Attorneys and Support Staff

Heather Bannister, Associate Legislative Attorney

       heather.bannister@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8410

Committee Assignments

• Current: Public Health
• Previous: Human Services

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut 2006
• Admitted: U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut 2007
• Quinnipiac University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude 2006
• University of Washington, B.A. Communications, cum laude 1998
  

Nicholas F. Bombace, Legislative Attorney

       nicholas.bombace@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8410

Committee Assignments

• Current: Commerce, Appropriations

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut, Massachusetts
• University of Connecticut School of Law School, J.D., 2009
• University of Connecticut, B.A. Psychology, Summa Cum Laude, 2005

Christopher J. Cordima, Senior Legislative Attorney

christopher.cordima@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8410

Committee Assignments

• Current: Education and Program Review & Investigations
• Previous: Children, Higher Education and Employment Advancement 

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut 2006
• Roger Williams University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2006
• Gettysburg College, B.A. Political Science, summa cum laude, 2003

Marie P. Grady, Legislative Attorney

       marie.grady@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8410

Committee Assignments

• Current: Human Services, Aging    

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut 2010
• Western new England School of Law, J.D., 2010

Prior to joining LCO, Marie was a daily newspaper journalist for more than two decades. She served as managing editor of The Republican newspaper in Springfield, MA., and the Connecticut Law Tribune. In addition to having her own private practice focused on appellate and federal immigration law, Marie also coordinated a literacy program in western Massachusetts before joining LCO in 2012.

Richard R. Hanratty, Jr. Senior Legislative Attorney

      richard.hanratty@cga.ct.gov
      (860) 240-8481

Committee Assignments

• Current: General Law,, Planning and Development, Regulation Review
• Previous: Environment, Children, Executive and Legislative Nominations

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut, U.S. District Court of Connecticut
• Widener University School of Law
• University of Rhode Island, B.A., Political Science

Before joining the Legislative Commissioners' Office, Rich was in private practice and litigated civil and criminal cases. He represented clients in insurance defense cases, real estate closings and business purchase and sale transactions.

Eileen Lawlor-Parker, Associate Legislative Attorney

       eileen.lawlor@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8410

Committee Assignments

• Current: Higher Education and Employment Advancement, Public Health
• Previous: Banks, Children

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut 2002, New York 2003
• Admitted: U.S. District Court 2003
• Quinnipiac University School of Law, J.D., cum laude
• Boston University, B.A. in French Language and Literature, cum laude

Eileen brought years of legal experience with her when she began working at LCO in 2008. She was a litigation associate at Nuzzo & Roberts, LLC, for several years; a temporary assistant clerk for the Waterbury Superior Court; and a legal research clerk for the judges of the Litchfield Superior Court.

Shannon McCarthy, Senior Legislative Attorney

       shannon.mccarthy@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8496

Committee Assignments

• Current: GAE, Regulation Review and Executive and Legislative Nominations
• Previous: Environment, Public Safety and Veterans

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut 2004
• University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D., 2004
• Saint Anselm College, B.A. History (minor in French), 1999

Prior to joining LCO in 2005, Shannon worked for multiple general practitioners in a variety of fields, including criminal law, family law, worker's compensation law and real estate law. She worked as a research assistant and assisted various firms in doing title searches and in writing motions and appellate briefs.  Prior to obtaining her law degree, Shannon studied French at the Sorbonne in Paris and lived in France for two years.

William F. O'Shea, Chief Legislative Attorney

william.oshea@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8451

Committee Assignments

• Current: Judiciary and Regulation Review
• Previous: Public Health, Human Services, Aging

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut, U.S. District Court of Connecticut
• Western New England College School of Law
• Boston College, B.A., Political Science

Before joining the Legislative Commissioners' Office, Bill was in private practice and litigated family law cases. He routinely appeared in state court representing clients on dissolution of marriage, alimony property division, custody, visitation, support and relocation matters.

Angela Rehm, Senior Legislative Attorney

       angela.rehm@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8312

Committee Assignments

• Current: Judiciary
• Previous: General Law, Banks, Education, Higher Education, Appropriations, Program Review and Investigation, Government Administration and Elections, Regulations Review         

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut, New York
• Cornell Law School, J.D.
• University of Washington, B.A. History and Jackson School of International Studies

Jo A. Roberts, Chief Legislative Attorney

jo.roberts@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-0254

Committee Assignments

• Current: Appropriations, Executive and Legislative Nominations
• Previous: Commerce, Transportation, Public Health, Labor and Public Employees, Higher Education and Employment Advancement, and Regulation Review      

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut 1985, Wisconsin 1981, New York 1981
• Marquette University School of Law School, J.D., 1981
• Youngstown State University, B.A. English and Political Science, Summa Cum Laude, 1977

Law School Honors and Activities

• ABA/LSD Moot Court competitor
• Marquette Law Review

Before joining LCO in 2003, Jo served as a staff attorney for Connecticut Legal Services, concentrating in family law, and as in-house counsel to The Hartford Insurance Group in the Real Estate Investment Unit.  In addition, Jo has taught Business Law at Central Connecticut State University and Middlesex Community College.

