Shipman & Goodwin Named a Law360 2026 Regional Powerhouse

Shipman & Goodwin LLP is proud to announce that the firm has been recognized as one of Law360's 2026 Regional Powerhouses, a distinction honoring law firms that have delivered outstanding legal results and demonstrated leadership within their state. The full profile can be read on Law360 (login required).

The Law360 profile highlights several of the firm's recent achievements, including a landmark administrative victory that secured approximately $4.2 million in new funding for Connecticut's community living arrangements serving individuals with severe disabilities. Led by Christopher J. Cahill, counsel in the firm's litigation department, the effort challenged a yearslong rate freeze by the Department of Social Services that had kept reimbursement rates tied to 2013 cost levels. The case required the firm to develop a novel statutory construction analysis under Connecticut General Statutes Section 17b-244 — a provision that had never previously been construed by a court. In January 2026, DSS agreed to update rates statewide based on 2024 cost data.

The profile also recognizes the firm's prominent role in significant healthcare matters, including its representation of the University of Connecticut Health Center Finance Corp. and its Waterbury Health Corp. in the acquisition of Waterbury Hospital from bankrupt former owner Prospect Medical Holdings Inc. The firm led the regulatory strategy on the deal, which is expected to create a hospital system valued at approximately $500 million while protecting local healthcare access. Joan W. Feldman, chair of Shipman & Goodwin's health law practice group, noted that the transaction presented novel issues under Connecticut's certificate of need framework.

Additionally, the firm's national reach in the healthcare regulatory space was recognized through its advisory work for the Oregon Department of Justice in its review of a proposed combination of Oregon Health & Science University and Legacy Health, building on similar work previously performed for the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office.

"Connecticut is part of our DNA," said Managing Partner Leander A. Dolphin. "I'm so proud that so many of our lawyers have been here for 20 years or more, and we are the kind of place where people stay."

Founded in Hartford in 1919, Shipman & Goodwin has grown to include offices in Stamford, New Haven, Old Lyme, Greenwich, and Lakeville, Connecticut, as well as New York City and Boston. The firm expanded its Boston presence in November 2025 by welcoming most of the attorneys and professional staff from Tarlow Breed Hart & Rodgers PC. and most recently opened a new office in Dallas, Texas.

"We expect to be around for the next 107 years, so we try to make decisions with that in mind," Dolphin said.