2021 was one of the most difficult years ever, for clients, lawyers, and humanity in general. Thankfully, we at LK&M came through the year in a highly positive fashion, both for the firm as a whole and the individuals within it.
Firm. We achieved the unusual feat of being recognized by U.S. News and World Report as an outstanding, top-tier firm for the fifth time in our fifth year of existence.
Partners. Each of the three partners once again was recognized for his excellence through being listed in The Best Lawyers in America. For 40 years Best Lawyers has been regarded, both by the legal profession and the public, as the definitive legal guide for excellence in the United States. LKM is one of a handful of firms in Connecticut, in which all of the partners have been listed in Best Lawyers.
Bruce. Our senior partner was accorded one of the highest honors a Connecticut lawyer can receive, when he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Connecticut Law Tribune. The award is given to a lawyer “who has left a lasting imprint on the legal community of Connecticut.” More specifically, Bruce was cited for being one of two Connecticut lawyers in the 1970s who brought Connecticut from having one of the poorest systems nationally of professional discipline/grievances to a statewide system that is one of the best, and for his national leadership in furthering a non-adversarial constructive approach to divorce.
Bob. Bob continued his work in the area of relationships between divorce lawyers and mental health professionals. He was one of the founders of such an organization in the Hartford area and also has participated for many years in a program at Columbia University’s Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology. Last year’s program pertained to litigation regarding abused children and parental rehabilitation.
David. David not only served as managing partner of the firm, but continued his rise as a leading family/matrimonial lawyer statewide. He was elected as the newest member of the Connecticut chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the preeminent organization of divorce lawyers in all 50 states; there are 32 members in the Connecticut chapter, five from Hartford. David continued and expanded his monthly blog on developments in Connecticut family law, including all appellate court decisions and legislation, and published two articles in the Connecticut Law Tribune.
Ashley. We welcomed Ashley Cervin as our new associate, upon her passing the bar exam and being admitted to the practice of law in November. A summa cum laude graduate of Quinnipiac University School of Law, Ashley had been our law clerk during her third year of law school. She has quickly and successfully adapted to her new role, advising clients, handling court proceedings, and all else that lawyers do. We envision a bright future for Ashley.
Partner/Judge. We elected a fourth partner, Carla Zahner, effective January 1, 2021. No sooner had Carla become a partner than Governor Lamont tapped her to be a Judge of the Superior Court. Carla brought great talent and dedication to her work with us, and we are confident that she is doing likewise in her important new role.
Staff. We added a third staff person during 2021, with Stephen Shura joining us as an administrative legal assistant. Stephen’s extensive previous experience in commercial banking and the hospitality industry has added a new dimension to LKM, joining two top-flight and experienced paralegals in Cecilia Bayek and Patrick Buckley.
We are grateful to the clients who chose to work with us, especially in a particularly challenging time, and thank our colleagues and court personnel for their collective patience, as we learn how to navigate online meetings and remote hearings, looking toward a significantly different practice of law in times to come.
