Overview
Brendan counsels and defends independent schools and colleges and universities in an array of matters, including student injuries and student discipline, with a particular focus on Title IX and FERPA issues. Brendan regularly advises schools regarding processes for disciplining students and defends schools in Title IX and breach of contract cases brought by students challenging discipline imposed on them. He has also defended schools in student injury cases ranging from wrongful death claims to slip and falls.
Brendan also advises employers on a wide array of employment matters, including various claims of employment discrimination and sexual harassment under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act (CFEPA). When those claims result in litigation, Brendan defends employers in all stages of litigation, including proceedings before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) and in court. Brendan is an editor of the Connecticut Employment Law Letter and regularly writes articles regarding new developments relevant to Connecticut employers.
Brendan also advises insurers on coverage matters and is a frequent contributor to Reinsurance Focus, where he writes about reinsurance and arbitration developments.
As a former law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Connecticut Supreme Court, Brendan also brings the experience gained from his clerkships to all aspects of his practice, including the appellate matters he handles.
Experience
- CHRO ex rel. Mills-Sanders v. Greenwich Premier Servs. Co., No. NWH CV23-6008390-S, 2023 WL 5543621 (Conn. Super. Ct. Aug. 22, 2023) (granting motion to strike housing discrimination complaint brought by CHRO).
- Wilson v. Miss Porter’s School, Inc., No. HHD CV 20-6123888-S, 2022 WL 1657754 (Conn. Super. Ct. May 24, 2022) (granting summary judgment on all counts as to all plaintiffs, in premises liability matter against school, including claims of catastrophic injuries, bystander distress, and in the face of multimillion-dollar demands).
- Martinez v. City of Stamford, No. 3:20-cv-00174, 2022 WL 824638 (D. Conn. Mar. 17, 2022) (summary judgment granted as to all claims).
- Bracho v. Kent School, No. 3:18-cv-00021, 2022 WL 198679 (D. Conn. Jan. 22, 2022) (defense verdict after two-week jury trial in favor of defendant boarding school client, in case brought by international student who sustained catastrophic injuries during school cycling activity, including claims of traumatic brain injury and more than $1.2 million in medical care).
- Daconto v. Howard, 68 Conn. L. Rptr. 3, 2018 WL 7821676 (Conn. Super. Ct. Sept. 19, 2018) (granting summary judgment to insured client on premises liability claim arising from soccer-related traumatic brain injury claim).
- Gupte v. Watertown Bd. of Educ., No. 3:17-cv-00283, 2018 WL 4054880 (D. Conn. Aug. 24, 2018) (dismissing case in its entirety).
Areas of Focus
Practices
Industries
Insights
News
Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, Education Law, Insurance Law, Labor and Employment Law – Employee, Labor and Employment Law – Management, Labor and Employment Litigation (2021–2024)
Credentials
Education
- University of Connecticut School of Law (J.D., high honors, 2015)
- Managing Editor, Connecticut Law Review
- Connecticut Moot Court Board
- University of Connecticut (B.A., summa cum laude, 2012)
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
Clerkships
Background
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Christopher F. Droney, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2017)
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Andrew J. McDonald, Connecticut Supreme Court (2015–
2016)