Joseph Williams is a member of the firm's seven-person Management Committee.
Joe is a member of the Real Estate, Environmental and Land Use Practice Group. He practices in the areas of environmental and land use permitting and litigation, primarily representing private companies, developers and property owners in a wide array of real estate-related proceedings including site development applications, administrative appeals, adverse possession, boundary and easement disputes, injunction actions, eminent domain, affordable housing, constitutional claims such as takings, religious freedom and fair housing, and environmental clean-up and cost recovery actions. He also has represented several municipalities, boards of education, independent schools and state agencies in such matters. Joe regularly appears before federal, state and local administrative agencies on such matters as well as trial and appellate courts at the state and federal level. He is also frequently called upon to serve as an expert witness in these practice areas.
- AV Preeminent® Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers: Environment (2007; 2012-2017)
- Listed as a Connecticut Super Lawyer®: Land Use/Zoning (2006-2018)
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®: Environmental Litigation (2009-2019); Land Use & Zoning Litigation, Real Estate Litigation (2013-2019)
- Named "Lawyer of the Year" (2017): Best Lawyers Hartford Region Environmental Litigation
- 40 Under Forty, Hartford Business Journal (2004)
- New Leader of the Law, Connecticut Law Tribune (2002)
- 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
- CREW - The Real Estate Exchange
- Connecticut Developers Council
- Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Central Connecticut
- National Association of College and University Attorneys
- 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
Prevailed for Developer in Injunction Action Seeking to Enforce Unsigned Property Sale Contract
Represented the Cappelli Organization, a successful commercial real estate developer based in White Plains, NY which had built a shopping center in Milford, CT. Cappelli was negotiating a lease for one of the pad sites with an affiliate of ConnectiCare, Inc., which wanted to build out a walk-in retail insurance center. The negotiations broke down and Cappelli declined to sign the lease. ConnectiCare sued the Cappelli affiliate in New Britain Superior Court seeking specific performance of the unsigned lease on the grounds that it had spent money on preparations during the negotiations and the Cappelli site was the only property that met its site criteria. Along with its complaint, ConnectiCare filed a motion for temporary injunction seeking to force Cappelli to deliver immediate possession of the space to ConnectiCare, which would have caused Cappelli to breach its lease with another tenant. The temporary injunction hearing went forward before Judge Shortall in July 2016. Once ConnectiCare rested its case, Attorney Williams moved to dismiss ConnectiCare’s injunction claim. Judge Shortall orally denied the temporary injunction motion, finding that ConnectiCare had acted unfairly, did not rely on Cappelli in deciding to do the work, was not likely to succeed on the merits, had not shown irreparable harm, and that the balancing of the equities favored Cappelli. Soon after, ConnectiCare withdrew its lawsuit. The case was Care Management Solutions, Inc. v. CG Milford, LLC, Docket No. HHB-CV16-6033469-S.
Successful Suit for Property Remediation Under CT Environmental Protection Act
Represented a limited partnership that owns a commercial building in Norwalk, Connecticut on environmental cost recovery claims against the housing authority that owns an adjacent public housing development. After a lengthy trial, the court found that the housing authority had allowed underground storage tanks containing heating oil to leak and cause substantial soil and groundwater contamination at its property. The court granted the plaintiff an injunction requiring the defendant to remediate its property under the Connecticut Environmental Protection Act and awarded the plaintiff its attorneys’ fees. 50 Day Street Associates, Limited Partnership v. Norwalk Housing Authority, Connecticut Superior Court, Complex Litigation Docket at Stamford, Docket No. (X08) CV-02-0191396-S (2005).