About Us

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and chair’s the firm’s Data Privacy and Security Team. She currently serves as general counsel to the Rhode Island Quality Institute. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. She counsels clients on state and federal data privacy and security investigations and data breaches. Prior to joining the firm, Linn was a partner at Nixon Peabody, where she served as leader of the firm’s Privacy & Data Protection Group. She also served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.

Scott M. Baird is an associate in the firm’s Business Transactions and Finance Groups, where his practice involves all aspects of corporate and securities law, including corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions, joint ventures, finance transactions, and securities law and compliance. He focuses on new legislation as well as regulatory and compliance matters involving financial service institutions. Read his full rc.com bio.

Kelly Frye Barnett is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section and the Business Litigation Group and the Data Privacy + Security Team. Prior to joining Robinson+Cole, Kelly was a law clerk at the Office of the Corporation Counsel for the City of Hartford, where she assisted the Corporation Counsel in its duties as legal advisors to the Hartford City Council, the mayor, and all other agencies of the City.  Read her full rc.com bio here.

Peter Dagostine represents private and public employers in labor relations, labor and employment law, and related litigation. Peter counsels employers with respect to various labor issues, including preventive labor relations, collective bargaining, grievance resolution, unfair labor practice proceedings, administrative proceedings, mergers and acquisitions, union avoidance, and defense of unfair labor practice charges. He also advises employers on a wide range of employment law issues in the workplace, including harassment, retaliation, discrimination, hours of work and wages, wrongful discharge, employee discipline, discharge and management, disability and reasonable accommodation, family and medical leave, and unemployment. See his full rc.com bio.

Pamela H. Del Negro advises institutional providers, including hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers, as well as physician practice groups, community providers, and other health care entities on health care issues and general corporate matters. She provides legal counsel on a full range of transactional and regulatory health law issues, including co-management arrangements; compliance plans; the acquisition and merger of medical entities; Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse and the Stark law; hospital affiliations; the privacy and security of personal health information; corporate governance; private placements; and contracting. She also works with clients on managed care contracting, the corporate practice of medicine issues, clinical integration and antitrust issues, and the structuring and acquisition of electronic health records technology, including the negotiation and documentation of software agreements. Read her rc.com bio here.

Kate Dion’s practice includes all aspects of civil and criminal litigation. She represents clients in complex commercial litigation, including allegations of patent infringement, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair trade practices, tortious interference with business relations, and other business torts. Her experience also includes counseling clients in government investigations, internal investigations, and white-collar criminal matters. In addition, she represents institutional clients and individuals in probate litigation. Read her rc.com bio here.

Natale Di Natale is focuses his practice on all facets of management-side labor relations and employment law. Natale has been practicing labor and employment law in Connecticut since 1996. During his 15 years of practice, Natale has devoted his practice almost exclusively to private sector labor law, including in the health care setting. He has worked with numerous acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and home care service providers. He also represents manufacturing, utility, and building services employers.

Natale provides advice and represents employers with respect to labor issues arising in numerous contexts, including preventive labor relations; union avoidance; contract negotiations; grievance resolution; arbitration; unfair labor practice proceedings; administrative proceedings; bargaining unit issues; mergers, acquisitions, and other affiliations; successorship; strikes, strike preparation, and lockouts; and bankruptcy. See his full bio on rc.com.

Nuala Droney is the chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Team and a member of the White-Collar Defense and Corporate Compliance Team and Electronic Discovery and Information Management Team.  She represents clients in complex civil and criminal litigation matters in federal and state courts. Nuala routinely counsels clients in matters involving allegations of computer crime, trade secret misappropriation, and breach of policies concerning data security. Her courtroom experience includes both jury and bench trials, as well as a full spectrum of contested hearings. Nuala graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and Yale College, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. Read her rc.com bio here.

Conor Duffy is a member of Robinson+Cole’s Health Law Group and the firm’s Data Privacy and Security Team. Conor advises hospitals, physician groups, community providers, and other health care entities on general corporate matters and health care issues. He provides legal counsel on a full range of transactional and regulatory health law issues, including contracting, licensure, mergers and acquisitions, Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse laws and regulations, HIPAA compliance, and other data privacy and security matters. Read his rc.com bio here.

Suzanne Ferguson is counsel in the firm’s Business Transactions Group. She has experience working with a diverse group of clients, ranging from corporations listed on the Fortune 500 to smaller technology start-ups. Ms. Ferguson provides general corporate advice and also assists clients with negotiating and drafting contracts, analyzing and monitoring risk, negotiating prelitigation settlements, evaluating and advising on regulatory compliance, drafting and negotiating purchase agreements, and managing collaborative negotiations.