Kumi Sato, Senior Legislative Attorney

kumi.sato@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8415

Committee Assignments

• Current: Insurance and Real Estate, Finance Revenue and Bonding, Regulations Review

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut 2007, New York 2007
• University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D., with Honors, 2006
• Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford, cum laude, B.Mus.Ed.

Before joining LCO, Kumi worked for the Connecticut Food Association for 13 years and spent her last year with the trade group serving as its interim executive director.

Jeremy T. Sauer, Legislative Attorney

       jeremy.sauer@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8410

Committee Assignments

• Current: Labor and Public Employees, Children 

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut 2012
• University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D., with Honors, 2012
• Tulane Univeristy, B.S., Anthropology, 1998

Prior to joining LCO, Jeremy was a law clerk at Travelers in the Bond & Financial Products group as well as an extern with the General Assembly's Joint Committee on Judiciary during the 2011 session. Before and during law school, Jeremy worked as an author and editor for Boston Common Press, publishers of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country Magazines.

Catriona Stratton, Legislative Attorney

catriona.stratton@cga.ct.gov

Committee Assignments

• Current: Public Safety, Transportation

Michael L. Tellerico, Legislative Attorney

michael.tellerico@cga.ct.gov
860 240-8410

Committee Assignments

• Current: GAE (Elections), Veterans' Affairs

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut 2014
• University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D., 2014
• Fairfield University, B.A., Politics and Sociology & Anthropology (minor in Jazz/Popular Music), summa cum laude, 2005

Before joining LCO in 2014, Michael interned during law school throughout and around Connecticut state government, spending time with the Office of the Attorney General, the General Assembly and the Office of the Secretary of the State, as well as with Halloran & Sage Government Affairs. While at UConn Law, he served as Symposium Editor for the Connecticut Law Review, Vol. 46 and Litigation Director for the Connecticut Moot Court Board, earned a CALI Excellence Award in Election Law and received top marks in Justice David Borden's course on Statutory Interpretation.

Bradford M. Towson, Senior Legislative Attorney

       bradford.towson@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8480

Committee Assignments

• Current: Environment, Regulations Review Committee
• Previous: Government Administration and Elections, General Law, Commerce, Aging

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut 1997
• Rutgers Law School, J.D., with Honors, 1997
• Wesleyan University, B.A. Government, 1994

Prior to joining the General Assembly in 2000, Bradford was an associate attorney with a boutique defense litigation firm specializing in insurance and medical malpractice claims. From 1997 to 1998 he served as a judicial law clerk for the judges of the Connecticut Superior Court system. Bradford has drafted model legislation concerning air emissions standards for electric generating facilities and transmission line moratoriums for Long Island Sound, as well as noteworthy legislation to overhaul the state of Connecticut's procurement process, reconstitute the state's ethics agency and implement comprehensive campaign finance reform.

Ailla Wasstrom-Welz, Legislative Attorney

       ailla.wasstrom-welz@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8410

Committee Assignments

• Current: Finance Revenue and Bonding
• Previous: Transportation

Education/Bar Memberships

• Admitted: Connecticut, November 2010
• University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D., 2010, Connecticut Law Review, Connecticut Moot Court Board
• Saint Michael's College, B.A., Cum Laude, 2003
  

Professional Affiliations

• Oliver Ellsworth Inn of Court, 2014-present

Publications

• Vacating Arbitration Awards in Connecticut, CONNECTICUT LAWYER 24 (2014).
• Environmental Law: The Diminishing Allure of ELURs, CONN. LAW TRIBUNE, Oct. 4, 2013.
• The Evolution of Injunctive Relief for Violations of Environmental Statutes and Regulations, CONNECTICUT LAWYER 23 (2013).
• The Connecticut Evidence Code and the Separation of Powers, Note, 42 CONN. L. REV. 991 (2010).

Prior to joining the Legislative Commissioners' Office, Ailla was an associate with Day Pitney LLP in the Real Estate, Environmental and Land Use Practice Group. Representative matters included municipal land use permit applications and appeals, environmental due diligence for corporate and real estate transactions, and administrative hearings before the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Audrey Giorgio, Legislative Secretary

       audrey.giorgio@cga.ct.gov
       860 240-8497 

Audrey worked as a sessional employee during the 2010 legislative session and then joined LCO on a permanent basis in December of that year. Previously, she was the executive assistant to the president of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center and the executive assistant to the president of Bob's Stores. Audrey also volunteers for Manes and Motions, a therapeutic horse program for patients with disabilities.