Pullman & Comley Elects Three Members and Welcomes Three New Associates
BRIDGEPORT, CT, January 8, 2021: Pullman & Comley, LLC is pleased to announce the election of three attorneys to Members of the Firm and also welcomes three new Associates, the law firm announced today.
New Members include Joshua S. Cole, Erick A. Russell and Zachary D. Schurin. "Each of these attorneys has demonstrated a deep understanding of the law and a strong commitment to their clients and the community,” said Pullman & Comley Chairman James T. Shearin. “We are proud of their achievements and look forward to their continuing growth at the firm.”
Joshua S. Cole is an experienced commercial finance and commercial real estate attorney practicing in Connecticut and New York. He represents large national institutional lenders, regional institutional lenders, community banks and private lenders, as well as middle-market companies and closely held and family-owned businesses. In addition, Josh regularly represents sellers, purchasers, landlords and tenants in connection with the sale, purchase and leasing of all types of properties. Prior to joining Pullman & Comley’s Commercial Finance and Real Estate practices in 2018, Josh practiced with law firms located in Westchester County, New York, for 16 years. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Sacred Heart University in 1998 and earned his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law in 2002. Josh is a member of the Wilton Board of Selectmen and a member of the Board of Directors for the Wilton Chamber of Commerce. He is based in the firm’s Westport and Bridgeport offices.
Erick A. Russell is a member of the firm’s Government Finance practice and represents state and municipal governments in the issuance of tax-exempt and taxable bonds and other debt obligations, as well as issuers of 501(c)(3) bonds, qualified private activity bonds, revenue bonds and conduit borrowings. Erick has been an active member of Connecticut’s legal community. He served as chair of the Connecticut Bar Association’s LGBT section and as a member of the Board of Directors for the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association. Erick currently serves as Vice Chair of the Connecticut Democratic Party and as Eastern Regional Vice Chair of the Association of State Democratic Committees. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the American Bar Association's "On the Rise - Top 40 Young Lawyers" Award in 2020 and the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association “Rising Leader” award in 2019. Erick received his B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of New Haven in 2009 and earned his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2012. He first joined Pullman & Comley as a summer associate in 2011 and is based in the firm’s Bridgeport office.
Zachary D. Schurin counsels boards of education, municipalities, businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals through complex labor, employment, litigation and education law matters. Zach's practice includes the negotiation of certified and non-certified collective bargaining agreements, representation at grievance and interest arbitration hearings, advocacy before state and federal courts, representation at student expulsion and residency hearings and the development of board of education and municipal policies and regulations. He serves on the Steering Committee of the Connecticut Chapter of the Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA), the Executive Committee of the Labor and Employment Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, is a member of the Oliver Ellsworth Inn of Court, and is a past president of the Connecticut Council of School Attorneys. Zach is a frequent author and conducts numerous webinars on the topics of education, labor and employment law issues. Zach graduated from Hamilton College in 2003 and earned his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2008. He joined Pullman & Comley as an associate in 2013 and is based in the firm’s Hartford office.
The firm's three new Associates include:
Snigdha Mamillapalli joins the firm as an Associate in the Litigation and Labor and Employment practices after earning her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in May 2020. During law school, Snigdha served as a judicial intern in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut for the Honorable Alfred V. Covello. She was a member of the firm’s Summer Associate Program in 2018 and 2019 where she also gained valuable experience working in-house at a nationally recognized health system. Snigdha received her B.S. and B.A. from the University of Connecticut in May 2016 and is based in the Bridgeport office.
Stacie Provencher begins her new role as an Associate in the Family Law practice after earning her J.D. in May 2020 from Western New England University School of Law. For the past five years, Stacie has worked as a paralegal assisting with a variety of family law matters. She is a member of the Hartford County and Connecticut Bar Associations, the Central Connecticut Paralegal Association and while in law school was the senior articles editor for the Western New England Law Review. She received her B.A. in 2012 from the College of the Holy Cross and her paralegal certificate from Manchester Community College in 2014. Stacie is based in the Hartford office.
Potoula Tournas joins the firm as an Associate after earning her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in May 2020. During law school, Potoula served as a judicial intern in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut for the Honorable Alfred V. Covello and worked as a legal extern at a law firm in New Britain. Prior to law school, she gained experience working at law firms located in Boston, Manhattan and Stamford, Connecticut. Potoula was a member of the firm’s Summer Associate Program in 2019. She received her B.A., summa cum laude, from Northeastern University in January 2015 and is located in the Hartford office.
About Pullman & Comley
Pullman & Comley is one of Connecticut’s largest firms and, for more than 100 years, has provided a wide range of legal services to clients in the New England region, as well as throughout the United States and internationally. Pullman & Comley’s major practice areas include business organizations and finance; government finance; health care; labor, employment law and employee benefits; litigation; property tax and valuation; real estate, land use and environmental; and trusts and estates. The firm has offices in Bridgeport, Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury and Westport, Connecticut; White Plains, New York; and Springfield, Massachusetts. The firm is an active member of the Law Firm Alliance, an international affiliation of law firms. For more information, please visit www.pullcom.com.