While Ms. Ferguson is skilled in a broad range of corporate matters, she focuses her practice primarily on clients’ provision and use of emerging technologies, including managed service deployments, e-commerce and e-communications initiatives, and portable electronic device and application development. She was at the forefront of developing cloud-based solutions and is well versed on SaaS and PaaS arrangements. Ms. Ferguson has also been part of several national working groups, developing law and policy on such matters as data privacy and security, consumer electronics regulation, spectrum allocation, and drone law. Additionally, she has experience supervising patent prosecution teams and navigating the patent application process.

Ed Heath is an experienced trial lawyer who has taken matters to verdict in state and federal courts and has appeared on behalf of international and domestic businesses in courts throughout the country. In addition, he routinely counsels clients in connection with government investigations involving agencies such as the United States Attorneys’ Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Coast Guard, as well as the attorneys general of various states. His clients have included technology companies; manufacturers; financial institutions; health care entities; educational, charitable, and religious organizations; professional associations, such as law and accounting firms; municipalities; judges; and media personalities. Read his full rc.com bio here.

Carly Leinheiser is a member of the Nonprofit Organizations Group, where she counsels public charities and private foundations on a variety of matters. She regularly advises clients on corporate formation and governance, tax-exempt compliance, business transactions, charitable solicitation and cause marketing, strategies regarding unrelated business income tax, joint ventures, lobbying and political activity, and the proper management of endowment funds. Ms. Leinheiser also has experience advising social enterprises, including benefit corporations and establishing hybrid corporate structures that incorporate aspects of traditional nonprofit and for-profit corporations.

Benjamin Jensen is counsel in the firm’s Business Litigation Group, where he is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation and Data Privacy and Security Practice Teams. His practice involves representing clients in complex business litigation matters in state and federal courts, with a focus on matters involving intellectual property, data security, and contract disputes. Benjamin’s practice also includes representing health care providers and corporate clients in regulatory matters before the Connecticut departments of Health, Social Services, and Banking. Read his rc.com bio here.

Virginia McGarrity is a member in the firm’s Employee Benefits and Compensation Group whose practice addresses a broad array of issues relating to the design, drafting, and operation of qualified and nonqualified defined benefit and defined contribution plans, including 401(k), profit-sharing, employee stock ownership and Section 403(b), and Section 457(b) plans of tax-exempt organizations and governmental entities. Virginia counsels clients on a wide range of health and welfare benefits matters, including issues related to health care reform, cafeteria plans, health savings accounts, voluntary employee beneficiary associations, and other employee benefits arrangements. She also assists clients with compliance matters involving federal laws such as COBRA and HIPAA, as well as various state laws and regulations governing health and welfare plan design and administration, domestic partner coverage, continuation of coverage, and mandated benefits. Read her full rc.com bio here.

Jim Merrifield is the firm’s Records & Information Governance Manager, a member of the Data Privacy + Security Team, and a non-attorney contributor to the Data Privacy + Security Insider blog. He has spent more than a decade helping organizations of all sizes, including law firms and  Fortune 500 companies, develop and implement practical information governance strategies, policies, and best practices. He has authored numerous publications and frequently speaks on information governance and data privacy issues. Jim holds a bachelor degree in Legal Studies from Quinnipiac University and is a certified information governance professional (IGP).

Kathy Porter’s practice straddles the areas of intellectual property, business transactions, trade regulation, and Internet law and includes import/export control issues, such as compliance and enforcement, competition, privacy, and data security. She counsels businesses on the development and implementation of data security and privacy practices to comply with the patchwork of laws and rules applicable to the collection, use, safeguarding, sharing, and transfer of protected or personal data. She regularly structures arrangements with promoters, marketers, website exchanges, and other third parties for the purchase, sale, sharing, and safeguarding of personal data. Kathy prepares and negotiates representations, warranties, and indemnities regarding personal or protected data and privacy and data practices. She also assists clients with privacy audits and works with third-party certification organizations to obtain certification of companies’ privacy practices. She guides clients through internal investigations to assess and address notice and other obligations regarding privacy breaches. Kathy often works closely with our litigation attorneys to manage external investigations such as those by federal or state regulators. Read her rc.com bio here.

