Day Pitney LLP promoted 11 attorneys to the firm's partnership in its three departments: Corporate and Business Law, Litigation, and Private Client. They also represent clients across the spectrum of practice areas, including Trusts and Estates; Complex Commercial Litigation; Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions; Real Estate; Employment and Labor; Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation; and Insurance and Reinsurance.

"Our elevation of eleven lawyers to partnership, across our practice groups and offices, is a testament to the quality of these attorneys and our confidence in the future of the firm," said Thomas Goldberg, Day Pitney's Managing Partner. "We look forward to our bright future together."

Promoted Partners

Emma D. Becker (Trusts and Estates; Providence) works with families and individuals on issues and concerns related to preserving, enhancing and transferring family wealth. With sensitivity and attention to her client's interests, Becker designs and drafts estate plans that minimize federal and state estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and maximize and protect the clients' wealth for each subsequent generation. She also works creatively to help clients transfer wealth during life to minimize gift and estate taxes, using a range of strategies, including grantor retained annuity trusts, charitable lead and charitable remainder trusts, and qualified personal residence trusts. In addition, Becker assists clients with the administration of estates and the probate process. Becker joined the firm through the merger with Howland Evangelista Kohlenberg LLP. She earned her A.B, cum laude, from Amherst College and her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. Becker is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Keith H. Bensten (Complex Commercial Litigation; Boston) represents clients in various industries in complex commercial, product liability, and employment litigation matters. He has represented businesses and individuals in arbitration proceedings and in litigation matters in federal and state courts throughout the United States in cases involving claims of product defect, toxic torts, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, tortious interference, and unfair trade practices. Bensten earned his B.A. from the University of Virginia and his J.D. from William & Mary Law School. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts.

Gretchen E. Blauvelt-Marquez (Public Companies, Securities and Capital Markets; New Jersey) counsels publicly traded companies, foreign private issuers, and privately held companies, including portfolio companies, as well as sponsors, underwriters, and investment banks, in public and private offerings of debt and equity securities. She also represents buyers and sellers in structuring and negotiating complex mergers and acquisitions, including roll-ups, divestitures, leveraged buy-outs, stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, cross-border transactions, and corporate reorganizations. Blauvelt-Marquez advises boards of directors, board committees, and senior management on corporate governance and compliance with public reporting responsibilities, including registration statements, periodic and current reports, proxy statements, Schedules 13D and G, and Section 16 filings with the SEC, duties under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and requirements of the NYSE and Nasdaq. She earned her A.B. from Princeton University and her J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center. Blauvelt-Marquez is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

Gemma R. Cashman (Real Estate and Land Use; Boston) focuses her practice on real estate and land use law, assisting real estate developers and financial institutions on matters, including property finance, conveyancing, development, permitting and leasing. She represents commercial clients in the energy, utilities and real estate development industries. Cashman assists real estate clients in all aspects of diligence for conveyancing, constructing and financing commercial real estate, including joint venture agreements and other organizational documents, condominium documents, ground and space leases, and title insurance. She earned her B.A. from Boston College and her J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School. Cashman is admitted to practice in Massachusetts.

Michael J. Fitzpatrick (Complex Commercial Litigation; New Jersey) assists clients in commercial litigation, products liability and tort defense and creditors' rights litigation. He frequently represents clients in connection with a variety of complex contractual disputes, as well as in defense of alleged violations of consumer protection statutes, like the TCPA. Fitzpatrick also defends manufacturers and other business entities against all types of personal injury suits, including claims involving alleged asbestos exposure. He regularly represents consumer lending institutions, such as mortgage lenders, investors and servicers, in defense of claims asserted by borrowers, municipalities and other governmental bodies. Fitzpatrick earned his B.A. from Boston College and his J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, from Seton Hall University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

James M. Leva (Employment and Labor; New Jersey) regularly defends employers against all types of employment-related claims, including discrimination, harassment, whistleblower and retaliation claims. He represents clients before state and federal courts, as well as government agencies. In addition to handling complex employment litigation, Leva routinely counsels employers on day-to-day compliance with the spectrum of laws governing the employer-employee relationship. He also regularly assists companies with protecting their confidential information and trade secrets, and represents companies and individuals in injunction hearings arising from and related to non-disclosure, non-competition, non-solicitation and other restrictive covenant agreements. Leva received his B.A. from the George Washington University and his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New Jersey.

Nicole M. Magdziak (Real Estate and Land Use; New Jersey) assists developers, property owners and corporations with residential, commercial, industrial and multifamily development and redevelopment, including land use and zoning, rezoning, affordable housing, redevelopment law, real estate acquisitions and dispositions, and financial incentives, such as long and short-term tax exemptions. She works with developers and property owners from the inception of their project, beginning with negotiation and drafting of purchase agreements and leases, and sees a project through to its approvals and entitlements from local planning boards, zoning boards and other governmental agencies. She earned her B.S., with Distinction, from the University of North Carolina and her J.D., cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law. Magdziak is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

Katherine A. McAllister (Trusts and Estates; Stamford) counsels high net worth individuals and families on estate planning, estate administration and trust administration. She advises private clients on the design and implementation of tax-efficient estate plans that further their personal and financial objectives. McAllister assists clients with all aspects of the estate administration and probate process, including representation of fiduciaries and beneficiaries in probate proceedings and preparation and filing of federal and state estate and gift tax returns. She earned her B.A., cum laude, from Williams College and her J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, from Boston College Law School. McAllister is admitted to practice in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.

Thomas F. J. O'Mullane (Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation; New Jersey) counsels employers on employee benefits and executive compensation matters. Clients rely on his extensive experience to advise them on the design, implementation, and ongoing administration of qualified and nonqualified retirement plans and health and welfare arrangements. O'Mullane regularly represents employers before the Internal Revenue Service in connection with the correction of plan document and operational failures, and before the Department of Labor in connection with fiduciary violations. He earned his B.S., cum laude, from Boston College and his J.D., cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law. O'Mullane is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York.

Elizabeth P. Retersdorf (Insurance and Reinsurance Disputes; Hartford) represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex insurance and reinsurance disputes, both litigating and arbitrating actions involving issues ranging from contribution and subrogation claims, to actions for rescission or reformation, to disputes concerning treaty and facultative reinsurance claims. Retersdorf also represents and advises clients on insurance-related regulatory matters, assisting clients with the acquisition of domestic insurance companies in Connecticut, and advising them on regulatory compliance on issues ranging from service contracts to producer licensing. She earned her B.A., summa cum laude, from Rice University and her J.D. from Yale Law School. Retersdorf is admitted to practice in Connecticut.

Brian E. Thompson (Trusts and Estates; Boca Raton) counsels private clients and high net worth individuals on estates and trusts, estate and gift tax planning, and special needs planning. He also assists them with the complexities of probate, estate and trust administration. Thompson carefully guides clients through the estate planning process to help them accomplish their objectives. He also addresses issues related to transferring wealth to the next generation through lifetime planning and post-death administration. Thompson joined the firm through the merger with Chapin Ballerano & Cheslack. He earned his B.A. from the University of Central Florida and his J.D. from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. Thompson is admitted to practice in Florida.