Source: http://www.rc.com/people/LindaLMorkan.cfm
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 15:52:49+00:00

Document:
Linda Morkan maintains a litigation practice dedicated to appellate advocacy, and she chairs the firm's Appellate Practice Group.
Since joining the firm in 1988, Linda has been involved in more than 200 appeals before the Connecticut Supreme and Appellate Courts; the Rhode Island Supreme Court; the Supreme Judicial and Appeals Courts of Massachusetts; the New York Appellate Division and Court of Appeals; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First, Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth, and D.C. Circuits; and the U.S. Supreme Court.
She has achieved numerous appellate wins for clients during her three-decade career. Linda has handled appeals in a number of substantive areas, including bankruptcy, environmental, insurance, reinsurance, regulatory, land use, tax, and probate. Her many successes include securing a dismissal of an appeal by a citizens' group which tried to prevent the transfer of a nuclear power facility, and the reinstatement of a multi-million dollar arbitration award against the State of Connecticut.
She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, an honor open only to those who have practiced as an appellate advocate for at least 15 years and possess a reputation of recognized distinction. Academy membership is limited to 500 members in the United States and is by invitation only. Linda is a past recipient of the David H. Neiditz Professional Writing Award for the best-written Connecticut appellate brief. She was a volunteer adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law for more than a decade, teaching appellate advocacy skills to first-year law students.
Linda recently served as Co-Chair of the Appellate Advocacy Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, and serves as the senior topical editor in Appellate Law of the quarterly Connecticut Bar Journal. She also frequently authors articles dedicated to appellate advocacy in local, regional, and national publications.
Linda has extensive experience assisting clients with litigation related to business disputes, from claims of breach of contract to fraud and unfair trade practices allegations. She has been on the winning side of many corporate and partnership disputes, including actions commenced under the Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Franchise Act. In a recent dispute involving multiple promissory notes in a development deal gone sour, she persuaded the state Supreme Court to uphold the legitimacy of the notes as a matter of law, remanding the action only for a calculation of interest and attorneys’ fees.
Following her graduation from law school, Linda served as law clerk to the Honorable Daniel F. Spallone of the Connecticut Appellate Court.
She has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America© in the area of Appellate Law since 2008, and selected to the Connecticut Super Lawyers from 2006 to 2018. She also contributes to the firm’s Massachusetts Appellate Blog.
Obtained reversal of trial court's holding that arbitration award was defective because not rendered by client oversight board within statutorily prescribed timeframe.
Court affirmed dismissal of complaint against client oversight board on the ground that the board enjoyed sovereign immunity as an arm of the state of Connecticut.
School Administrators of Waterbury v. Waterbury Financial Planning & Assistance Bd.
Trial court's dismissal of employee organization's action to enjoin implementation of client oversight board's arbitration award upheld.
Obtained reversal of Appellate Court holding that property seized by client municipality constituted "goods" subject to replevin.
Property owners' appeal dismissed for lack of aggrievement, permitting planned adult community to proceed as special exception.
Secured dismissal of appeal by citizens' group attempting to prevent transfer of nuclear power facility.
Obtained reversal of trial court's holding that client oversight board could not impose certain terms under collective bargaining agreement because retired firefighters and widows had a vested right to medical benefits.
QSP Inc. v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.
Represented CGL insurer in coverage dispute arising from filing of federal antitrust action.
Trial court’s entry of summary judgment on behalf of client nonprofit agency on ground that plaintiff’s wrongful death action failed to allege viable theory of legal fault that was proximate cause of injuries.
Judgment for neighbors in private nuisance action against dairy farm based on offensive odors upheld; new statement of law of private nuisance articulated.
Appeal from trial court’s order that commission was required to specify all changes necessary to make application address its substantial health and safety concerns dismissed and action remanded.
Abington Ltd. Partnership v. Heublein, et al.
Represented telecommunications concern in challenge to its ability to access leased land over easement in order to maintain equipment.
Represented insurer in coverage dispute arising from claims of molestation against day care provider.
Challenged trial court's ability to set aside jury verdict where no damages awarded for noneconomic injuries.
