Howard, Kohn, Sprague & Fitzgerald | Attorneys | Hartford, Connecticut

Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys - General Defense

237 Buckingham Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106

Telephone: 860-525-3101
Fax: 860-247-4201
E-Mail: hksf@HKSFlaw.com
Website: www.hksflaw.com

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 261798, Hartford, CT 06126-1798

Established: 1786

Practice Areas
About Us
Client Information
Personnel

Practice Areas

Insurance Defense
Coverage Issues
Bad Faith
Automobile Liability
Product Liability
Homeowners
Casualty
Environmental Law
Medical Malpractice
Workers' Compensation

Appellate Practice
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist
Trucking Law
Errors and Omissions
First Party Matters
Employment Practices Liability
Accident
Workers' Compensation Subrogation

About Us

Howard, Kohn, Sprague & Fitzgerald, established in 1786, is the oldest continually operating law firm in Connecticut and one of the oldest in the United States. HKSF is a general practice firm with an emphasis on personal injury and commercial litigation.

H.K.S.F. handles cases for over 30 institutional insurance companies located throughout the United States. Most of these cases involve the defense of insureds in various actions in state and federal courts in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Firm Highlights

As today's social and business climates continue to grow in complexity, so does the demand for diverse and dynamic legal representation - the type of representation Howard, Kohn, Sprague & FitzGerald has provided clients for more than 225 years. Today, we stand ready to face the legal challenges of the 21st century by building on our hard-earned reputation as one of the best - and most trusted - litigation firms in the region. Howard, Kohn, Sprague & FitzGerald: The wisdom to negotiate. The ability to litigate.

How We Offer Value

The attorneys at Howard, Kohn, Sprague & FitzGerald are widely recognized as among the state's most experienced trial lawyers, with a long and highly regarded track record in all phases of civil litigation, including pretrial, trial and appellate work in both state and federal courts. In fact, the firm’s partners have tried numerous jury cases, and the firm, on average, tries more cases per year than considerably larger firms.

Awards

Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers

Client Information

Insurance Clients

Personnel Information

Partners

John Stephen Papa

Hartford, CT

E-Mail: jsp@hksflaw.com

Years of Experience: 55

Practice Areas

Civil Litigation
Real Estate

Admitted

Connecticut, 1967
District of Columbia, 1967
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, 1974
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 1982

Additional Biographical Details:

Special Master, Superior Court, Hartford County and U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut

Memberships:

American, Connecticut, Hartford County and Manchester Bar Associations
Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association

Education:

Fordham University, A.B., 1964
University of Hartford, M.S., 1976
Fordham University, J.D., 1967

Military:

Judge Advocate and Military Judge, U.S. Marine Corps [1967-1970]

Thomas P. Cella

Hartford, CT

E-Mail: tpc@hksflaw.com

Years of Experience: 39

Practice Areas

Trial Practice
Personal Injury
Medical Malpractice
Product Liability

Admitted

Connecticut, 1983
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, 1984
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 2003
Mohegan Gaming Disputes Court, 2014
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court, 2021

Additional Biographical Details:

Special Master, U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut (1988 to present); Assistant Town Attorney of Manchester, Connecticut (1986-1989, 1991 to present); Fact Finder and Attorney Trial Referee, Connecticut Superior Court; Best Lawyers in America: Personal Injury, Product Liability and Medical Malpractice Litigation

Memberships:

American, Connecticut, Hartford County and Manchester Bar Associations
American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) (Advocate)
Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
Defense Research Institute
American Trial Lawyers Association

Certifications:

Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, National Board of Trial Advocacy

Education:

University of Connecticut, B.A., 1979
Western New England College, J.D., 1983

Clerkship:

Law Clerk, Superior Court, State of Connecticut (1983-1984)

Jack G. Steigelfest

Hartford, CT

E-Mail: jgs@hksflaw.com

Years of Experience: 38

Practice Areas

Insurance Coverage
Civil Litigation
Appeals

Admitted

Connecticut, 1984
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, 1985
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1987

Additional Biographical Details:

Lecturer: "Auto Insurance Law and Accident Litigation in Connecticut," Lorman 2002, 2003; "Connecticut Personal Injury Practice for Paralegals," Halfmoon 2000; "Adjusting the Automobile Injury Case in Connecticut," NBI 2000; "Developments in Tort Law," Annual Survey of Connecticut Law, The University of Connecticut Law School Alumni Association, 1999, 2000; "Bad Faith Litigation In Connecticut," NBI 1999; "Insurance Coverage Law in Connecticut," NBI 1998

Memberships:

American and Connecticut Bar Associations
Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association (President, Board Member, Chair of Amicus Brief Committee)
Defense Research Institute (Insurance Committee)
Member, Judicial Branch Task Force on Civil Jury Instructions
Member, Code of Evidence Oversight Committee

Publications:

Senior Co-Editor for Civil Litigation, Connecticut Bar Journal
Author: "Withdrawal and Reinstatement of State Court Actions," 71 Conn. B.J. 389, 1997
"The Unity of Interest Rule and Peremptory Challenge in Connecticut," 69 Conn. B.J. 353, 1995
"Multiple Claims, Meager Coverage," 10 The Defense 1, 1994

Education:

Lehigh University, B.S., 1981
University of Connecticut, J.D. (with high honors), 1984

Law Review:

Executive Editor, Connecticut Law Review (1983-1984)

Clerkship:

Judicial Law Clerk for Justice Shea, Connecticut Supreme Court (1984-1985)

Honors:

American Jurisprudence Awards; ASCAP Award

Todd W. Whitford

Hartford, CT

E-Mail: tww@hksflaw.com

Years of Experience: 27

Practice Areas

Civil Litigation
Insurance Law
Land Use
Personal Injury

Admitted

Connecticut, 1995
Massachusetts, 1996
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, 1996
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, 1996
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1998

Memberships:

Connecticut Bar Association
Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association

Education:

Albright College, B.A., 1992
University of Connecticut, J.D., 1995

Law Review:

Editor, Insurance Law Journal

Honors:

Connecticut Moot Court Board (1992-1995)

Steven J. Barber

Hartford, CT

E-Mail: sjb@hksflaw.com

Years of Experience: 25

Practice Areas

Civil Litigation
Insurance Law
Personal Injury

Admitted

Connecticut, 1997
Massachusetts, 1998
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, 1998
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, 1998

Memberships:

American, Massachusetts and Connecticut Bar Associations
Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association

Publications:

Associate Editor, The Defense
Author: "Apportionment of Liability and the Non-Delegable Duty to Maintain: Can a Snow Removal Contractor Be Cited for Apportionment?," The Defense, Volume 16, No. 1, Spring 2000
"Public Sidewalk Injuries - Appellate Court Holds That Abutting Landowner Is Not Responsible for Injury to Third Person Caused by Defective Sidewalk," The Defense, Volume 16, No. 3, Winter, 2000
"Snow Remover Liability: Did the Supreme Court Resolve All the Issues in Deciding, Gazo v. City of Stamford?," The Defense, Volume 16, No. 3, Spring, 2001