Lawrence J. Campane

Lawrence Campane is a former partner of the firm, currently Of Counsel. Over his nearly 32 years of practice, Attorney Campane has represented school boards and municipalities before various state administrative agencies and in the federal courts, and has rendered legal advice to municipal, school board, and private sector clients on various labor, employment and education law issues. Attorney Campane has extensive experience in collective bargaining involving certified and non-certified employees. Attorney Campane has represented boards of education in hundreds of special education matters before the State Department of Education. He has represented the interests of school districts in special education matters longer than any other attorney in Connecticut.

He has been a frequent speaker on special education and related school law issues.

Attorney Campane is admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut, in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut and in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Attorney Campane served as a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on Student Residency. He is currently a member of the Connecticut and American Bar Associations, and the Connecticut Council of School Attorneys. Additionally, Attorney Campane has been named a Connecticut Bar Foundation Fellow.

Attorney Campane received his legal education from the University of Connecticut School of Law (J.D.). He did his undergraduate work at Seton Hall University (B.A.).

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William R. Connon

William R. Connon is a partner of the firm. He has extensive experience advising and representing boards of education and municipalities in a wide range of labor, employment, and education law matters, including numerous hearings before the State Board of Labor Relations, the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration, and the State Department of Education.

Attorney Connon is admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Attorney Connon is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association – including membership on the Executive Committee of the Labor and Employment Law section and the Education Law Committee – the Hartford County Bar Association, the Connecticut Council of School Attorneys and the National Association of School Board Attorneys. Attorney Connon also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education, Department of Educational Leadership Graduate School.

Attorney Connon received his legal education from the Syracuse University School of Law (J.D.). He did his undergraduate work at the University of Connecticut (B.A.).

He practices in the Hartford office.

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Michael P. McKeon

Michael P. McKeon is a partner of the firm. He represents boards of education, municipalities and private-sector employers in both federal and state courts, on both the trial and appellate levels, as well as before federal and state boards and commissions. His verdicts on behalf of clients have been featured in articles The Connecticut Law Tribune, as well as in the Hartford Courant.

Attorney McKeon is a frequent speaker on both education and employment law issues, including the 2006 National School Boards Association’s annual conference. Attorney McKeon has also spoken at the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education’s annual conventions on special education law, was an author of Employer’s Guide to Federal Labor and Employment Laws and Regulations, and in 2005 was the only school board attorney in Connecticut selected by the State Department of Education to represent the interests of school districts in the selection of special education hearing officers.

Attorney McKeon is admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association – including membership on the Education Law Committee and the Labor and Employment Law Committee – the Hartford County Bar Association and both the Connecticut and National Councils of School Attorneys. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bridgeport’s Department of Education Leadership. Attorney McKeon was formerly an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law and prior to attending law school was a Teaching Fellow at the University of Missouri.

Attorney McKeon received his legal education from the University of Connecticut School of Law, (J.D) where he was an editor of the Connecticut Law Review, a Dean’s Fellow, and the Class Speaker at the 1987 Commencement. He did his post graduate work at University of Missouri, (M.A. with honors). He did his undergraduate work at the University of New Hampshire (B.A., cum laude).

He practices in the Hartford office.

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Roseann G. Padula

Roseann G. Padula is a partner of the firm. She has extensive experience representing public and private Connecticut employers (including numerous school boards) in the areas of labor, employment and education law. Attorney Padula has provided consultation on labor and workplace issues at policy and implementation levels, has provided training and conducted seminars for personnel, and has drafted a wide range of employment documents. She has serviced employers in connection with union organizing drives, union representation elections, unfair labor practice charges, collective bargaining negotiations and contract administration, Freedom of Information Act issues, reductions and reorganization in staff, wage and hour audits, workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance claims, employee discipline, civil rights and employment discrimination claims, and has litigated matters before state and federal agencies, mediators and arbitrators.

Before practicing as an attorney, Attorney Padula held officer-level positions in private industry directing human resource and marketing operations.

Her works have been published in the Connecticut Law Review and various trade journals and newsletters and a variety of business publications. Attorney Padula has been a guest on several radio talk shows, and has presented before business and education groups. Attorney

Attorney Padula is admitted to the Connecticut Bar and the U. S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Connecticut Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section and Education Committee), the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) (Co-Chair, State Council Legislative Affairs Committee), the SHRM Western Connecticut Chapter (President and Legislative Affairs Director), and the Connecticut Business & Industry Association Labor and Employment Law Council.

Attorney Padula received her legal education from the University of Connecticut (J.D. with honors). In addition, she did postgraduate work at Pace University Graduate School of Business (M.B.A., with distinction), and Columbia University (Executive Program). Her undergraduate degree is from Lafayette College (B.A. in Economics).

She practices in the Bethel office.

