New Haven attorney Kevin Smith said he's received positive feedback since he and partner Norm Pattis filed a federal lawsuit April 3 alleging New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker maligned a local restaurant over COVID-19 concerns.

"Why were they singling this place out?" Smith asked Monday. "We've gotten many emails and calls thanking us for filing this complaint."

That lawsuit alleged Elicker, a Democratic politician, targeted 50′s Lounge, which had often been a gathering spot for his political opponents. It seeks declaratory and injunctive relief and money damages, based on allegations of defamation, invasion of privacy by false light, violation of constitutional rights, intentional infliction of emotional distress and reckless infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit claims Elicker went on the local ABC-TV affiliate to say residents had complained the eatery was still open, despite state and local orders prohibiting gatherings of 50 and 10 people, respectively. But the complaint alleges the lounge had already closed its doors for safety reasons, due to COVID-19-related precautions.

The lawsuit names the mayor, Gov. Ned Lamont and a representative of the mayor as defendants. It also questions the constitutionality of a cap on crowd sizes.

Defense attorneys Robert Deichert and Phil Miller, both with the Office of the Connecticut Attorney General, declined to comment through office spokeswoman Elizabeth Benton.

The governor's and mayor's offices also declined to comment.

Meanwhile, the restaurant has now hired two attorneys with a history of high-profile and controversial clients.

Smith, for instance, received the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Merit Award in 2012-13, according to his resume. And his partner, Pattis, represents right-wing radio host Alex Jones in litigation with relatives of victims of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Smith has been the counsel or co-counsel on numerous criminal trials, civil rights cases, appeals, habeas corpus actions and post-conviction cases. He was a teacher in New York City for four years, before receiving his law degree from the Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2007. While in college, he began interning for his would-be partner, New Haven attorney Pattis. He joined Pattis' firm as a partner in 2009, but then decided to go out on his own. He ran his own practice from 2010-2015, before rejoining Pattis in 2016 to form Pattis & Smith, based in New Haven.

"Our friendship comes before anything else," Smith said of Pattis. "We don't agree on everything, but we generally agree on most things. It's a sign of a healthy relationship, and is one of the things that got us back together."

Pattis has also represented accused murderer Fotis Dulos, who was charged with killing his wife Jennifer. Dulos killed himself in late January.

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