News & Events

UKS Attorney John C. King was recently admitted to practice before the New Hampshire Bar in a swearing-in ceremony on June 5, 2019.  Attorney King was admitted to the Connecticut Bar on September 11, 1973 and the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007. Attorney King has extensive trial experience, court and jury, and appellate experience in the state and federal systems. He has represented major corporations and several Connecticut municipalities. Recently, Attorney King was an integral part of the UKS team ...

On July 9, 2019, Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. (“UKS”) scored a major victory for the Tweed-New Haven Airport Authority (“Tweed”) in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.  In a unanimous decision, the Court invalidated a Connecticut state law limiting the length of the primary runway at Tweed-New Haven Airport (the “Airport”), holding that the statute was preempted by the Federal Aviation Act. See Tweed-New Haven Airport Authority v. Tong, __ F.3d __, 2019 WL 2932588 (2d Cir. 2019). The UKS team was led by Hugh Manke, John King and Chris Klepps...  

“I am honored to be named “Best Attorney” for the fifth year in a row by NCN Readers. Practicing law is my passion and the relationships that I have built with my clients make my career extremely enjoyable day in and day out.” Kumiega said. Attorney Kumiega’s practice areas include commercial and residential real estate, real estate development and land use, leasing, general corporate counsel, business law, business formation, mergers and acquisitions, estate planning, trusts and estates, busin ...

UKS Attorney Andrew L. Houlding will be speaking on current Developments in Employment Law and Successful Hiring and Recruitment Steps at a seminar, presented by the National Business Institute, entitled "Human Resource Law from Start to Finish" being held from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on 8/14/2019 at the Courtyard Waterbury Downtown, 63 Grand Street, Waterbury. Registration may be completed at nbi-sems.com. In addition to developments in employment law and successful hiring and recruitment, th ...

Firm shareholder Richard S. Order was recently elected Treasurer of the Mandell Greater Hartford Jewish Community Center in West Hartford. He has been a member of its Board of Directors since 2015 and is currently the Chairman of the Finance Committee and a member of the Executive and Nominating Committees. For several years, Richard has also been a Co-Chair of the Center’s Hartford Jewish Film Festival, which shows films from Israel or containing Jewish themes every March at various venues in t ...

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW UPDATE:
TRANSFER ACT REVISIONS
EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2019
By:  Mark J. Zimmermann, Esq.

            On June 28, 2019 Governor Lamont signed a bill entitled “An Act Concerning the Audit Period for the Transfer of Hazardous Waste Establishments”.  The bill makes numerous amendments to the Transfer Act that will be effective on October 1, 2019. These amendments serve to ease some of the present burdens imposed upon certain establishments involved with the transfer of contaminated properties under Connecticut’s Transfer Act...

Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. is pleased to announce the addition of two well-known Connecticut attorneys to its ranks.   James R. Byrne is a principal in the firm’s litigation department. Attorney Byrne graduated from Boston University with a degree in Psychology and from UConn School of Law.  He is admitted to practice in Connecticut, Massachusetts and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court.  Attorney Byrne is a commercial litigator with 25 years of experience representing financial instit ...

UKS Hartford principal and Avon resident Thomas A. Gugliotti has recently found a new (for him!) charitable organization to join – and one that fits Tom’s Italian-American heritage and local involvement! The Avon Chapter of UNICO International is part of the nearly 100 year old Italian heritage organization, whose moto is “service above self”. UNICO International is the largest Italian American service organization in America, founded in 1922 in Waterbury Connecticut, and which now has chapters ...

The Supreme Court in Knick v. Township of Scott Pennsylvania, No. 17-647, U.S. (2019) rectifies over 30 years of adverse outcomes in overturning Williamson Cty. Reg’l Planning Comm’n v. Hamilton Bank, 473 U.S. 172 (1985). In doing so, it stands on the shoulders of a case in which Updike Kelly & Spellacy represented the plaintiff in 2016, Arrigoni Enterprises, LLC  v. Durham, 578 U.S.(2016)  (Thomas, J., joined by Kennedy, J., dissenting from denial of certiorari)...

In June, Donald Doeg was appointed to a two year term as Chair of the Construction Law Section of the Connecticut Bar Association.