Firm News

With great sorrow, Wiggin and Dana mourns the loss of Peter J. Lefeber, a partner and colleague whose career at the firm spanned more than four decades. For all of us who knew him, Peter embodied what it means to be a Wiggin and Dana lawyer.

Peter came to the firm in 1980 after graduating from law school, was named partner in 1988, and never practiced anywhere else. He chaired the Labor, Employment and Benefits Department and continued to work with clients as Special Counsel in recent years. His focus never wavered: he represented private employers, and only private employers, in labor and employment matters throughout his career. At the core of his work was traditional labor relations. He guided companies through union organizing campaigns, represented them before the National Labor Relations Board, tried arbitrations, managed strikes, and sat at the bargaining table for hundreds of collective bargaining agreements. Hospitals, utilities, universities, independent schools, manufacturers, newspapers, nonprofits, and many others relied on him, from Connecticut to points across the East Coast and into Canada.

Clients also turned to Peter for day-to-day employment counseling and defense. That work covered discrimination charges, wrongful termination claims, wage-and-hour disputes, executive separations, restrictive covenants, workforce reductions, and immigration questions. His peers took notice: Chambers USA named him a “Leader in the Field,” and The Best Lawyers in America recognized him year after year, naming him New Haven’s “Lawyer of the Year” for management-side labor law. Peter was active in the ABA’s Labor and Employment Section and served on the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section. He was also a sought-after speaker for organizations including the Connecticut Bar Association, the Connecticut Hospital Association, and the Connecticut Association for Home Care. He was a graduate of St. Michael’s College, where he earned his B.A. in Political Science summa cum laude, and of the University of Connecticut School of Law, where he graduated with honors and was co-editor of the Connecticut Law Review.

Within the firm, Peter’s influence was felt far beyond his department. Across many terms on the Executive Committee and the Compensation Committee, he helped steer Wiggin and Dana’s direction, culture, and growth. Those who worked alongside him knew him for his good sense, his decency and fairness, and his willingness to say plainly what he thought. He also had a wonderful sense of humor. Having practiced with some of the firm’s most celebrated partners, Peter devoted much of his last decade of practice to passing that knowledge on, mentoring the young lawyers in his department. Many of them carry his lessons into their own practices today. He gave just as generously to the greater New Haven community, serving on the boards of the New Haven Lawn Club, Long Wharf Theatre, The Children’s Center, and the New Haven Symphony.

Peter’s curiosity was boundless. He was a New Haven Lawn Club squash champion, a skilled golfer, an accomplished fly fisherman, a pianist, and a gifted woodworker, and he could talk at length about everything from the causes of World War I to how hurricanes form.

“Peter was the person you wanted next to you when the stakes were highest, whether that was at the bargaining table, in an arbitration, or in a firm leadership meeting. He was steady and direct, had great judgment, and never lost sight of what his clients needed. He gave his whole career to Wiggin and Dana, and the firm is better for every one of those years. We will all miss his counsel and his company,” said Tim Diemand, the firm’s Managing Partner.

Above all, Peter was devoted to his family. He is survived by Catherine, his wife of 43 years; his children, Nick, Sarah, and John; seven grandchildren; and his three brothers.

Peter’s absence will be felt in our hallways, by his clients, and by everyone who had the good fortune to call him a colleague. We are grateful for the many years he gave to this firm.