Lisa Stefano ’96 has been named a partner at the litigation law firm of Gfeller Laurie LLP, based in West Hartford, Connecticut. Stefano has extensive experience managing insurance coverage, underwriting, and claim and bad faith litigation for insurers. She was previously a litigation associate with The RiverStone Group.

Ted Kennedy, Jr. will participate in UConn’s virtual #ThisisAmerica event, speaking in a panel discussion of “The Seen and Unseen Realities for People with Disabilities” on Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 6 p.m. Kennedy, a partner at Epstein Becker Green, has more than 20 years of experience as a health care regulatory attorney and has been an active leader in the movement to expand opportunities for people with disabilities. He has served as chair of the Board of the American Association of People with Disabilities.

Gov. Ned Lamont recently signed a proclamation marking the anniversary of the death of Lee Sawyer ’13 as Lee Sawyer Day. Sawyer passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 31, 2020, leaving his wife and three daughters. He was committed to implementing environmentally friendly policies statewide as chief of staff for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. He also launched Recycle CT, a nonprofit organization focused on promoting the importance of sustainability through waste reduction, recycling and composting.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Omar A. Williams ’02 to the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. President Biden nominated Williams in June 2021, and the Senate confirmed his nomination on Oct. 28, 2021. Williams served as a Superior Court judge in Connecticut, having been nominated in 2014 by Gov. Dannel Malloy, after 11 years as a public defender in New Haven. While on the Superior Court bench, he served in the Sentence Review Division and on the wiretap panel, co-chaired the Jury Selection Task Force, and served on the New England Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative. Before entering law school, he earned a BA from the University of Connecticut in 1998.

Michael McKeon ’87 has joined the Connecticut State Department of Education as the director of legal and governmental affairs. He will oversee the Division of Legal and Governmental Affairs, including the department’s team of attorneys, and the Bureau of Investigations and Private Practice. McKeon most recently worked at the law firm Pullman and Comley. He has spoken publicly on education and employment law, including on the national level at annual conferences for the National School Boards Association and the Council of School Attorneys.

Emily M. Covey ’21 has joined Hinckley Allen as an associate in the firm’s Corporate & Business group. Covey was a summer associate with Hinckley Allen in 2019 and 2020. Her experience also includes serving as a fellow with the Kalon Law firm.

Joseph P. Mortelliti has joined Cramer & Anderson as a litigation associate in the firm’s Danbury office. Mortelliti previously worked in the commercial real estate and litigation departments of a New Haven firm, and before that in the land use, zoning, litigation and residential real estate departments for a firm in Vernon.

Jonathan M. Bedosky ’21 has joined Cramer & Anderson as an associate. He will engage in litigation research in varying areas of the law, including construction and contract disputes, as well as transactional work. Bedoksy’s experience includes working as a law clerk with a small firm specializing in property and real estate matters as well as working as a clinical associate with the Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative while in law school.

Christina M. Whitehead ’75 has released a novel of historical fiction entitled “Hemingway’s Daughter,” drawing on Ernest Hemingway’s personality and literary career to bring a fictional daughter to life. Whitehead practices divorce law in Hartford. This is her third published novel.

Nate Murphy ’10 has been appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Texas Energy Reliability Council. The council was established to ensure that the energy and electric industries in this state meet high priority human needs, address critical infrastructure concerns and enhance coordination and communication. Murphy is senior counsel for Valero and a corporate member representative for the Texas Oil & Gas Association, Texas Industrial Energy Consumers, Louisiana Energy Users Group, Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers, Texas Energy Coalition, and the Association of Oil Pipelines.