Best Lawyers Recognizes 64 Shipman Lawyers in Three Major Categories
News Releases
August 21, 2025
Best Lawyers® today announced recognition for Shipman & Goodwin lawyers in three major categories. Six (6) Shipman lawyers have been named “Lawyer of the Year” in their individual practice areas by The Best Lawyers in America© 2026. 49 lawyers from Shipman have been selected by their peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America© 2026. And 15 Shipman lawyers have been selected as “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers.
Regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence for well over 30 years, Best Lawyers® has been called “the most respected referral list of lawyers in practice” by Corporate Counsel magazine.
“Lawyer of the Year” Awards
Special recognition is awarded to individual lawyers with the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region in a Best Lawyers edition. Only one lawyer is recognized as the "Lawyer of the Year" for each specialty and location. These Shipman lawyers received particularly high ratings from their peers for their abilities, professionalism and integrity:
Hartford
Bryon W. Harmon – Trusts and Estates
Gabriel J. Jiran – Employment Law – Management
Glenn M. Cunningham – Litigation – Intellectual Property
Mark K. Ostrowski – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
William J. Ronalter – Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
New Haven
Gregory Muccilli – Real Estate Law
“Best Lawyers in America” Awards
The Best Lawyers in America© 2026 based its selections entirely on peer review, with millions of confidential detailed peer evaluations by leading attorneys. Based on their legal abilities in their respective practice areas, forty-nine (49) lawyers from Shipman have been selected for the 2026 edition in 33 areas of law:
Banking and Finance Law
James C. Schulwolf (20+ years)
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Eric S. Goldstein
Kathleen LaManna
Andrew M. Zeitlin
Commercial Litigation
Eric Del Pozo
Mark K. Ostrowski (15+ years)
Karen Staib
Andrew M. Zeitlin
Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
James C. Schulwolf (20+ years)
Construction Law
Steven Lapp
Robert J. O'Brien (10+ years)
Corporate Governance Law
John H. Lawrence, Jr. (20+ years)
Corporate Law
Donna L. Brooks (5+ years)
Marc Esterman
John H. Lawrence, Jr. (20+ years)
Matthew J. Monteith
Matthew J. Ritter
James C. Schulwolf (20+ years)
Criminal Defense: General Practice
James W. Bergenn (15+ years)
Morgan Paul Rueckert
Criminal Defense: White-Collar
James W. Bergenn (15+ years)
Education Law
Leander A. Dolphin
Anne H. Littlefield (15+ years)
Richard A. Mills (15+ years)
Thomas B. Mooney (20+ years)
Jessica L. Ritter
Rebecca Rudnick Santiago
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Richard I. Cohen
Employment Law – Management
Brian Clemow (40+ years)
Leander A. Dolphin
Brenda A. Eckert (20+ years)
Julie C. Fay
Gabriel J. Jiran (10+ years)
Thomas B. Mooney (20+ years)
Jessica L. Ritter
Daniel A. Schwartz (20+ years)
Environmental Law
Aaron Levy
Equipment Finance Law
James C. Schulwolf (20+ years)
Health Care Law
Vincenzo Carannante
Joan W. Feldman (10+ years)
Marc C. Lombardi
Labor Law – Management
Brian Clemow (40+ years)
Gabriel J. Jiran (10+ years)
Jarad M. Lucan
Richard A. Mills (15+ years)
Thomas B. Mooney (20+ years)
Daniel A. Schwartz (20+ years)
Land Use and Zoning Law
Matthew Ranelli
Litigation – Construction
Steven Lapp
Robert J. O'Brien (10+ years)
Litigation – Environmental
Joseph P. Williams (15+ years)
Litigation – Insurance
Mark K. Ostrowski (15+ years)
Litigation – Intellectual Property
Glenn M. Cunningham (10+ years)
Patrick M. Fahey
Litigation – Labor and Employment
Peter J. Murphy
Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
Matthew Ranelli
Joseph P. Williams (15+ years)
Litigation – Patent
Patrick M. Fahey
Litigation – Real Estate
Barry C. Hawkins (30+ years)
Joseph P. Williams (15+ years)
Litigation and Controversy – Tax
Louis B. Schatz (10+ years)
Municipal Law
Matthew Ranelli
Matthew J. Ritter
Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
James W. Bergenn (15+ years)
William J. Ronalter
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
Mark K. Ostrowski (15+ years)
Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
James W. Bergenn (15+ years)
William J. Ronalter
Real Estate Law
Scott M. Gerard
Barry C. Hawkins (30+ years)
Gregory Muccilli
Kent S. Nevins (10+ years)
Lisa M. Zana
Tax Law
Louis B. Schatz (10+ years)
Trusts and Estates
Danielle P. Ferrucci (10+ years)
Bryon W. Harmon (10+ years)
Laura A. Schuyler
Lyn Gammill Walker (20+ years)
Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” Award
“Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” awards recognize lawyers who have been in private practice for less than 10 years in the United States, also based entirely on peer review. Fifteen (15) of the firm’s lawyers have been recognized in 16 areas of practice and nine were named in multiple areas. Based on their legal abilities in their respective practice areas, these lawyers from Shipman & Goodwin have been selected for the 2026 edition:
Banking and Finance Law
Sara Bonaiuto
W. Graham Garrett
Bankruptcy and Creditors Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Jessica M. Signor
Jaime A. Welsh
Commercial Litigation
Sarah E. Dlugoszewski
Sarah A. Kettenmann
Jaime A. Welsh
Corporate Governance and Compliance
Ryan Alexander Less
Corporate Law
Katilee Boisvert
Sara Bonaiuto
Education Law
Sarah Gleason
Julie P. Reznik
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Ryan Alexander Less
Environmental Law
Kristie A. Beahm
Alfredo G. Fernández
Sarah A. Kettenmann
Insurance Law
Emily McDonough Souza
Labor and Employment Law – Management
Emily McDonough Souza
Land Use and Zoning Law
Ian Leon
Litigation – Bankruptcy
Jaime A. Welsh
Litigation – Environmental
Alfredo G. Fernández
Litigation – Labor and Employment
Emily McDonough Souza
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
Sarah E. Dlugoszewski
Jaime A. Welsh
Real Estate Law
W. Graham Garrett
Nikolas D. Kittredge
Ian Leon