Jeffrey M. Donofrio
Top rated Construction Litigation attorney in North Haven, Connecticut
Ciulla & Donofrio, LLP
Practice Areas: Construction Litigation, State, Local & Municipal, Business Litigation; view more
Licensed in Connecticut since: 1990
Education: The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2006, 2009 - 2024 Call today:
203-361-9688
Ciulla & Donofrio, LLP
127 Washington AvenueNorth Haven, CT 06473 Visit website
Details
After earning a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College in 1987, Jeffrey M. Donofrio attended The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. He received a Juris Doctor in 1990. Jeff practiced at Tyler, Cooper & Alcorn in New Haven until leaving on November 1, 1996 to co-found Ciulla & Donofrio, LLP with Bob Ciulla.
Mr. Donofrio focuses his practice on business litigation, construction law and municipal law. He has extensive experience guiding clients through a wide range of complex legal issues, including those involving contract disputes, business torts, construction law matters, complex civil litigation, property tax appeals and a broad array of municipal law services. He has extensive experience with ADR proceedings, including mediation and arbitration. He also serves as a mediator and arbitrator in construction and other commercial disputes, as a Connecticut Superior Court Special Master for real property and personal property tax appeals and as the Consumer Affairs Officer for the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority. Mr. Donofrio’s practice covers all of Connecticut.
With over 31 years of experience, Mr. Donofrio understand how legal challenges can impact business or municipal operations. Jeff helps clients determine the most effective course of action, works with clients to develop practical and efficient solutions and meticulously performs the services necessary to execute the strategic plan. Mr. Donofrio's commitment to providing high quality, responsive and efficient representation while maintaining high standards of ethics has gained him the respect of his clients and peers alike, including recognitions such as Best Lawyers, the highest possible rating* of AV (5.0) Preeminent from Martindale-Hubbell, inclusion in Connecticut Super Lawyers and selection in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.
Giving back to the community is a priority for Mr. Donofrio. He previously served as a trustee for the Hospital of St. Raphael Foundation, as a board member for Sleeping Giant State Park, on the Trumbull Town Council, the Trumbull Board of Education and on the parish council for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Jeff is currently the Town Attorney for the Towns of Berlin, Cheshire and North Haven. Mr. Donofrio welcomes the opportunity to discuss his qualifications and the qualifications of the firm with potential clients.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Construction Litigation: Business, State, Local & Municipal, Business Litigation, Alternative Dispute ResolutionFocus areas
State, Local & Municipal Litigation
- 30% Construction Litigation: Business
- 40% State, Local & Municipal
- 20% Business Litigation
- 10% Alternative Dispute Resolution
First Admitted: 1990, Connecticut
Professional Webpage: https://cd-llp.com/connecticut-commercial-litigation-attorne...
- American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Member, 1997 – Present
- American Bar Association, Member, Construction Litigation Committee, 1996 – Present
- Sleeping Giant Park Association, Director, 1992 – Present
- U.S. District Court District of Connecticut, 1991
- Connecticut Council of Small Towns, Member, 2013-Present
- Connecticut Bar Association, Chairman, Legal Technology Committee, 2000 – 2010
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Council, Council Member, 2006 – 2010
- Connecticut Bar Association, Executive Committee, Small Firm Practice Management Section, 2010 – Present
- Trumbull Board of Education, 2013-2019
- American Bar Association, Member, Forum on the Construction Industry, 1995 – Present
- Connecticut, 1990
- Connecticut Association of Municipal Attorneys, Member, 2003 – Present
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 1995
- Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Committee on Municipality Law Liability and Insurance, Member, 2005 – 2008
- New Haven County Bar Association, Member, 1990 – Present
- Trumbull Town Council, 2011 – 2013
- American Bar Association, Law Practice Management Section, Member, 1997 – Present
- Hospital of St. Raphael Foundation, Trustee, 2009 – 2014
- North Haven Education Foundation, Director, 2004 – 2010
- U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1994
- Connecticut Construction Industry Association, Member, 2007 – Present
- Connecticut Bar Association, Commercial Law, Construction Law & Litigation Sections, Member, 1991 – Present
- American Bar Association, 1990 – Present
- Mortgage Lenders Network USA v. Coresource, 335 F. Supp. 2d 313 (D.Conn. 2004)
- White Way Laundry v. F&W Equipment Corp., 40 Conn, L. Rptr. 488 (Conn. Super. 2005)
- SNET v. Coho, 2006 WL 2867884 (Conn. Super. 2006)
- Peter Rock Associates v. Town of North Haven, 59 Conn. App.1 (2000)
- Citizens Communications v. Trustmark Insurance Company, 303 F 2d. 197 (2004)
- Bergami v. Town of Hamden, 39 Conn. L. Rptr. 718 (Conn. Super. 2005)
- Corn v. Protective Life Insurance Co., 1998 WL 51783 (D. Conn. 1998)
- SNET v. Pagano, 79 Conn. App. 458 (2003)
- West Haven Housing Authority v. CB Alexander Real Estate, LLC, 2007 WL 346031 (Conn. Super. 2007)
- SNET v. City of Milford, 2003 WL 22708896 (Conn. Super. 2003)
- West Haven Housing Authority v. CB Alexander Real Estate, et al., 107 Conn. App. 167, 944 A.2d 1010 (Appellate 2008)
- Woodwinds v. Dimeo, 229 F.3d 1136 (2000)
- City of New Haven
- Town of East Haven, 2020
- Town of Cheshire, Town Attorney, 2021
- AT&T
- John J. Brennan Construction Company
- Downes Construction Company
- Frontier Communications
- Town Of Berlin, Town Attorney
- South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, Office of Consumer Affairs
- Deep River Housing Authority
- Town of Guilford
- F&F Mechanical
- Town of North Haven, Town Attorney
- Joseph Cohn & Son
- Town of Wallingford
- South Central Connecticut Council of Governments
- Southern New England Telephone Company
- EDENS
- Town of Hamden
- Kimco Realty Corp.
