Professor Richard Pomp was called on to testify as an expert witness in Hologic Inc. et al. v. Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration. The case deals with capital loss treatment and state tax in the case of combined corporate entities. Arguing for Hologic, Pomp states, “By establishing a special rule for capital losses, the state produces a result that is arbitrary, idiosyncratic, aberrational and inconsistent with any policy that justifies the use of a combined return.”
Author: Hayden
Michael H. Agranoff ’88 Publishes New Book
Michael H. Agranoff ’88 published a new book, “When the State Knocks.” The book is a nonfiction guide designed to demystify the Child Protective Services (CPS) process for parents, caregivers, and anyone interested in child welfare legalities. Drawing on over 30 years of the author’s legal experience, the book breaks down the complex and often stressful CPS system into an easy-to-follow format.
Isaac Yilma ’10 Returns to Hunton as Partner
Isaac Yilma ’10 rejoins Hunton in the firm’s Atlanta office as partner. Yilma serves as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriter’s counsel and issuer’s counsel in connection with a broad range of publicly offered and privately placed tax-exempt and taxable financings for local governments, airports, toll roads and surface transportation, water and sewer systems, tax increment/special assessment districts, sports facilities, colleges and universities and multifamily housing facilities.
In Memoriam: Lawrence Dubin
Lawrence Alan Dubin, age 77, passed away on May 6, 2026 after a long illness. He was a resident of Jupiter, Florida and formerly of Orange, Connecticut. He was a graduate of Hamden High School, American University and University of Connecticut Law School. He practiced as a partner in Sawyer and Dubin in Northford, Connecticut.
Connecticut Journal of International Law Roundtable Talk
Cyber Chaos
On March 24, UConn Law hosted “Cyber Chaos at the Border: Navigating Competing and Conflicting International Cybercrime Laws,” a two-hour roundtable examining the legal and geopolitical stakes at the intersection of cybercrime and international law.
The program opened with a keynote lecture by Matthew Lowe, Visiting Professor from Practice and an expert in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. An IAPP Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP), Lowe brought a multidisciplinary perspective shaped by his work as in-house counsel at Kyndryl and his prior role as Privacy & AI Counsel at IBM. He also draws on his experience teaching Data Privacy, Cybersecurity Law, and AI Ethics at Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, as well as his extensive scholarship on U.S. and international approaches to AI regulation.
Lowe also moderated a fireside discussion featuring Wayne Unger, Professor of Law at Quinnipiac University School of Law and author of Data Privacy and Security Law; William Roberts, Partner and Co-Chair of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice at Day Pitney LLP and Adjunct Professor at UConn Law; and Vanessa Roberts Avery, former United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut and current Partner at McCarter & English.
Together, the speakers examined how competing global regulatory frameworks—including those in the United States, the European Union, and Eastern jurisdictions—approach cross-border cyber operations. The conversation also explored evolving doctrines of sovereignty and use of force in cyberspace, along with emerging enforcement mechanisms involving both states and private actors. Attendees left with a stronger understanding of attribution challenges, questions of state responsibility, and potential pathways toward multilateral governance in an increasingly interconnected digital landscape.
Earth Day Conference
The Path Forward: Regional Strategies for Climate Resilience
From rising seas to stronger storms, from grid reliability to frequent flooding, municipalities and states face common climate challenges that are daunting individually but can be addressed cooperatively by leveraging collective effort. Regional resilience can be a path forward.
UConn Law’s Center for Energy & Environmental Law hosted a solutions-based conference on April 17 that explored priorities and pathways toward regional resilience. The discussion ranged from law and policy to science and engineering, with panels featuring historians, climate scientists, municipal planners, and law professors.
The conference concluded with a collaborative workshop in which participants helped shape a report to the National Science Foundation outlining key priorities for regional resilience in the Northeast.
Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal Symposium
Equity at Work: Addressing Worker Rights and Diversity in the Workplace
This symposium explored how rapidly shifting legal and policy landscapes have reshaped issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), free expression, and state employment law in today’s workplace. It brought together leading academics, practitioners, and policymakers to examine how employers and employees navigate these evolving challenges.
The program featured three panels addressing the history and legality of DEI initiatives in the workplace, labor organizing, and the ability of state actors, practitioners, and worker advocates to sustain and advance workplace equity amid shifting federal policies. Panelists considered how current legal frameworks support or hinder efforts to define and achieve equity at work. Each session concluded with an audience Q&A.
Panel One: An Overview of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives in the Workplace
Moderator: Professor Sachin Pandya
Moderator: Professor Sachin Pandya
Panel Two: Labor Organizing in the Workplace
Moderator: Professor Michael Fischl
Professor Charlotte Garden
Professor Risa Lieberwitz
Ms. Nishelli Ahmed
Professor Charlotte Garden
Professor Risa Lieberwitz
Ms. Nishelli Ahmed
Panel Three: The Trajectory of State Law in the Workplace: Employment Practitioners, Government Leaders, and Worker Advocates in Action
Moderator: Professor Jon Bauer
Professor Michael Wishnie
Attorney Natalie Braswell
Attorney Claire Howard
Ms. Nelli Jara
Moderator: Professor Jon Bauer
Professor Michael Wishnie
Attorney Natalie Braswell
Attorney Claire Howard
Ms. Nelli Jara
Richard Pomp on Smithfield Foods in Tax Notes
Professor Richard Pomp was quoted in Tax Notes recently commenting on the recent Smithfield Foods decision in California, in which the judge disfavored the single sales factor in support of Smithfield Foods’ three-factor formula. Pomp, who testified in the case as an expert in state tax policy on behalf of Smithfield , said, “I would not want an adverse decision if I were the state. I would ask the Legislature to cure the problem with the regulation and not go any further than that.” Professor Pomp was even cited in the court’s opinion: “Professor Pomp’s testimony regarding the history of income tax apportionment was credible and helpful to the court in providing context for the issues at bar.”
Alex Perkins ’97 Named in Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2026
Alex Perkins ’97 was named one of Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2026 by the Washingtonian: “The former House Ways and Means trade counsel helped lead the multi-sector business coalition that secured congressional approval of the free-trade United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.”
Drew Barber ’10 Joins Skadden as M&A Partner
Drew Barber ’10 rejoins Skadden as a partner in the M&A practice in its Boston office. “Drew’s industry knowledge and in-house perspective will be of enormous value to our clients in Boston and globally,” said Moshe Spinowitz, head of Skadden’s Boston office. “His ability to advise clients not only on the legal complexities of transactions but also on the broader strategic and operational implications is invaluable. We are pleased to welcome him back to the firm.” The full press release is available online.