DECEMBER 2016
Luke Tashjian spoke to the National Business Institute on the topic of “The Ultimate Guide to Probate.”
Rod Saggese was elected Second Vice President of the Greenwich Old Timers Athletic Association. The Old Timers raise money for college scholarships and youth sports programs in Greenwich. Rod has been on the Board of Directors of the Old Timers since March, 2012.
NOVEMBER 2016
Luke Tashjian spoke to the Federal Tax Institute of New England on the topic of “Connecticut Domicile & Residency Audits.”
Kevin Walsh and Kathryn O’Neill represented a group of affiliated insurance brokers in the simultaneous sale of their assets to a national insurance agency. The transaction involved the transfer of client accounts, office space leases, goodwill and employment agreements for the principals of the selling parties.
Rod Saggese was elected to the Board of Directors of the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce. Established in 1917, the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit business organization that is an advocate for the interests of the business community and maintaining the town’s quality of life and its residential integrity. The Chamber provides informative and educational programs as well as networking opportunities, which are open to all businesses and residents.
Charlie Pieterse spoke at the National Business Institute’s seminar, “The Ultimate Guide to Probate.” Charlie’s topic was the “Ethical Practice Considerations and Concerns in Probate Court.”
OCTOBER 2016
Harry E. Peden III and Kathryn O’Neill represented a regional process serving company that had been family owned for decades in the sale of its assets to a national company. As part of the transaction, the selling parties received an equity ownership interest in the buying entity, and Harry and Katie successfully negotiated an employment agreement for the principals of sellers.
Luke Tashjian spoke to the Tax Section of the Connecticut Bar Association on the topic of “Internal Revenue Service’s Section 2704 Proposed Regulations.”
Whitman Breed Partners and Associates have been named “Connecticut Super Lawyers®” for 2016. Connecticut selection information at http://www.superlawyers.com/connecticut/selection_details.html
Terry Coates (Estate Planning & Probate), Charles Pieterse (Trusts & Estates Litigation), Jim Riley (Business Litigation), Rod Saggese (General Litigation), Thomas O’Connor (Rising Star – Civil Litigation/Defense), Luke Tashjian (Rising Star – Estate Planning & Administration) and Kathryn O’Neill (Rising Star – Business/Corporate) were named Connecticut Super Lawyers.
SEPTEMBER 2016
The Firm is pleased to announce that it is the winner of the Connecticut Law Tribune’s 2016 Litigation Department of the Year award in the general litigation, small firm category. The general litigation award honors the top overall litigation departments in Connecticut. The announcement of this award by the Connecticut Law Tribune can be accessed through this link: http://www.ctlawtribune.com/home/id=1202767599429/Litigation-Department-of-the-Year-Winners-Announced?mcode=1202617073650&curindex=4
AUGUST 2016
Rod Saggese obtained a complete dismissal of a competitor’s claims against the Firm’s client, a Westchester-based carpet and flooring business that had expanded into Massachusetts. In expanding, the client hired employees away from the competitor, which sued the client based on claims stemming from the employees’ alleged breach of confidentiality and non-solicitation agreements. Rod was successful in vindicating the client and having all of the claims dismissed on summary judgment, which was later affirmed by the Appeals Court of Massachusetts. Carpets Plus, Inc. v. New Rochelle Carpet, Inc., 90 Mass. App. Ct. 1103 (2016).
Tom O’Connor and Wyatt Jansen were published in the Connecticut Law Tribune for their article, “Strategic Removal & the Voluntary-Involuntary Rule.”
Charlie Pieterse was recognized in the 23rd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America for the practice area of Litigation – Trust & Estates. See selection methodology at https://www.bestlawyers.com/Methodology
JULY 2016
The Firm is pleased to announce that Rosanna Rosenthal has joined the Firm as an associate in the Trusts & Estates Department. Rosanna, a Greenwich native, represents individual clients in estate planning matters. Prior to joining the Firm, Rosanna practiced litigation and family law at a mid-sized firm in Stamford.
Margaret Conboy spoke on WGCH radio with Tony Savino on his morning show about the Salvation Army’s 11th Annual food drive, which benefits Neighbor to Neighbor and the Greenwich Social Services emergency food pantry. Margaret is the Chairwoman of the Salvation Army’s Greenwich Service Unit. She coordinated this year’s food drive which was held on July 7, 2016 at the Greenwich Town Hall.
JUNE 2016
Rod Saggese was elected President of the Fairfield County Bar Association for 2016-2017. The FCBA is over sixty years old, sponsors more than sixty seminars annually for its membership of over 850 legal professionals, is active in the legislative process for the betterment of the judicial system, and provides service to the community through volunteer action and philanthropy. Rod previously held the positions of Vice President (2015-2016), Treasurer (2013-2014) and Secretary (2014-2015), and has served on the Board of Directors since 2010.
Luke Tashjian spoke at the Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Bar Association on the topic of “Cancellation of Indebtedness Income.”
