplinary matters, election law matters, and other legal proceedings arising in the education context.  In addition, Jessica advises schools on education policies and practices, compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act, and other legal matters arising in the education context.

Jessica represents boards of education in both general and special education matters, as well as labor disputes and employment litigation arising in the education context. Jessica has negotiated certified and non-certified collective bargaining agreements on behalf of numerous boards of education and has represented public employers in arbitrations and in a wide variety of administrative proceedings before various state agencies.

William Roberts is the Chair of Shipman & Goodwin LLP’s Privacy and Data Protection team. Bill is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Bill focuses his practice at the intersection of privacy, technology and the law, and represents a wide range of public and private entities. He assists clients nationwide in navigating legal challenges with respect to regulatory compliance, governmental investigations, data breaches and complex contracting. Clients who seek Bill’s guidance range from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies.

Aside from helping his busy clients, Bill is a father and lifelong skier.

Bill’s complete biography can be found here.

Herbie Rosen is an associate practicing in the area of business litigation. Prior to joining Shipman & Goodwin, Herbie was a summer associate with the firm. While in law school, he served as a judicial intern for The Honorable Gerald Lebovits of the New York City Civil Court and was also a teaching assistant in the Fordham Legal Writing Program. Before attending law school, Herbie was a social studies teacher with Teach for America.

Kevin represents public sector clients with respect to the full complement of labor and employment matters, including contract negotiations, interest arbitration, contract administration issues, grievance arbitration cases, prohibited practice proceedings, administrative appeals of decisions of the State Board of Labor Relations filed in Superior Court, and applications to vacate arbitration awards filed in Superior Court.

Rebecca assists many school districts with labor relations, employment and education matters. She serves as the chief negotiator for a number of school districts in contract negotiations with non-certified units as well as teacher and administrator negotiations and represents districts in interest arbitration proceedings.

Louis Schatz serves as Chair of Shipman & Goodwin’s Tax and Employee Benefits Practice Group. From 2007 to 2017, Lou served on the firm’s seven-person Management Committee. He is the past Chair of the Tax Section of the Connecticut Bar Association.

Lou practices in the areas of federal and State of Connecticut tax with attention to the representation of closely held businesses organized as limited liability companies, partnerships and S corporations; real estate joint ventures; and the representation of taxpayers involved in federal and Connecticut tax controversies (at the audit, appellate and court levels). He is a frequent lecturer on federal and State of Connecticut tax, partnership and limited liability company issues.

Dan represents employers in various employment law matters such as employment discrimination, restrictive covenants, human resources, retaliation and whistle blowing, and wage and hour issues. He has extensive trial and litigation experience in both federal and state courts in a variety of areas, including commercial litigation and trade secret enforcement. Dan is the author of the independent Connecticut Employment Law Blog. The blog discusses new and noteworthy events in labor and employment law on a daily basis.

Natalia Sieira Millan advises public school districts on a variety of general education issues. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Millan was the Assistant Agency Legal Director with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and an associate at a regional law firm. While in law school, she served as a law clerk in the State of Connecticut Superior Court, Stamford-Norwalk Judicial District, Civil Division.

Kelly Smith Hathorn advises public and private sector employers on a variety of employee benefits issues. Kelly has experience with qualified plan design, drafting, administration/compliance, and termination. She also has experience with non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements, including drafting and reviewing executive employment agreements and incentive plans for Code Section 409A compliance.

Gary Starr provides practical advice to a wide range of clients in the private and public sector, bringing over 30 years of experience to counseling clients in traditional labor relations matters as well as human relations problems. His experience helps clients avoid the “big mistakes” as well as the day-to-day hassles. Gary also defends employers in state and federal courts, regularly appearing before judges, juries, and administrative agencies. He provides strategic and creative approaches to difficult employee issues, seeking practical solutions and aggressively litigating where and when necessary.

Chris represents public school districts in all areas of school law, and has a particular experience regarding special education, education reform, and budgetary matters, including issues related to Connecticut’s statutory “Minimum Budget Requirement.”

Julia Wilde advises public school districts on a variety of general education, special education and labor and employment issues. Prior to joining Shipman & Goodwin, Julia served as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Hartford, where she advised the City on a variety of legal matters, with an emphasis on public education, special education and labor and employment. In addition, she has worked for several law firms in Massachusetts.

Linda serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s School Law Practice Group and has more than 25 years of experience advising public and independent schools and colleges on education matters. Linda has worked with many school districts throughout the state on general education, litigation and special education matters. She currently focuses her practice in the areas of special education, investigations of discrimination claims including Title IX, sexual harassment or race discrimination, and representation of schools in administrative and court litigation matters involving such areas as First Amendment rights, student discipline, or contract disputes.

Henry Zaccardi represents public and private employers and non-profit organizations in all aspects of labor relations and employment law. This includes personnel policies and practices, Freedom of Information Act issues, wage and hour disputes, drug and alcohol testing, family and medical leave, equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, occupational health and safety and related matters and regulatory compliance.

Gwen represents boards of education in relation to special education, Section 504, restraint and seclusion, student discipline, board policy development and revision, and general education matters. Gwen frequently speaks on education issues, including privacy and confidentiality of student information, bullying and Section 504.