Jessica Grossarth Kennedy

Jessica Grossarth Kennedy is a member of the Firm’s Public Finance Practice Group where she serves as bond counsel to various municipalities as well as representing underwriters and trustees in tax-exempt and taxable bond transactions. Attorney Kennedy also represents issuers of revenue bonds and pension bonds.  Attorney Kennedy’s work in public finance includes drafting, analyzing and tracking bonding authorizations, drafting and negotiating bond documents, issuing tax and underwriter’s counsel opinions, and ensuring all deliverables for a closing have been accomplished.  In addition, Jessica represents municipal clients in connection with clean water fund and drinking water fund borrowings.

Jessica has additional experience in bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. Her bankruptcy practice focused primarily on representing debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, creditors’ committees and trustees in formal bankruptcy proceedings and out of court workouts. Jessica was involved in a variety of bankruptcy proceedings and has appeared in the District of Connecticut and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. She has also participated in numerous bankruptcy appeals to the Federal District Courts.

While at Fairfield University, Jessica was a member of the women’s Division I basketball team and upon graduation earned a trip to San Francisco to try out professionally for the American Basketball League. In 2005, Jessica was inducted into Fairfield University’s Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 2017, she was inducted into the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.  She received several academic honors at Quinnipiac University including Distinguished Academic Achievement Awards in criminal law and trial practice and the Academic Excellence Award.

Office

Professional Affiliations

National Association of Bond Lawyers

Government Finance Officers Association

Connecticut Conference of Municipalities

Connecticut Council on Small Towns

Connecticut Bar Association - Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section, Executive Committee member and past chair

Connecticut Bar Association - LGBT Section, Executive Committee member and past chair

Connecticut Bar Association, Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Diversity Summit Subcommittee member

Turnaround Management Association - member

International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation - member

American Bankruptcy Institute

Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity - board of directors; 2018/2019 Strategic Planning subcommittee member; 2017/2018 Branding Subcommittee member; 2015 Edwin Archer Randolph Awards Ceremony Host Committee member

Community Involvement

Bridgeport Field of Dreams Foundation - board of directors

Honors & Recognitions

Named a Moffly Media Top Lawyer in Fairfield County, 2021 - Government and Administrative, 2023 and 2024 - Bankruptcy and Workout

Inducted into the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, April 2017

Recipient of the "Champion of Diversity" award from the Fairfield County Business Journal, April 2017

Recipient of the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund's "40 Women for the Next 40 Years" award, 2014

Named to the Super Lawyers  "Connecticut Rising Stars" list in the area of bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights in 2010, 2011 and 2012

Named as a "New Leader of the Law" by the Connecticut Law Tribune, 2012

"40 Under 40" Business Leaders Award from the Fairfield County Business Journal, June 2010

Inducted into the Fairfield University Athletic Hall of Fame, 2005

• Bond counsel to several municipalities in connection with bond issuances and refundings
• Underwriters' counsel with respect to the issuances of municipal bonds
• Successfully represented four Connecticut fitness facilities in their Chapter 11 proceedings
• Represented corporate and individual debtors in successfully emerging from Chapter 11
• Represented creditors, debtors and trustees in Chapter 7 and 11 in litigation concerning claims objections, discharge and dischargeability of debts, preferences, fraudulent conveyances, injunction proceedings, relief from the automatic stay, executory contracts and unexpired leases
• Successfully negotiated settlements for creditors involved in bankruptcy litigation
• Represented creditors in bankruptcy appeals to the Federal District Court
• Represented debtors in the sale of their assets through bankruptcy proceedings
• Represented individuals in divorce proceedings
• Represented individuals in bankruptcy proceedings that have issues related to divorce proceedings

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Press Releases