Impartiality in interpreting the law earns trust and respect, so after nearly three decades representing Danbury and several other Connecticut towns and community groups, Cramer & Anderson partner Dan Casagrande was honored to receive a local municipal "lawyer of the year" award recently from the International Municipal Lawyers Association.

Earned by only a handful of attorneys over the past decade, the Marvin J. Glink Private Local Government Attorney Award recognizes remarkable legal service to public clients. Marvin Glink was a founding member of the firm Ancel, Glink, Diamond, Bush, DiCanni & Krafthefer in Chicago, where he represented local governments.

Casagrande, Danbury's outside assistant corporation counsel since 1990, has handled a wide range of land-use and zoning issues, fiscal matters and civil rights claims, and recently authored a city ordinance aimed at shutting down massage parlors that offer sexual services. He said he was "honored and humbled" by the IMLA award, but added that the organization deserves recognition for helping member lawyers with complex issues.

"I've done Section 1983 defense work for Danbury over the years, and the IMLA's presentations and seminar materials on how to defend a 1983 action are very comprehensive and helpful," he said. "And in general, if you are drafting an ordinance on something you've never focused on, you can talk to one of their attorneys or go online and usually find someone somewhere who has confronted that issue before."

Held on through both Republican and Democratic city mayorships, Casagrande's work has included the 1998 Union Carbide appeal of its municipal tax assessment, in which he prevailed and safeguarded $10 million in tax revenue for the city. Following that victory, the town of Waterford retained him after Dominion Nuclear Connecticut fought a $1.2 billion assessment for the Millstone Nuclear Power Station. Casagrande preserved 93% of the valuation after a 24-day bench trial.

Work these days is "evenly divided between municipal and representing private clients in land use issues," Casagrande said, noting that he currently represents the group Rescue Candlewood Mountain. The group has spent more than $100,000 fighting a solar project it says would require clear-cutting more than 15,000 trees over 70 acres near Candlewood Lake for power contracted to Massachusetts companies.

"The project will literally adversely affect the whole forest on that mountain," Casagrande said, noting the case comes with the challenge of opposing decisions made by the largely autonomous Connecticut Siting Council. "They have very comprehensive and complicated rules that make it very difficult to participate in the process, but we're very confident in our position going forward."

In March, in direct response to Casagrande's arguments, Connecticut DEEP Commissioner Katherine Dykes issued a rare rejection of the stormwater management plan certification for the solar project. Casagrande's work also earned him a 2018 Giant Slayer award from the Connecticut Law Tribune.

For someone who grew up in Danbury and attended college at Fairfield University, Casagrande said it has been a blessing to be able to come home after earning his law degree at Fordham University School of Law in 1979 and working in New York City during the 1980s. He has worked for former Democratic Mayor Gene Eriquez and current Republican Mayor Mark Boughton, which he said has been "gratifying. If any of your municipal clients sense that you're shading your opinion for a political reason, you lose all credibility. That's why I've tried to maintain absolute impartiality."

The Glink Award nomination called for three letters of endorsement, which included one from Boughton. "Attorney Casagrande exemplifies an IMLA honoree in that he has led several litigation efforts that have made Danbury a safer place for all," Boughton wrote, adding Casagrande "is well known and respected in our community."

In another letter of endorsement, Les Pinter, managing attorney and deputy corporation counsel in Danbury, wrote Casagrande "is in the narrowest class of the finest, most skilled, creative, erudite, professional and honorable attorneys in any state."

In addition to Danbury, Cramer & Anderson maintains its headquarters in New Milford, along with offices in Litchfield, Kent, Washington Depot and Ridgefield.