Family Law

• Divorce
• Child Abuse
  –Plaintiff sought to defeat discretionary act immunity by arguing that school violated mandatory duty to report suspected child abuse.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Prior to joining the Firm, Ashley was a law clerk at a plaintiff’s firm assisting in negligence claims. In law school, she interned at the State’s Attorney’s Office where she worked closely with law enforcement personnel in the prosecution of criminal matters.
• Wrongful Death
  Estate of Cooper v. Michael Breen (North Branford Police Department): This suit stemmed from the fatal shooting of a fleeing motorist by Branford Police Officer Michael Breen. The estate filed a wrongful death civil rights claim, which was bifurcated by the trial court. The jury returned a plaintiffs verdict on the 4th Amendment claim and the matter settled as the court was considering the qualified immunity issue.
• Sex Crimes
  Allstate Insurance Company v. Furnari (State Court-2017): Allstate Insurance Company brought a declaratory judgment action seeking a declaration that there was no duty to defend or indemnify Charles Furnari in a case involving a sexual assault claim being brought against him by a classmate at school. Allstate filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that it did not have a duty to defend or indemnify Mr. Furnari because there was no occurrence under the policy and policy exclusions applied. The Court granted Allstate’s motion.
• Robbery
  –Plaintiff McKinney was arrested for robbery of a Subway by the Middletown Police Department, and displayed behavior while in lockup, suggesting emotional disturbance
• Burglary
  Sliwinski v. Middletown (USDC – 2016): Plaintiffs claimed that Connecticut State troopers and various Middletown police officers illegally entered their property and detained them as a result of an investigation into a burglary.  The Middletown defendants moved for summary judgment as to all claims in the complaint, arguing that they had no personal involvement in the subject incident, as all Middletown officers merely stood outside of the residence, assisting State Police.  The Court agreed and granted summary judgment in favor of the Middletown defendants.
• Assault
• Murder
  Schand v. City of Hartford (USDC – MA – 2016): Plaintiff’s suit against the City of Springfield and various employees of the City of Springfield, as well as the City of Hartford and unnamed “John Doe†supervisory employees of the City of Hartford seeking damages based upon a 27-year term of imprisonment that Plaintiff suffered as a result of a conviction for murder and other crimes that he alleged he did not commit. City of Hartford Defendants moved to dismiss and the Court granted the motion finding that Plaintiff failed to sufficiently allege supervisory and
• Arson
  Allstate Ins. Co. v. Barron, 269 Conn. 394, 848 A.2d 1165 (2004)(Addresses intentional/criminal act exclusions in homeowner insurance policy after triple murder/arson/suicide event takes life of husband and wife insureds)
• Kidnapping
  Schofield v. Manchester (USDC – 2015): In December of 2011, Plaintiff, Arthur Schofield, was having a pain in his chest, and therefore, went to receive medical treatment.  While receiving treatment, he was told he might be having a possible heart attack and was under doctor’s orders to go to the hospital.  He refused to go, stormed out of the doctor’s office and drove home.  Pursuant to policy, the Manchester Police Department was called whereupon the responding officer attempted to locate the Plaintiff, as he might be a danger to himself or others.  Responding officers eventually found Plaintiff at his home, and based upon information the officer learned at the doctor’s office, as well as during his conversation with the Plaintiff, he decided to perform an involuntary committal of Plaintiff as he believed he was a danger to himself and others.  As a result, Plaintiff filed a civil rights suit against various Manchester officers, claiming that his Fourth Amendment rights were violated as a result of the involuntary hospitalization.  He also pled claims for illegal entry into his home, equal protection, due process and municipal liability.  He further pled state law claims of negligence, infliction of emotional distress and kidnapping.  The defendants moved for summary judgment on all claims in the plaintiff’s complaint.  The Court granted partial summary judgment, dismissing Plaintiff’s claims of illegal entry, equal protection, due process and municipal liability.
• Hit and Run
  Edgerton v. Town of Clinton: Plaintiff was a passenger in a car that fled the scene of a motor vehicle accident. The victim of that accident followed the plaintiff’s car and called in the plate to the Clinton Police dispatcher. The dispatcher determined the owner of the fleeing vehicle while the hit and run victim continued to pursue the hit and run driver. The fleeing vehicle thereafter left the road at a high rate of speed, striking a tree and causing serious injury to the plaintiff. The Plaintiff sued the Clinton dispatcher for negligent failure to order the hit and run victim to stop pursuing the fleeing vehicle. The defendant raised an immunity defense based on the acts of a police dispatcher being discretionary. The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, however, the verdict was overturned by the Connecticut Supreme Court, which held the Dispatcher was entitled to governmental immunity.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
• Intellectual Property
  Megan handles a variety of complex civil cases in state and federal courts in Massachusetts. Megan litigates all types of cases for her insurance defense clients. She defends property management companies in a variety of premises liability matters and defends drivers and lessors of motor vehicles in trucking and automobile accident cases. Megan also has experience in representing municipalities throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and has a passion for Intellectual Property law, and assisting clients with brand protection and trademark registrations.

