Thomas Scheffey

June 13, 2002 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Connecticut lawyers are running into a new litigation pitfall, as insurance companies are placed in the limbo of insurer rehabilitation or the perdition of their liquidation.

By Thomas Scheffey

4 minute read

August 28, 2000 | Law.com

Ron Little's mind is fine. But Parkinson's disease makes the smallest tasks a challenge, and his medication produces side effects. But what really disturbed him was the behavior of his young neighbor and his friends. Little's discomfort grew to fear of confrontation. And then things got worse.

By Thomas Scheffey

5 minute read

May 15, 2000 | Law.com

In the decade of its existence, Connecticut's affordable housing appeals procedure, which attempts to curb exclusionary zoning practices by pushing through developments where a quarter of the units are earmarked for low-income renters or purchasers, has been a lightning rod for controversy. The problem: The housing wasn't actually affordable, formulas were not applied even-handedly and developers were gaming the system through unintended loopholes.

By Thomas Scheffey

7 minute read

June 11, 2001 | Law.com

Invoking "exceptional circumstances," the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals drained the legal life out of Connecticut's landmark Microsoft case, in which a federal judge made a record-setting $1 million unfair trade punitive damage award. The judge had ruled that Microsoft engaged in "reckless and wanton" deception when it told software makers that it would share the Windows source code but then stopped doing so.

By Thomas Scheffey

5 minute read

June 28, 1999 | Law.com

Bristol Technologies Inc., the small software company suing mighty Microsoft Inc., has thrived on a strategy of tackling its biggest, most intimidating targets first. That fearlessness went into Bristol's decision to sue Microsoft on antitrust, fair trade and quasi-contractual grounds. The trial began June 3 and is expected to last about six weeks. So far, the case shows that standing up to Goliath doesn't make the challenger a hero, or promise upset results.

By Thomas Scheffey

10 minute read

April 01, 2002 | Connecticut Law Tribune

This is a terrific witness for the defense, said a smiling Hugh F. Keefe.

By THOMAS SCHEFFEY Law Tribune Staff Writer

5 minute read

November 02, 2000 | Law.com

A consumer who bought a computer with Microsoft Windows does not have standing to sue Microsoft for antitrust violations because he didn't buy the software directly from the company, a Connecticut judge ruled. Anthony Vacco's suit to recover the "monopoly pricing" cost of the Windows 98 software on his computer is similar to scores of antitrust and unfair trade cases around the nation.

By Thomas Scheffey

4 minute read

July 14, 1999 | Law.com

After a recent Connecticut Supreme Court decision, property owners are quietly rejoicing. The decision recognizes a possible violation of a federal civil rights statute. Surprisingly, the plaintiffs' victory is based on the Equal Protection clause, seldom a winner in such land use cases. The court found that the landowners made a sufficient case to sue the zoning board for selectively and maliciously denying them permission to build.

By Thomas Scheffey

9 minute read

February 28, 2002 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Powerful, heavy and given to violent outbursts, Steven M. has the body of an adult and the mind of a five-year-old. Two years ago, the Department of Children and Families was challenged by the problem he posed, and convened a committee of 26 professionals to come up with a smart solution.

By THOMAS SCHEFFEY

4 minute read

November 13, 2001 | Law.com

What right do disabled employees have to re-employment, once they get better? That's what Aetna employee Debora Lisee is asking in litigation before the Connecticut Commission of Human Rights and Opportunities and in a separate breach of contract case. The outcome may hinge on Finley v. Aetna, in which the Connecticut Supreme Court recognized that an employee manual could be given the weight of a contract.

By Thomas Scheffey

4 minute read