Thomas J. O'Neill took the oath of office at a swearing-in ceremony for the newest class of Connecticut Superior Court judges on May 4. He was nominated to serve on the bench by Governor Ned Lamont earlier this year and confirmed by the General Assembly this month.

"Our court system works best when it reflects the diversity, experience, and understanding of the people it serves. These individuals I am nominating have the qualifications that meet the high standards the residents of Connecticut deserve on the bench. Justice delayed is justice denied, and these new judges will help ensure the judicial branch is able to decide cases promptly and efficiently," noted Governor Lamont in a March press release.

O'Neill, most recently a partner at Day Pitney LLP, was a litigator and trial attorney resident in the firm's Stamford, Connecticut office. O'Neill represented clients in complex litigation, including claims for fraud, commercial lease disputes, corporate dissolutions, claims for breaches of fiduciary duties, and violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA). He earned his B.A. from Stonehill College and his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. O'Neill is admitted to practice in Connecticut and Massachusetts, as well as the U.S. District Courts in Connecticut, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York and Massachusetts.

"Tom has truly distinguished himself as a litigator in bankruptcy and commercial proceedings, and he has served our firm well as a partner for many years," said Day Pitney Managing Partner Gregory A. Hayes. "He will make an outstanding Superior Court judge in Connecticut, and the entire firm congratulates him on this honor."

O'Neill joins a long line of former Day Pitney lawyers who have been elevated to the bench, including former U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan; Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut; Judge Stefan Underhill of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut; former Chief Justice John Patrick Cotter of the Connecticut Supreme Court; Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Connecticut; Judge Edgardo Ramos of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York; Judge Michael P. Shea of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut; Judge James Sicilian of the Connecticut Superior Court; and Judge James Tancredi of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Connecticut.

In addition to the lawyers who have been elevated to the bench from Day Pitney's ranks, Chase T. Rogers, former Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, joined Day Pitney in 2018 and chairs the firm's Appellate Practice group.