Despina is an Associate in Wiggin and Dana’s New Haven office.

Despina first joined Wiggin and Dana as a summer associate in 2024 as part of the firm’s Health Law Fellowship for Diversity & Inclusion Scholars, during which she worked on patient safety and regulatory compliance matters. She returned as a summer associate in 2025, where she conducted research on health care policy, patient rights, and corporate compliance.

Despina brings more than a decade of experience as a registered nurse to her health law practice. She most recently served as a Clinical Program Coordinator at a major children’s hospital, where she managed patient flow and capacity operations, and previously worked as a pediatric emergency and float pool nurse. Her clinical background gives her firsthand insight into the operational and regulatory challenges facing health care providers and institutions.

Despina received her J.D., with honors, from the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she earned a Health Law Certificate and ranked second in the Evening Division. At UConn Law, she served as Treasurer of the Health Law Society and received CALI Excellence Awards in Health Law, Healthcare Legal Operations, and Administrative Law.

Despina received her B.S. in Nursing, summa cum laude, from Fairfield University, where she was a Magis Scholar and a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, Alpha Mu Gamma, and Sigma Theta Tau honor societies. She also speaks Spanish and Greek.