- Simoniz USA
- Webster Bank, N.A.
- Member, Trumbull Board of Education
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
- Best Lawyers - Tier 1 Commercial Litigation, Best Lawyers, 2022
- Connecticut and New England SuperLawyer, 2006 – Present
- AV Rating, Martindale-Hubbell's Highest Rating, 2000 – Present
- Go To Law Firm for America's Largest Companies, 2008
- Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Martindale Hubbell, 2004 – Present
- Corporate Counsel Edition, Super Lawyers
- Benchmark Local Litigation Star, 2013 – Present
- Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, B.A., May 1987
- Highlights of the Y2K Act, Connecticut Lawyer, October, 1999
- Get the Bug Spray Ready, Connecticut Lawyer, October, 1998
- Beware of the Delete Button, CONNstruction Magazine, 2011
- Inside the Minds: Municipal Litigation, Aspatore Publishing (Thomson Reuters), 2013
- Construction Law, November 2014 (HalfMoon Education)
- School Construction in Connecticut in 2014: Safety, Security and More, (March 2014)
- State and Local Government Law in Connecticut, February 2012 (NBI)
- Construction Claims in Connecticut, August 2001 (Lorman Educational Services)
- Construction Management/Design Build in Connecticut, August 2003 and 2004 and December 2005 (Lorman)
- Insurance, Liens and Bonds in Connecticut, April 2005 (Lorman)
- Comprehensive Construction Law in Connecticut, October 2005 (Lorman)
- Insurance, Liens and Bonds in Connecticut, 2006 (Lorman)
- Getting Paid for Construction Work in Connecticut, June 2009 (National Business Institute)
- Construction Defects, May and September 2008 (NBI)
- Advanced Construction Law, Connecticut Construction Law: What Do You Do When....? and Construction Payment Remedies in Connecticut, October 1997, April 1998, March 1999, September 1999, March 2000, March 2001, November 2001, and November 2002 (NBI)
- Construction Law Fundamentals: Managing Project Risk, 2007 (NBI)
- Construction Defect Claims, National Teleconference and Webcast, January 2008 and June 2008 (NBI)
- Resolving Problems and Disputes on Construction Projects, 2007 (NBI)
- Special Proceedings and More, April 2011 (with The Honorable Angela Robinson) (New Haven County Bar Association)
- Special Proceedings and More, April 2005 (with The Honorable Patty Jenkins Pittman) (NHCBA)
- Mediation Tips and Pointers, March 2004 (with The Honorable Beverly Hodgson) (NHCBA)
- Everything You Need to Know About Real Property Tax Appeals, 1994 (NHCBA)
- Foreclosures, the FDIC and the Financial Institution Reform Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA), March 1993 (with The Honorable Donald Celotto and Denis Caron) (NHCBA)
- Legal Sources on the Internet, March 2000 (NHCBA)
- Y2k Problem Seminars, November 1998, February 1999, June 1999, and November 1999 (Connecticut Bar Association)
- Legal Sources on the Internet, January 2001, October 2001, and June 2002 (CBA)
- Cybersmear If You Dare.....But Be Prepared to Pay, Connecticut Lawyer, November, 2007
- Practical and Affordable Technology in Connecticut's Courts: Today's Realities – Tomorrow's Visions, April 2003 (CBA)
- Eat Your Vegetables, Connecticut Lawyer, August, 2007
- Practice Management Tips for the New and Established Solo and Small Firm Practitioner, November 2009 (CBA)
- Using Computers to Avoid Malpractice, June 2004 (CBA)
- Hiring Construction Managers Easier Said than Done, Connecticut Law Tribune, December, 2006
- Dare to Go Digital, June 2011 (CBA, Annual Meeting)
- Tools of the Trade for the 21st Century Litigator, Connecticut Lawyer, March, 2003
- How to Improve Odds of a Successful Construction Project, Business New Haven, November, 2005
- Legal Technology Review, Connecticut Law Tribune, March, 2001
- American Bar Association
- Connecticut Association Of Municipal Attorneys (CAMA)
- Connecticut Bar Association
- Connecticut Building Congress
- Connecticut Construction Industry Association (CCIA)
- Litigation Counsel Of America
- New Haven County Bar Association
Office location for Jeffrey M. Donofrio
127 Washington Avenue
North Haven, CT 06473
Phone: 203-361-9688
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2006, 2009 - 2024
Additional sources of information about Jeffrey M. Donofrio
See legal Q & A provided by Jeffrey M. Donofrio
Q: What Are The Keys To Successful Building Projects For Connecticut Municipalities?
A: At a macro level, no matter what you are building, the priorities are the same: budget, quality and schedule. These three priorities are inextricably … See all answers by Jeffrey Donofrio