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation
  In some cases, winning at the appellate level is necessary to solidify a favorable result at trial; in other cases a successful appeal will reverse a decision that was rendered against a Howd & Ludorf, LLC client by a lower court. Over the past 20 years, Howd & Ludorf, LLC attorneys have secured both appellate affirmations of trial court wins for their clients and appellate court reversals of trial court decisions that had gone against their clients. The firm has also secured favorable results in Workers Compensation appeals.  Howd & Ludorf, LLC attorneys provide zealous appellate advocacy on behalf of their clients before the Connecticut Appellate Court, the Connecticut Supreme Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
• Wrongful Termination
  Working with public entities, corporations and insurers, the group counsels employers of all sizes to help avoid disputes and litigation. Howd & Ludorf, LLC attorneys often conduct workplace investigations concerning all types of internal employment complaints. The group prides itself on its role in representing employers in every aspect of litigation – from the administrative inquiry, through trial and appeal in cases where litigation cannot be avoided. Howd & Ludorf, LLC attorneys regularly defend individuals, corporations and municipalities in employment-related matters, against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower, wrongful termination, and civil rights violations before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Connecticut Department of Labor, the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations, and in state and federal courts throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.
• Employment Discrimination
  McKinney v. Glastonbury: Former officer in the Town’s on-call fire department claiming age discrimination for mandatory retirement before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Full Public Hearing resulting in judgement in favor of the Town that mandatory retirement is authorized under Connecticut law for firefighters even for high ranking officers.
• Employment Contract
  Ackley v. New London: State court lawsuit by now retired Chief of Police claiming breach of contract, promissory estoppel, unjust enrichment, quantum meruit and breach of implied covenant of good faith and fail dealings based upon failure to honor employment contract and settlement agreed to by Mayor but rejected by the City Council. Motion to Strike resulted in elimination of all claims except for breach of contracts finding that City Council had authority to contract and that City immune from breach of implied covenant of good faith and fail dealings. Ruling on motion to strike essentially resolved breach of contract claim as well.
• Employment Litigation
  David concentrates on employment litigation, mostly focusing on the public sector. David also advises employers on avoidance of litigation through counseling and training in the workplace as well as conducting workplace investigations on behalf of employers. David defends individuals, corporations and municipalities in employment related matters, including claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower, wrongful termination, and civil rights violations before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Connecticut Department of Labor and the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations, and state and federal courts throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.
• Sexual Harassment
  Salvatore v. East Granby: Federal court lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, disability and gender discrimination by probationary member of volunteer fire department against the Town and First Selectman. Motion to Dismiss granted on basis that Town had no control over volunteer fire department.

Property Law

• Premises Liability
  As part of the Firm’s public entity defense group, Ashley defends municipalities, public officials, law enforcement officers, boards of education, and other municipal employees throughout the State of Connecticut. She also defends general and professional liability claims involving negligence, premises liability, highway defect, and civil rights claims, including claims brought under 42 U.S.C. 1983.
• Construction Litigation
  Joni has managed all aspects of the litigation process, from discovery and motion practice to trial, negotiations and mediations. She has extensive experience waging Daubert-Lanigan challenges of plaintiffs’ medical and scientific experts, and is particularly skilled at researching and writing briefs on complex medical, scientific and technical issues and participating in evidentiary hearings. Joni is knowledgeable about the FELA, and has served as defense counsel to a New England-based railroad for many years in connection with asbestos and non-asbestos toxic tort litigation. She has also defended general product liability and civil litigation matters, including claims involving employment, construction defects and accidents and premises liability.
• Easement
• Land Use and Zoning

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  From carnival rides to zip lines, waterslides, wake boards and more, Howd & Ludorf, LLC defends the amusement and adventure industry in a wide variety of personal injury cases in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
• Auto Accidents
• Disability Discrimination
  O’Neil v. T/O Woodbridge: In this case a terminated probationary police officer with a vision condition alleged disability discrimination.  The court granted summary judgment for the Town of Woodbridge, as the plaintiff could not prove that the Town’s legitimate non-discriminatory reasons for his termination, namely, pervasive performance deficiencies, were a pretext for discrimination.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Prior to joining the Firm, Svetlana worked as an insurance defense counsel for a mid-sized law firm in Wallingford, CT. Svetlana has practiced in both Connecticut and New York. While in New York, Svetlana practiced as a Plaintiff’s Counsel for a large NYC firm. In addition to insurance litigation, Svetlana did insurance regulatory work, immigration, estate administration, and foreclosure defense work.

Finance Law

• Foreclosure