Reversed trial court's holding that doctrine of judicial estoppel barred plaintiff from pursuing claim.
Hartford Electric Supply Co. v. Allen Bradley Co.
Defended trial court's decision that franchise existed in first appeal under Connecticut Franchise Act.
Obtained reversal of Second Circuit holding that it did not have jurisdiction over District Court's interlocutory order appealed by lender in a bankruptcy matter.
Counseled large utility client on appellate issues in connection with acquisition of a nuclear power plant.
Trial court’s decision that commission possessed jurisdiction over multimillion-dollar, six-ton sculpture placed on property located in historic district affirmed.
Trial court properly dismissed mall’s declaratory judgment action concerning town’s acts regarding large-scale development project.
Counsel to competitive suppliers of electricity in various matters before the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control.
Represented corporate partners in litigation relating to passthrough of corporate tax credits.
Representation of Health Net against a medical doctor who has filed dozens of cases against Health Net over the past decade. Won summary judgment on breach of contract and unjust enrichment claims asserted by the non-participating provider on the grounds that he failed to comply with requirements for timely submission of claims. Preserved victory on appeal by persuading appellate court to affirm.
Obtained dismissal of all claims against the State of Connecticut in a constitutional takings class action brought by state employees claiming entitlement to the proceeds of the demutualization of the state’s health care insurance carriers.
Representation of a law firm to appeal a decision by the Connecticut Superior Court holding that a crime policy issued to a Connecticut law firm provided coverage for a loss suffered as a result of an e-mail scam. The law firm was defrauded of a six-figure sum after wiring funds to an Asian account before a bank check the law firm had received from a purported new client had cleared. After the wire transfer, the firm discovered there was no new client, and the check it had deposited in its trustee account was fraudulent. The firm sought compensation under the crime policy's computer fraud coverage, asserting it was defrauded because of several e-mail messages sent from and to the purported new client. The insurer argued that the computer fraud coverage extended only to incidents where an outsider gains access to an insured's computer system. The trial court held that the loss was covered by the policy as a matter of law. The trial court's decision vacated while the case was pending at the Connecticut Appellate Court, and the appeal was subsequently withdrawn.
In action by one municipality against a neighboring municipality following downzoning of property used as a golf course, obtained reversal of trial court's holding that zone change complied with state law.
Provided overall project legal management of the development of a new baseball park in the heart of its urban center. Legal services included real estate transactional, land use and environmental permitting, and environmental counseling services.
Served as special counsel under the direction of the New Jersey Attorney General's office to the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (formerly known as the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission), an agency of the State of New Jersey which owns, or will acquire, an area in excess of 1,000 acres.
Represented taxpayer in Steelcase, Inc. v. Crystal re sales tax on drop shipments.
Obtained reversal of trial court’s holding that client municipality could not consider the value of a leasehold interest in the property when it determined valuation for tax assessment purposes.
On behalf of City of New Haven, obtained reversal of Appellate Court decision that it did not have authority to enact zoning regulations which permitted creation of a “planned development district” similar to a floating zone.
Second Circuit affirmed District Court dismissal of plaintiff labor group’s complaint for failure to properly allege existence of a contract or property right taken or diminished by defendants, including client oversight board.
Selected to the Top 100 New England Super Lawyers list from 2013 to 2015.
Selected to the Top 50 Connecticut Super Lawyers list in 2007, 2010, 2018, and from 2012 to 2016.
Selected to the the Top 50 Women New England Super Lawyers list in 2007 and from 2009 to 2017.
Selected to the Top 25 Women Connecticut by Super Lawyers list from 2006 to 2018.
Responsible for post-trial motions portion of presentation.