Joanne Rapuano, a member of the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group and Manufacturing Industry Group, focuses her practice on international trade and federal regulatory compliance matters, including government enforcement. Ms. Rapuano provides clients with advice on how to comply with federal trade regulations, including Export Administration Regulations and International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Prior to joining Robinson+Cole, she handled trade compliance matters for United Technologies Corporation and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company. Ms. Rapuano also advises on U.S. import regulations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Office of Foreign Assets Control matters, antiboycotting rules, corporate compliance programs, business disputes, and trade association activities. She has broad regulatory experience, including advising organizations with compliance challenges, providing legal advice to foreign companies entering the U.S. market, and conducting internal audits and investigations. In addition to her trade compliance experience, Ms. Rapuano has handled complex commercial and employment litigation for corporate clients. Read her full rc.com bio here.

Kathryn Rattigan is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Data Privacy and Security Team. She concentrates her practice on privacy and security compliance under both state and federal regulations and advising clients on website and mobile app privacy and security compliance. Kathryn helps clients review, revise and implement necessary policies and procedures under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). She also provides clients with the information needed to effectively and efficiently handle potential and confirmed data breaches while providing insight into federal regulations and requirements for notification and an assessment under state breach notification laws. Prior to joining the firm, Kathryn was an associate at Nixon Peabody. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Roger Williams University School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Stonehill College. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.

Norman Roos, chair of Robinson+Cole’s Finance Group, concentrates his practice on transactional and regulatory matters relating to the real estate and financial services industries. He represents banks, insurance companies, diversified financial service companies, and other publicly and privately held entities on a broad range of matters involving mortgage banking, consumer and commercial credit transactions, and regulatory compliance. He has advised financial institutions concerning data privacy and security matters and counseled clients as to the development and implications of incident response policies. Mr. Roos is counsel to the Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association, Inc., and is a member of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys where he has served on the Board of Regents and as Connecticut State Chair. A member of the Connecticut Bar Association, Mr. Roos is Past Chair of the Financial Institutions Law Section. He has served on a number of Connecticut Law Revision Study Committees including those on Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, Electronic Communications, Mortgagor Liability, and Electronic Recording of Land Records. Read his full bio here.

Scott Siedor is an associate in the Trusts and Estates Group. His practice is focused in the areas of estate and trust planning and probate administration. Scott counsels individuals and families with respect to a variety of wealth preservation issues and techniques, including planning for the management, protection, and transfer of assets during lifetime and upon death. His practice involves advice to families regarding income and transfer tax issues. He works with owners of closely-held businesses in the transition of the business. He also represents individual and professional fiduciaries and beneficiaries in probate courts in fiduciary-related litigation matters.  Read his full rc.com bio here.

Jean Tomasco’s practice involves employer counseling and employment litigation, with an emphasis on ERISA and benefits litigation. Ms. Tomasco represents employers before state and federal courts and administrative agencies, including the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. She has defended employers against all types of employment-related claims, including discrimination and wrongful discharge claims. Ms. Tomasco also counsels employers on a variety of employment matters, including hiring practices, termination of employees, employment-related immigration issues, unemployment compensation issues, wage and hour matters, drug testing, and personnel policies and handbooks. Read her full rc.com bio here.

Carrie Turner is a member of Robinson+Cole’s Insurance + Reinsurance Group, where she focuses her practice on breach of contract, first- and third-party insurance coverage disputes, coverage analysis, cyber liability, property damage claims, environmental and contamination loss, breach of fiduciary duty, bad faith, and other extracontractual claims litigation.

Prior to joining Robinson+Cole, Ms. Turner clerked for the Honorable Boyce F. Martin, Jr. on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Ms. Turner has experience litigating and advising insurers and reinsurers on a broad range of coverage issues, including litigation arising from 9/11. She has litigated from inception to settlement numerous Superstorm Sandy claims regarding flood exclusion issues. Her additional litigation experience includes general commercial, corporate and partnership disputes, attorney malpractice, and a broad range of contract disputes at both the trial and appellate levels. She has authored appellate briefs in various state and federal courts.

Brian Wheelin is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation Group, where he focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, including privacy and cybersecurity matters.

Brian has first-chaired cases to verdict as well as argued appeals before the United States Second Circuit and state appellate courts in Connecticut and New York. He represents both individuals and companies in commercial litigation matters encompassing business torts, contract breaches, and disputes related to employment, real estate, and intellectual property.

Brian serves on the firm’s Electronic Discovery Committee. Read his full rc.com bio here.