The Superior Court entered judgment in favor of four Stamford homeowners who claimed that their real property tax assessments were excessive. Jim Fulton represented the successful homeowners, who had their assessments reduced by the court by 20%, 19%, 25% and 22%, respectively. Lanier v. City of Stamford, 2016 WL 3392154 (Conn. Super. June 1, 2016).
MAY 2016
John Shaban was nominated as the Republican Candidate for U.S. Congress in Connecticut’s Fourth Congressional District. He will be running against incumbent Jim Himes (D) in November. John is currently a member of the Connecticut General Assembly, serving as a State Representative for the 135th Assembly District representing the communities of Easton, Redding and Weston since November 2010. He is the Ranking House Member of the legislature’s Environment Committee, and a member of the Judiciary Committee and Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee.
Jim Fulton successfully represented a commercial building owner in downtown Greenwich who appealed a ruling of the zoning enforcement officer. The officer had ruled that the owner could not lease additional building space to a tenant in her building because the tenant’s use was a nonconforming one. After oral argument, the Greenwich Planning & Zoning Board of Appeals ruled in the client’s favor and overturned the ruling of the zoning enforcement officer.
The Firm recently obtained a favorable decision on behalf of a municipal pension fund in a lawsuit brought by the estate of a pension fund participant. In February 2016, the Connecticut Superior Court granted summary judgment in favor of the pension fund and its trustees, dismissing all of the plaintiffs’ claims for pension benefits and other relief. The Court agreed with the client’s construction of the City Charter provisions governing the award of benefits to beneficiaries of deceased pension plan participants. The plaintiffs appealed that decision. In May 2016, the Connecticut Appellate Court granted the client’s motion to dismiss the appeal. Tony Macleod and Jim Riley represented the pension fund and its board of trustees in the trial court and on appeal.
Jim Fulton successfully represented a Greenwich resident who objected to a neighbor’s application for a variance to build an addition and revise the roofline on his home. After oral argument, the Greenwich Planning & Zoning Board of Appeals ruled in the client’s favor and denied the applicaton for a variance to go forward with the project.
APRIL 2016
The Connecticut Appellate Court granted a motion for review filed by the Firm on behalf of its client, a prominent businessman, in a quarter-billion dollar veil-piercing action brought against him by a major European bank. In a case of first impression, the motion successfully argued that all proceedings in the trial court, including discovery, were stayed by our client’s immediate appeal on res judicata grounds. The Appellate Court’s decision vacates the trial court’s holding that no appellate stay applied, and ensures that pretrial litigation will not continue during our client’s appeal. The case team is composed of Charles W. Pieterse, Thomas P. O’Connor, and Wyatt R. Jansen from the Firm, which acts as local counsel for Zaroff & Zaroff LLP in the action.
Richard E. Mancuso represented a leading electronics distribution and components testing company, specializing in counterfeit detection and mitigation technologies, in forming an alliance with an international electronics manufacturer. The purpose of this alliance is to develop next generation counterfeit detection technologies to be used in the public sector through military and intelligence applications, as well as in private industry. The alliance negotiations spanned over one year and resulted in a joint development agreement in which the parties each agreed to contribute their respective intellectual property, R&D, and highly specialized services to develop, test and commercialize the new technology that will be able to detect the latest counterfeit electronic components as well as clone components.
MARCH 2016
Margaret E. Conboy and Kathryn O’Neill represented a regional bank in making a construction to permanent loan to a local housing developer. As part of the transaction, Margaret and Kathryn completed extensive due diligence and also addressed title and zoning issues.
Charles W. Pieterse and Kathryn O’Neill worked closely with a group of volunteers to form Ridgefield Music Matters, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Ridgefield’s music programs. The Firm prepared and submitted organizational documents for Ridgefield Music Matters, Inc., as well as obtained 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service.
FEBRUARY 2016
Margaret E. Conboy represented the seller of a twenty-seven acre parcel of land located in Greenwich, Connecticut. As part of the sale, Margaret assisted our clients with evaluating potential transactions.
The Firm successfully moved to dismiss three of the four grounds of an appeal taken by a major European bank in an action seeking to hold our client liable for a quarter-billion-dollar foreign judgment. The Appellate Court’s decision dismissing those grounds for appeal will prevent the bank’s attempt to obtain immediate appellate review of a favorable ruling that Turks & Caicos Islands law governs the action. The case team is composed of Charles W. Pieterse, Thomas P. O’Connor, and Wyatt R. Jansen from the Firm, which acts as local counsel for Zaroff & Zaroff LLP in the action.
The Firm is pleased to announce that Richard Lawler has joined the Firm as a partner in the Litigation Department. After many years with Winston & Strawn (WBAM’s successor firm in New York), Dick has rerturned to the Firm in Connecticut. For the last 30 years, in both Connecticut and New York, Dick has practiced in the areas of commercial litigation, business litigation and white collar criminal defense.
JANUARY 2016
Margaret E. Conboy, Luke Tashjian and Kathryn O’Neill hosted a lunch and learn for the Greenwich office of Sotheby’s International Realty. During the lunch and learn, Luke and Kathryn presented on commonly encountered tax issues in real estate transactions and the benefits of using limited liability companies in commercial real estate.