Robinson+Cole successfully defended a Connecticut municipality in a lawsuit brought by a contractor against the municipality. In a decision released in early April 2015, the Connecticut Supreme Court unanimously held that a municipality that elects to terminate a contractor for its own convenience may still recover liquidated damages for project delays incurred prior to the termination of the contract. The Court also rejected the contractor's claim that the municipality could not collect liquidated damages because it was at least partially at fault for the delays in completing the project, clarifying that, if a contract provides for an extension of the contract's termination date, due to delays not caused by the contractor, then collection of liquidated damages is not strictly abrogated under Connecticut law. The firm's Construction Group, in particular, construction lawyer Dennis C. Cavanaugh, defended the municipality at trial on the merits. Business litigation lawyer Christopher J. Hug assisted with expert witnesses.
The contractor appealed the decision, claiming the municipality was precluded from seeking liquidated damages because it had elected to terminate the contract for convenience rather than for cause. The Supreme Court rejected the contractor's attempts to have the Court adopt a general rule that liquidated damages could never be recovered when a contract had been terminated for convenience. The Court similarly rejected the contractor's claim that Connecticut law bars an owner from seeking liquidated damages when it is partially at fault for the delays in the project. The firm's Appellate Group, specifically Linda L. Morkan, defended the appeal.
Appellate lawyer Linda L. Morkan has been listed in Benchmark Litigation's 2013 edition of Top 250 Women in Litigation. This recognition, her second one, honors the accomplishments of America's leading female trial lawyers, featuring women litigators in each of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. Although much of the information in this publication comes directly from Benchmark Litigation, the editorials further highlight the careers and casework experience of each of these accomplished women.
Just one of three women listed in Connecticut, Ms. Morkan dedicates her practice to appellate advocacy and is a member is the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.
Linda L. Morkan, of the firm's Appellate Practice Group, again served as a practitioner judge at the Connecticut Bar Association's 2012 Appellate Advocacy Institute, helping registrants to hone their oral advocacy and appellate skills. In addition, Ms. Morkan, along with opposing and co-counsel, spoke at the first day's luncheon about the appeal that served as the case study for the two-day seminar (a condemnation matter that Robinson & Cole successfully litigated in the Superior and Supreme Courts).
Linda L. Morkan, chair of the Appellate Practice Team, has two essays in Rantings of a Partner…Pushback from the Associate published July 15, 2011, by the American Bar Association. The book is a fairly lighthearted exchange of advice from experienced lawyers to junior lawyers and vice versa. Ms. Morkan’s essays are "Deadlines and Commitments: Learn to Manage Your Time” and “No Such Thing as All-in-One Mentoring.”.
Linda Morkan, chair of the Appellate Practice Team, authored the article “Vacating Arbitration Decision Not an Appealing Task,” published in the Connecticut Law Tribune’s special section on alternative dispute resolution on June 20, 2011. The article dissuades lawyers from filing applications to vacate arbitration decisions based on the “manifest disregard of the law” doctrine.
The Appellate Practice Team has an arbitration appeal initiative underway to highlight its significant experience in handling state and federal arbitration appeals.
In an article that appears in the Summer 2010 issue of Appellate Practice Journal, Linda L. Morkan examines the U.S. Supreme Court’s headline-grabbing decision, Stolt-Nielsen, S.A. v. AnimalFeeds International Corp., on the question of whether a “class action arbitration” is available under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) where the parties had not expressly agreed to such a proceeding.
Linda L. Morkan, Chair of the firm's Appellate Practice Team and member of the Business Litigation Section, recently authored the article "No Room for Elephants" for the June 2008 edition of For the Defense, a monthly magazine published by DRI - The Voice of the Defense Bar. The article discusses the dangers of failing to address bad facts and adverse case law when writing briefs. To read this article, please click here.
The University of Connecticut Law School Alumni Association appointed Business Litigation Group lawyer Linda L. Morkan to its Board of Directors during the law school’s Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on October 16, 2018. The Association cultivates the spirit of community and pride among those who have attended the law school and contributes to the advancement of the law school and the legal profession. Read more in the press release.
Appellate attorney Linda L. Morkan has been named to Benchmark Litigation's inaugural edition of Top 250 Women in Litigation. This peer review guide, published by Euromoney's Legal Media Group, honors women litigators from all 50 states and the District of Columbia for their achievements in the field. Attorney Morkan was one of only three women selected from the state of Connecticut.

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