Firm Names New Partners and Counsel

Shipman & Goodwin LLP has promoted these attorneys to Partner: Kimberly S. Cohen, Jarad M. Lucan, Nathan Z. Plotkin, Matthew D. Ritter and Gwen J. Zittoun. In addition, Katherine M. Hance, Katie P. Kasinskas and Gregory P. Muccilli have been promoted to Counsel.

Kimberly Cohen, partner, practices in the areas of corporate trust and business and finance, where she handles complex financial transactions as well as default and workout situations. She represents clients, including indenture trustees and other fiduciaries, with respect to restructuring and bankruptcy matters in various industries such as financial services, bank holding companies and aircraft leasing and finance. Ms. Cohen also represents clients in a variety of secured and unsecured financing transactions from deal inception through ongoing administration. She handles corporate debt issuances, project financing, lease transactions, collateral agencies, and escrow and depositary relationships. Ms. Cohen is resident in the firm’s Hartford, CT office.

Jarad Lucan is a partner in the firm’s Employer Defense and Labor Relations Practice Group. He represents public and private sector clients and non-profit organizations on labor and employment matters in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations. In addition, Mr. Lucan advises employers on personnel-related issues such as policies and handbooks, discipline, requests for accommodation and non-compete agreements, and conducts effective, interactive and engaging training for employers’ sexual harassment prevention programs. Mr. Lucan is a frequent speaker, author and media commentator on labor and employment issues, both nationally and locally, and is resident in the firm’s Hartford, CT office.

Nathan Plotkin, partner, practices in the areas of Business and Finance and Corporate Trust, where he regularly represents corporate trustees, collateral agents, escrow agents and other fiduciaries and agents in corporate debt issues, high-yield bond financings, project finance and other secured and unsecured financing transactions. Mr. Plotkin also represents trustees and agents in default situations. He previously served as Assistant General Counsel in the investment bank and brokerage industry. Mr. Plotkin is resident in the firm’s Hartford, CT office.

Matthew Ritter, partner, practices in the areas of public finance, municipal law and election law. Mr. Ritter serves as bond counsel for a number of Connecticut municipalities and taxing districts. He has significant experience in the preparation of documentation and determination of tax-exempt status of bond issues, and coordination of the activities relative to the authorization and issuance of municipal bonds and notes. Mr. Ritter regularly counsels clients on matters involving issuance and sale of general obligation, revenue, fixed rate, variable rate, refunding and credit enhanced obligations. He also works with school districts on finance and election issues. Mr. Ritter is resident in the firm’s Hartford, CT office.

Gwen Zittoun, partner, practices in the area of school law, representing boards of education and school districts in relation to special education, Section 504, ADA, student discipline, Title IX, restraint and seclusion, student data privacy and general education matters. She frequently supports school districts in special education mediations, due process hearings, and federal court actions, and provides legal counsel on a variety of special education issues. She also supports schools in Office for Civil Rights complaints and Title IX investigations. In addition, Ms. Zittoun is a frequent speaker and author on education issues, and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. She is resident in the firm’s Hartford, CT office.

Katherine Hance is counsel in the firm's Insurance & Reinsurance and Litigation Practice Groups. She has extensive experience representing insurers on a wide range of coverage and insurance issues, bankruptcy-related matters and claims of bad faith. Ms. Hance handles complex matters involving client counseling and both trial and appellate litigation. She is resident in the firm’s Washington, DC office.

Katie Kasinskas, counsel, represents a diverse group of financial institutions and corporate borrowers in a broad range of corporate and commercial financing and restructuring transactions, including senior and junior credit facilities, asset-based lines of credit, real estate financing, loan workouts, and the restructuring of distressed debt and existing loans. Ms. Kasinskas regularly advises clients with respect to the structuring, negotiating, and closing of these transactions. She is resident in the firm’s Stamford, CT office.

Gregory Muccilli is a counsel in the firm’s Real Estate, Environmental and Land Use Practice Group, where he practices in the areas of real estate development, commercial financing, commercial leasing and land use counseling, particularly in New Haven County, Connecticut. His experience includes counseling clients in the acquisition, financing, development, leasing and disposition of commercial, mixed-use and multi-family residential properties. Mr. Muccilli represents clients throughout all stages of development and has appeared before various municipal land use departments, inland wetlands committees, planning and zoning commissions and boards of zoning appeal throughout Connecticut. He also serves as Connecticut counsel to companies and developers in multistate transactions that include Connecticut real property. Mr. Muccilli is resident in the firm’s New Haven, CT office.