Rich Mills is a member of our School Law Practice Group, and he serves on the firm's seven-person Management Committee. Rich represents numerous boards of education and other school law clients throughout Connecticut in labor, employment and school law matters. Rich counsels school law clients in a wide range of school law matters, including student discipline, Board of Education policies, First Amendment issues, Freedom of Information Act issues, residency matters and budgetary matters. He also advises school law clients extensively on labor and employment matters, including hiring, employee discipline and discharge, teacher non-renewal and termination and grievance arbitration proceedings. Rich also negotiates collective bargaining agreements on behalf of school law clients, covering both certified and non-certified employees. He has represented numerous clients in mediation and in interest arbitration proceedings.
- American Bar Association
- Connecticut Bar Association
- Hartford County Bar Association
- Connecticut School Attorneys Council
Performance-based Interest Arbitration Proceedings
Represented a Board of Education in interest arbitration proceedings in the fall of 2005, in which the arbitration panel awarded the Board's proposed performance-based compensation system for administrators for one year of the contract. The award will permit the district, for the first time, to award additional compensation to administrators based on their performance in various categories set forth in the arbitration award.
Implementation of High-deductible HSA Plan in Teacher Negotiations
Served as counsel to a Board of Education in Fall 2005 teacher negotiations, in which the Board successfully negotiated sweeping changes in the district's health insurance plans. The changes included the implementation of a high-deductible "H.S.A." plan as the core insurance plan starting in the third year of the contract.