People
Joseph P. Williams

Joseph P. Williams

Partner

Joe is co-chair of the Real Estate, Environmental, Energy, Land Use and Construction Department. A skilled litigator and trial lawyer, Joe draws on his more than 25 years of wide-ranging dispute resolution experience to help clients proactively identify and prevent issues that can otherwise derail or delay real estate and construction projects. He is known across the state of Connecticut and throughout New England as a fearless, fair-minded and effective advocate for his clients.

Joe regularly represents developers, investors and owners in a wide array of real estate-related proceedings, including land-use permitting and litigation, site-development applications, administrative appeals, adverse possessions, boundary and easement disputes, injunction actions, and eminent domain and affordable housing matters. He also advises clients on constitutional claims involving takings, religious freedom and fair housing, among other areas. Well-versed in environmental law, Joe has counseled numerous clients in clean-up and cost-recovery actions.

In addition to his corporate and individual clients, Joe also represents municipalities, boards of education, independent schools and state agencies. He understands the sometimes-conflicting priorities and objectives of government bodies and the businesses they regulate, and helps his clients and counterparties identify common ground and negotiate effective solutions. With an extensive network of business, industry and government contacts, Joe is able to connect the right people at the right time, at every step of the real-estate development process.

Where disputes are unavoidable or when litigation is the most effective strategy, Joe is an experienced and effective representative for his clients’ interests. He has appeared before numerous federal, state and local administrative agencies, and has successfully represented clients in trial and appellate courts at the state and federal levels. Deeply knowledgeable about the industry and the law, he is also frequently called upon to serve as an expert witness in third-party disputes.

Credentials

Education

The American University, B.A., 1991, magna cum laude
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1994, cum laude

Bar Admissions

Connecticut, 1994

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court, Southern District of NY, 2005
U.S. District Court, District of CT, 1995
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1997
U.S. Supreme Court, 2004

Distinctions

AV Preeminent® Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
Named "Lawyer of the Year" (2023, 2025): Best Lawyers® New Haven Region Litigation - Real Estate
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®: Litigation - Environmental (2009-2025); Litigation - Land Use and Zoning, Litigation - Real Estate (2013-2025)
Listed in Chambers USA, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (2023-2024), Band 1 (2023-2024); Environment (2007; 2012-2017)
Listed as a Connecticut Super Lawyer®: Land Use/Zoning (2006-2024)
Named "Lawyer of the Year" (2017): Best Lawyers® Hartford Region Environmental Litigation
Hartford Business Journal, 40 Under Forty (2004)
Connecticut Law Tribune, New Leader of the Law (2002)

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association: Section of Environment, Energy and Resources; Section of Litigation
Connecticut Bar Association: Executive Committee, Environmental Law Section; Executive Committee, Planning and Zoning Section
Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce: Board of Directors
Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Connecticut: Board of Directors
CREW - The Real Estate Exchange
Connecticut Developers Council
Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Central Connecticut

Community Involvement

Bushnell Park Foundation: Past President and Member of Board of Directors
Connecticut General Assembly Task Force on Climate Change and Shoreline Preservation: Member
Glastonbury Education Foundation: Past Chairman and Member of Board of Directors
Glastonbury Hartwell Soccer Club & Glastonbury Lacrosse Club, Former Coach
Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity: Past Build-a-Thon Team Leader, several committees
Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Central Connecticut Charitable Foundation: Served on Board of Directors and as Chair of Grants Committee
iQuilt Plan, Board of Corporators: Member
Leadership Greater Hartford Participant (Quest, 2002)
United Way of the Capital Area, Shipman & Goodwin Annual Appeal: Past Campaign Chair

Experience

Environmental litigation

Negotiated an Environmental Cost Recovery Settlement

Negotiated an environmental cost recovery settlement with a major petroleum company. While constructing a new multi-family residential building in West Hartford, CT, our clients found that a portion of the site was contaminated with petroleum from an offsite source. We advised the clients on the investigation and cleanup at the site, evaluated the probable source of the contamination, and demanded reimbursement from the responsible party, a former upgradient gas station. After more than a year of negotiations and information exchanges, the petroleum company agreed to pay our client nearly 100% of the client’s costs associated with the contamination encountered and to indemnify the client for any future costs that may be incurred.

Land use approvals

Secured Master Plan Approval for RMS Companies’ to Build Apartment and Parking Garage near Dunkin' Park

Represented Randy Salvatore and RMS Companies in securing master plan approval from the Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission to build 473 apartments and a parking garage at the former Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute campus across the street from the Dunkin Park baseball stadium in downtown Hartford, as well as site plan approval for the next phase of the “North Crossing” project with construction of a 228-unit apartment building and parking garage, also across from Dunkin Park.

Obtained Approvals to build 262 Apartments in Storrs, CT near the University of Connecticut

Advised a real estate investment firm through a multi-stage process to obtain approvals to build 262 apartments in Storrs, CT near the University of Connecticut campus. The approval steps included obtaining amendments to the town’s zoning regulations, permits from the inland wetlands commission, sign-offs from several advisory boards, and finally a special permit from the planning and zoning commission.

Advised Belfonti Companies to Obtain Zoning Approval for a Mixed-Use Redevelopment

Advised Belfonti Companies to obtain zoning approval for a mixed-use redevelopment of the former Ames headquarters building in Rocky Hill. The plan will replace the abandoned building with 213 apartments (10% affordable), office space, restaurants, retail businesses, and public activity space.

Obtained Wetlands and Zoning approvals for a 92-unit Residential Development at Duncaster

Obtained wetlands and zoning approvals for a 92-unit, age restricted, multi-family residential development at Duncaster, a continuing care community in Bloomfield.

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Real estate litigation

Successfully Defended and Settled a Series of Lawsuits for Sustainable Waste Solutions Client

Successfully defended and settled a series of lawsuits brought against the firm’s client, a national provider of sustainable waste solutions. The dispute began with an agreement by our client to sell a solid waste transfer facility in 2018 and led to the purchaser bringing multiple breach of contract, tort and CUTPA claims involving several parties and totaling over $450 million in claimed damages. The Superior Court granted our client summary judgment and dismissed all claims asserted against it. The purchaser appealed the decision and commenced a new lawsuit, while we pursued counterclaims against the purchaser. The parties then reached an agreement resolving all litigation between them, and the lawsuits were withdrawn without any payment being made by or to either party.

Secured an Appellate Victory for Groton Long Point Association, Inc.

Secured an appellate victory on behalf of our client, Groton Long Point Association, Inc. (GLPA). GLPA is the record owner of rights of way that border properties owned by the plaintiffs, who are GLPA members. The plaintiffs sued GLPA claiming that they had acquired title to those rights-of-way by adverse possession or as prescriptive easements. GLPA defeated the plaintiffs' claims on summary judgment in the trial court and the plaintiffs appealed. The CT Appellate Court affirmed the trial court's summary judgment decision in favor of GLPA. In its decision, the Appellate Court found that the plaintiffs never had exclusive access to the rights-of-way, they did not adequately support their adverse possession claims with requisite evidence, and the deeds to plaintiffs’ properties were clear that the rights-of-way served merely as a boundary and were not deeded to the plaintiffs.

April 03, 2025 6:00 PM EDT — 9:00 PM EDT