Former Sen. Chris Dodd Joins
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer announced this week that former U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd has joined the firm as senior counsel.

Dodd is the longest-serving U.S. senator in state history, having been elected to five consecutive terms. He previously was in the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms. He was chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and served on the committees on foreign relations and health, education, labor and pensions, among others.

While in Congress, Dodd was a principal author of numerous bills, including the Dodd-Frank Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Child Care Act and the Help America Vote Act.
In 2011, Dodd joined the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) as chairman and chief executive officer. He is credited with spearheading content protection and anti-piracy initiatives, along with expanding international access to U.S. films and television programs.

“Sen. Dodd is widely respected in the business community and on Capitol Hill for his expertise and ability to work with colleagues from both parties,” said Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer Chairman Richard M. Alexander. “He will be an effective strategic adviser and valued counselor to clients on a wide range of important legislative and policy issues.”

West Hartford Firm Pierce Taps Former Aetna VP Robert Stillman

Robert J. Stillman, former vice president in Aetna's law department, has joined the West Hartford firm Pierce. He joins the firm as an of counsel member.

Stillman has worked at Aetna since 1992 on health care cost containment, fraud, False Claim Act suits, government investigations, national class-action suits and actions involving both ERISA and RICO.

Stillman has counseled senior business leaders and oversaw more than 100 lawyers and other professionals supporting Aetna's commercial insured products and led efforts to settle a national class-action suit on behalf of physicians and state medical societies.

Pierce led the effort to resolve a national class-action involving Aetna's use of Ingenix database and related investigation by the New York Attorney General's Office and has counseled on sensitive False Claims Act issues arising out of a Medicaid procurement bid.

“I chose to join Pierce LLC because of its fierce commitment to working with clients to address health care provider cost containment issues,” he said.

Stillman is an involved volunteer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, serving on its Audit Committee. He also volunteers with the Children's Reading Partners program. He received his law degree from Harvard Law School, cum laude, and his bachelor's degree from Yale, Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude. He and his wife Leslie live in Simsbury.

Dendinger Named Partner
At Bracewell in Hartford
 Bracewell recently announced the election of nine new partners at offices in the United States and United Kingdom, including Mark E. Dendinger in the firm's Hartford office.

Dendinger's practice focuses on financial restructurings across a company's capital structure, most recently in the energy, retail and maritime sectors. He has played a leading role in every complex Chapter 11 case handled by Bracewell over the last five years, including matters for Energy & Exploration Partners, Marco Polo Seatrade, Optim Energy and Venoco. He has also represented creditors on debt and equity restructurings, asset sales, amendments, distressed investments and acquisitions, litigation matters and exit finance transactions.