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Victor Schoen

Victor Schoen is a founding partner of the firm, currently Of Counsel. Attorney Schoen has over 32 years of experience advising and representing board of education and other public agencies in a wide range of labor, employment, and education law matters, including numerous hearings before the State Board of Labor Relations, the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration, and the State Department of Education. Attorney Schoen has extensive experience in collective bargaining involving certified and non-certified employees. Attorney Schoen also previously represented the State of Connecticut Technical Schools in labor matters.

Attorney Schoen was appointed to the State Department of Education Arbitration Panel by Governor M. Jodi Rell in 2007. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Attorney Schoen is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, is a past president of the Connecticut Council of School Attorneys, and is a past member of the Education Law Association and the National Association of School Board Attorneys.

He has conducted workshops on certified employee and non-certified employee collective bargaining including contract grievance workshops and workshops on teacher termination issues, and also given numerous other workshops on various areas of education and employment law, including presenting at a national conference in New Orleans.

Attorney Schoen is a former member of Regional School District No. 8 Board of Education. He has served as a management arbitrator under the Municipal Employee Relations Act.

Attorney Schoen received his legal education at University of Connecticut School of Law (J.D.) and his undergraduate degree from Trinity College (B.A.).

He practices in the Hartford office.

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Brooke Sherer

Brooke Sherer is an associate of the firm. She represents school boards, municipalities and our other public sector clients before both federal and state court and administrative agencies on a broad spectrum of labor, employment and education law issues.

Before joining the firm she was an associate in the Manhattan office of Harris Beach PLLC.

Attorney Sherer is admitted to the practice of law in both Connecticut and New York. Attorney Sherer is a member of the Connecticut, New York and American Bar Associations.

Attorney Sherer received her law degree from the University of Connecticut School Of Law, where she was an editor of the Connecticut Law Review, was awarded a Dean’s Scholarship, and received the Fleming James Jr. Award for Excellence in Labor Law. Attorney Sherer did her undergraduate work at Cornell University, where she earned a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations.

She practices in the Hartford office.

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Mark J. Sommaruga

Mark J. Sommaruga is a partner of the firm. He has extensive experience in representing the interests of Connecticut municipalities and school boards, other public sector clients, and private sector clients in labor (including collective bargaining), employment, education, civil rights, special education, municipal law, construction law, tort matters, and assorted other litigation in the state and federal courts on both the trial and appellate court levels, as well as before various state and federal agencies.

Attorney Sommaruga is admitted to the Connecticut Bar, the U. S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the U. S. Supreme Court. Attorney Sommaruga is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and its Education Law Committee and Labor and Employment Section (Chairman of Legislative Subcommittee, member of the Executive Committee), the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys, and has also served as President of the Connecticut Council of School Attorneys. Attorney Sommaruga has been a participant in and presenter at workshops, seminars and conferences on education, labor and employment law issues, including those sponsored by the Connecticut Bar Association, and has been a presenter at the CABE/CAPSS convention. Attorney Sommaruga also is member of the Board of Directors of The Bridge Academy, serving as its Corporate Secretary from 1997 until 2004. Attorney Sommaruga is the author of The Connecticut Freedom of Information Act and Access to Public Meetings and Records: A Primer for Municipal Agencies.

Attorney Sommaruga received his legal education at the University of Connecticut School of Law (J.D. with High Honors) and his undergraduate degree from Trinity College (B.A. with Honors in Political Science and Russian/Soviet Studies; Phi Beta Kappa).

He practices in the Hartford office.

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Catherine M. Thompson

Catherine M. Thompson is a partner of the firm. She has extensive experience in both private and public sector collective bargaining and labor relations, including her representation of school boards in Connecticut. Attorney Thompson has rendered legal advice and represented clients before state and federal agencies and in state and federal courts concerning a wide variety of labor relations and employment issues, including union representation elections, contract negotiations and administration, unfair labor practice charges, workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, employee discipline and termination, and civil rights and employment discrimination matters.

Attorney Thompson was formerly a principal of Edward J. Mitchell Associates Labor Consultants and served as a staff attorney for Labor Relations and Litigation for the Chrysler Corporation. Before practicing as an attorney, Attorney Thompson worked as High School Guidance Counselor.

Attorney Thompson is admitted to the Connecticut Bar, the Michigan Bar, the U. S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Attorney Thompson is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and served as member of the Executive Committee of its Labor and Employment Law Section. Attorney Thompson is also a member of the Connecticut Council of School Attorneys, serving as its past president.

Attorney Thompson received her legal education from Wayne State University School of Law. In addition, she did post-graduate work at the University of Michigan (M.A. in Guidance and Counseling). She did her undergraduate work at Newton College of the Sacred Heart (B.A.).

She practices in the Bethel office.

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