Spinella & Associates. Who we are.

Ask a Connecticut lawyer who he or she would hire for the most sensitive criminal case or complex civil case, and the answer is Spinella & Associates.

Over half of the firm's cases are referrals from other lawyers. Why is that?

Spinella & Associates has a track record and a reputation for getting results: They will not back down from a challenge; they are not afraid of the hard cases.

They are determined trial lawyers who represent the ordinary citizen against the abuse of power by institutions. They are a firm of energetic lawyers who bound up the courthouse steps anxious to do battle for individual rights.

Spinella & Associates have been described by clients and opponents alike as possessing two distinctive traits: enormous thoroughness and unlimited persistence.

Opponents of Spinella & Associates know they face the certainty of a vigorously presented claim brought by experienced professionals. They know they are up against a track record of excellent results for plaintiffs.

Some opponents learn the hard way.

For example: In the case of an electrician who was severely burned, the defendants offered a settlement of $15,000. Spinella & Associates went on trial for six weeks and their client was awarded $1.75 million.

"If somebody is harmed, we're not afraid to take on powerful defendants to get justice," Mr. Jaffe has consistently maintained over the course of his career.

The examples abound. Spinella & Associates, a full service civil litigation firm, have obtained numerous settlements for clients against police departments, banks, health care companies, manufacturers and other institutions -- even other law firms who represented their clients poorly. And from murder to DWI, they are also among the handful of criminal defense firms of choice in Connecticut.

In the civil arena, Spinella & Associates remain on the cutting edge in the areas of civil rights, police misconduct, employee rights, probate abuses and medical and legal malpractice claims. In one heart-wrenching case, they helped make a paralyzed little girl's life better by suing an unscrupulous law firm that had malpracticed by not bringing a suit on her behalf against the car seat manufacturer.

In a hospice malpractice case, they took action when a company allegedly fundamentally violated a family's trust by failing to properly take care of their dying daughter.

In addition to their traditional case work in police misconduct, criminal cases, personal injury, and protection of individual rights, Spinella & Associates are helping to ensure that banks and lawyers do not abuse the probate system for personal gain at the expense of ordinary citizens, and that the rights of elderly persons and wards vis a vis nursing homes, the state, and other institutions, are vigorously protected.

Talk about sweet revenge.

A bank and another law firm had kept an heir to a railroad magnate separated from his multi-million dollar family fortune. Even wealthy individuals can have problems with institutions.

Enter Spinella & Associates -- the antidote for abuse of individual rights.

Their client, a graduate of Columbia Law School, had presided over a huge investment portfolio and become a highly-regarded philanthropist despite an admitted alcohol problem. Even after he joined Alcoholics Anonymous and recovered from his problem, the local probate court still refused to remove the conservatorship that had previously been placed on him. Another probate judge called the action an "outrage."

Attorneys Spinella & Associates produced psychiatric evaluations attesting to the client's competence. These evaluations showed he had a superior I.Q. and no evidence of cognitive or personality deterioration. He regained his freedom and control over his finances after a court proceeding where the bank and law firm vigorously contested return of the client's property because of his alleged alcoholism.

Soon after, he ran as a candidate for probate judge in the district that unjustly declared him incapable.

"No seemingly powerful bank, law firm or individual will abuse any citizen in the district of ... while I am probate judge," his campaign literature provided.

He lost the political race, but, with the help of Spinella & Associates, he regained his dignity and independence, and control of his estate. Shortly after this, they represented him in a case to recover damages for the alleged mismanagement of his monies by his conservator bank.

Mr. Spinella recalls this case in terms of what it represents: "Just about every nightmare cliché of what can happen in a small town given the structural problems in our state probate system." And he speaks proudly of his client's recovery and accomplishments, which he made possible.

"I respect [my client] an incredible amount," Mr. Spinella said. "After going through this, he ran for political office because he genuinely wanted to help his community and protect others."

Spinella & Associates. Making the law work for YOU.

Spinella & Associates • 1 Lewis St. • Hartford CT 06103-3402
phone: (860) 728-4900 • fax: (860) 728-4909
E-mail: attorney@spinella-law.com