Best Lawyers Recognizes 76 Shipman Lawyers in Three Major Categories
News Releases
August 20, 2026
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© 2027. An additional 57 lawyers from Shipman have been selected by their peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America© 2027. And 13 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
Vincenzo Carannante – Health Care Law
Eric S. Goldstein – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Gabriel J. Jiran – Labor Law – Management
Morgan Paul Rueckert – Criminal Defense: General Practice
Rebecca Rudnick Santiago – Education Law
New Haven
Joseph P. Williams – Litigation – Real Estate
“Best Lawyers in America” Awards
The Best Lawyers in America© 2027 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, sixty-three (63) lawyers from Shipman have been selected for the 2027 edition in 35 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 M. LaManna
Andrew M. Zeitlin
Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Richard P. Breed III (15+ years)
Albert A. DeNapoli
Jeffrey P. Hart (10+ years)
William R. Rodgers (10+ years)
Edward D. Tarlow
Commercial Litigation
Mark S. Furman
Mark K. Ostrowski (15+ years)
Karen T. 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 R. 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
Andreana R. Bellach
Leander A. Dolphin
Anne H. Littlefield (15+ years)
Richard A. Mills (15+ years)
Thomas B. Mooney (20+ years)
Peter J. Murphy
Jessica L. Ritter
Rebecca Rudnick Santiago
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Richard I. Cohen (15+ years)
Employment Law – Management
Brian Clemow (40+ years)
Leander A. Dolphin
Julie C. Fay
Gabriel J. Jiran (10+ years)
Peter J. Maher
Thomas B. Mooney (20+ years)
Jessica L. Ritter
Daniel A. Schwartz (20+ years)
Jessica Richman Smith
Sarah A. Westby
Energy Law
Matthew Ranelli (10+ years)
Environmental Law
Aaron D. Levy
Family Law
John D. Stuebing
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 (10+ years)
Litigation – Construction
Steven Lapp
Robert J. O'Brien (10+ years)
Litigation – Environmental
Aaron D. Levy
Joseph P. Williams (15+ years)
Litigation – Insurance
Mark K. Ostrowski (15+ years)
Litigation – Intellectual Property
Glenn M. Cunningham (15 years)
Litigation – Labor and Employment
Leander A. Dolphin
Peter J. Murphy
Sarah A. Westby
Julia V. Wilde
Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
Matthew Ranelli (10+ years)
Joseph P. Williams (15+ years)
Litigation – Real Estate
Barry C. Hawkins (30+ years)
Joseph P. Williams (15+ years)
Litigation – Trusts and Estates
Richard P. Breed III (15+ years)
Albert A. DeNapoli
Mark S. Furman
John D. Stuebing
Catherine M. Watson
Litigation and Controversy – Tax
Louis B. Schatz (15 years)
Municipal Law
Matthew Ranelli (10+ years)
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)
Stephen Kutenplon
Gregory P. Muccilli
Kent S. Nevins (10+ years)
Lisa M. Zana
Tax Law
David O. Bigger
Jeffrey P. Hart (10+ years)
Louis B. Schatz (10+ years)
Trusts and Estates
Richard P. Breed III (15+ years)
Danielle P. Ferrucci (10+ years)
Bryon W. Harmon (10+ years)
Karen L. McKenna
Laura A. Schuyler
Melissa E. Sydney
Edward D. Tarlow
David Valente
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. Thirteen (13) of the firm’s lawyers have been recognized in fifteen (15) areas of practice and six (6) 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 2027 edition:
Banking and Finance Law
Sara K. Bonaiuto
Bankruptcy and Creditors Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Jaime A. Welsh
Commercial Litigation
Vincent T. D’Amore
Sarah E. Dlugoszewski
Jonathan W. Fazzino
Jaime A. Welsh
Corporate Governance and Compliance
Ryan Alexander Less
Corporate Law
Katilee M. Boisvert
Sara K. Bonaiuto
Education Law
Sarah E. Gleason
Julie P. Reznik
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Ryan Alexander Less
Environmental Law
Kristie A. Beahm
Labor and Employment Law – Management
Emily McDonough Souza
Land Use and Zoning Law
Vincent T. D’Amore
Litigation – Bankruptcy
Brian G. Remondino
Jaime A. Welsh
Litigation – Labor and Employment
Emily McDonough Souza
Litigation – Real Estate
Vincent T. D’Amore
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
Sarah E. Dlugoszewski
Jaime A. Welsh
Real Estate Law
Vincent T. D’Amore
Nikolas D. Kittredge