PRINT JOURNALISM: BECAUSE IT STILL MATTERS. DECEMBER 16, 2019 VOL. 55, No. 50
westfaironline.com
William Fitzgerald at his Murtha Cullina office. Photo by Phil Hall.
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GREEN BANK
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TOY STORY
Lights! Camera! Counsel! TOLLS PUNTED TO 2020; MURTHA CULLINA ROLLS OUT ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS PRACTICE GROUP
BY PHIL HALL phall@westfairinc.com
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how business and the sports world might seem like a glamorous and exciting experience to the outside observer, but behind the scenes there are a number of legal considerations ranging from intellectual property to immigration requirements to litigation to bankruptcy. The Stamford office of
the law firm Murtha Cullina LLP is staking a place in this high-profile world with its new Entertainment and Sports Practice Group. William F. Fitzgerald is the chairman of this five-attorney group that launched in July and works with a diverse client base from across the nation and around the world. However, Fitzgerald is particularly excited about providing legal counsel to Fairfield County talent.
“I was born up in South Norwalk and grew up in Rowayton,” he said. “It makes sense to establish a practice in Connecticut where it really doesn’t exist.” Among Fitzgerald’s local clients are Norwalk’s Factory Underground, which operates sound recording, film and television production studios; the master chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt; and the rapper Kenneth Schuler who performs under the name FNX. “It’s pronounced ‘Phoenix’ and his company is called Origin LLC,” added Fitzgerald. “Fairfield County is populated with folks in these industries.” Fitzgerald is no stranger to the entertainment world. He is a former » SPORTS
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IMPACT OF TRUCKERS’ LAWSUIT AGAINST RHODE ISLAND UNCERTAIN
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he year will end with no legislative action taken on tolls, as Connecticut lawmakers have decided to push formal discussions on the issue to January. Gov. Ned Lamont had been pushing for a special session of the General Assembly to convene during the week of Dec. 16 to discuss his transportation plan, which in its latest iteration would only charge trucks at gantries placed at a dozen bridge-adjacent highway sites. However, details of the governor’s revised $19.4 billion CT2030 transportation plan are still being worked out. Lawmakers on both
sides of the issue — essentially Lamont’s fellow Democrats in favor of tolls and Republicans against them — have also spoken in favor of a public hearing on the issue before a vote is taken. Along with the looming holidays and hopes to finalize a settlement with the Connecticut Hospital Association over the state’s “hospital tax” and Medicare reimbursements — the latter expected to take place during a Dec. 18 special session of the General Assembly — the belief was there would be insufficient time to fully debate the tolls issue this month. Some details regard» TOLLS
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