SEC Enforcement and Private Securities Litigation Update

Wiggin and Dana is pleased to announce that its Litigation Department has been selected as the 2019 Connecticut Litigation Department of the Year by Benchmark Litigation. This is the fifth consecutive year Wiggin and Dana has won the award. The award was announced at the seventh Annual Benchmark Litigation U.S. Awards Ceremony on February 28, 2019, at the Essex House in New York.

Wiggin and Dana is proud to announce that Franchise and Distribution partners, John Doroghazi, Dean Fournaris and Kevin Kennedy, have been named "2019 Legal Eagles" in the April 2019 edition of the Franchise Times. The Franchise Times says, "These attorneys live and breathe franchising and truly understand the nuances of this unique business model. That deep understanding is now more important than ever."

Wiggin and Dana is pleased to announce that Christian Chandler has joined the firm as a Labor, Employment and Benefits Partner in the Washington, DC office. Christian has over 20 years of experience in executive compensation and employee benefits matters. His significant experience in this area has made him a valued resource for a range of clients across industries, including public and private companies, senior executives, management teams and boards of directors.

On January 17, 2019, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued an important decision on governmental immunity for Connecticut municipalities. In Ventura v. Town of East Haven, an appeal handled for the Town by Aaron Bayer and Tadhg Dooley of Wiggin and Dana, LLP, the Supreme Court affirmed an Appellate Court decision reversing a $6.2 million judgment against East Haven. The judgment was based on a police officer's failure to tow a vehicle that had invalid registration and the wrong license plates. That vehicle subsequently struck the plaintiff, causing him serious injuries. The trial court had held that the Town was not protected by governmental immunity, because the police officer had a “ministerial duty” to tow the vehicle based on police department towing rules. A jury awarded the plaintiff $12.2 million, which was later reduced to $6.2 million. In reversing, the Appellate Court held that the towing rules did not impose a ministerial duty on police officers and the Town was therefore entitled to governmental immunity.

The American Health Lawyers' Association (AHLA) recently appointed three Wiggin and Dana attorneys, Jody Erdfarb, Rebecca Matthews and Elisabeth Pimentel, to serve in leadership positions of the association.

Wiggin and Dana is pleased to announce that Kenneth Cho has joined the firm as a Litigation Partner in the New York office. Ken has more than 25 years of experience in cross border dispute resolution, intellectual property litigation and licensing, IP asset management and valuation, and counseling matters.

During this Women’s History Month, the Diversity Committee and the Women of Wiggin (WOW) would like to honor Melinda Agsten, Karen Clute, Mary Gambardella, Patti Melick and Maureen Weaver. These outstanding attorneys, who over their decades of dedication and service have not only made this firm a better place, but have also been exemplary leaders at Wiggin and Dana, help us to serve our clients with unparalleled excellence every day.