The Connecticut Law Tribune recognized Robinson+Cole lawyers Frank F. Coulom Jr., John L. Cordani, Taylor A. Shea, Jonathan H. Schaefer, and Dan A. Brody during the publication’s annual Connecticut Legal Awards on September 30, 2020. Hosted virtually this year, the awards honor those attorneys and judges who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession in Connecticut – whether in shaping the law, achieving outsized results for their clients, being an outstanding jurist, or assisting those in need of legal services.
Frank F. Coulom Jr. was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes a lawyer “who has left a lasting imprint on the legal community of Connecticut.” Now of counsel with the firm as of July 2020, Mr. Coulom previously served as General Counsel to Robinson+Cole and had an active litigation practice for over 30 years. He frequently lectures on legal ethics and professional responsibility and serves as an expert witness in matters involving questions of legal ethics, legal malpractice, and professional misconduct. Mr. Coulom previously served as a member of the Grievance Panel for the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut and is a past chair of the Ethics Committee of the Hartford County Bar Association. He also served for several years on the faculty of the Connecticut Trial Advocacy Institute, sponsored by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and the Connecticut Bar Association, instructing other lawyers how to be better trial advocates.
John L. Cordani received the Distinguished Leader Award for achieving “impressive results in 2019 and demonstrating clear leadership skills that helped achieve those results.” Mr. Cordani is a Partner in Robinson+Cole’s Business Litigation Group and focuses his practice on Intellectual Property litigation. He has litigated patent, trade secret, trademark, and antitrust cases through trial and appeal in federal courts across the United States, obtaining successful results in cases involving a diverse array of technology from specialty chemical products to automated pitching machines.
Taylor A. Shea, Jonathan H. Schaefer and Dan A. Brody were all recognized as “New Leaders in the Law,” a distinction that spotlights lawyers under the age of 40 who have excelled in the courtroom, in client service and cultivation, in service to bar associations, and in performing pro bono work or community service in a volunteer capacity.
Ms. Shea represents privately and publicly-held companies in all aspects of corporate and transactional law, including commercial finance transactions, private equity and venture capital transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate and commercial matters. She is a Partner in Robinson+Cole’s Business Transactions Group and its Manufacturing Industry Team as well as a member of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. She also serves as a volunteer attorney on pro bono matters and frequently mentors junior associates in their pro bono endeavors. Along with her professional activities, Taylor is dedicated to serving her community. She is Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Community Housing Advocates, Inc. (CHA), which is the parent entity of My Sister’s Place, Inc., and Mercy Housing and Shelter Corp. She also serves as Chair of the Governance Committee of CHA. She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Junior League of Hartford, Inc. and currently serves as a member of its sustainer committee.
Mr. Schaefer, Counsel in Robinson+Cole’s Environmental, Energy + Telecommunications Group, focuses his practice on environmental compliance counseling, permitting, site remediation, occupational health and safety, energy regulatory compliance, and siting, and litigation related to federal and state regulatory programs. His experiences enable him to work effectively with experts and legal counsel to help clients minimize risk and solve compliance, enforcement, transactional, and regulatory matters. Mr. Schaefer regularly assists individuals and non-profits on a pro bono basis, including through the firm’s Domestic Violence Restraining Order program, which provides free legal services to domestic violence victims. In recognition of this work, he was named to the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence “First 100” in 2013. Mr. Schaefer also assists the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, providing legal assistance to veterans who are facing eviction and representing veterans as they navigate the benefits appeals process. He was recognized by the Pro Bono Partnership for his work assisting its clients with environmental matters. Mr. Schaefer’s community involvement includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Bushnell Park Foundation as Governance Chair and volunteering with Foodshare and Junior Achievement.
Mr. Brody is an associate in Robinson+Cole’s Litigation Section, including the Business Litigation Group and the Government Enforcement and White-Collar Defense, and Internal Investigations and Corporate Compliance Teams. He focuses his practice on complex business litigation matters, government and internal investigations, corporate compliance, and criminal defense. Mr. Brody maintains a significant pro bono practice, which includes representing victims of domestic violence seeking restraining orders, assisting veterans with resolving housing disputes, and representing indigent defendants in criminal matters. Mr. Brody was named to the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence “First 100 Plus” Class of 2019 and serves on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Law Center, an organization dedicated to protecting low-income children in family court cases. In addition, Mr. Brody is currently the President of the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association and is the youngest-ever to serve in the leadership role.
About Robinson+Cole
Robinson+Cole is an AmLaw 200 law firm established 175 years ago with a deeply-rooted culture of collaboration, civility and inclusion. With more than 200 lawyers in eleven offices throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Florida and California, we serve regional, national, and international clients, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Robinson+Cole is a service mark of Robinson & Cole LLP. For more information, please visit www.rc.com.