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Address
5 Imperial Avenue, P.O. Box 295
Westport, Connecticut 06881 (Fairfield Co.)
Average Client Review Rating
Rating not available
Average Peer Review Rating
5.0
out of 5
 Accepts Credit Cards (Main Office) Statement of PracticeFamily, Child Custody, Divorce, Trials and Appeals. Firm Size: 5
Reference:Westport National.
Rate InformationFixed Hourly Rates
Accepts Major Credit Cards
Arnold H. Rutkin (Partner) born Bridgeport, Connecticut, July 19, 1939; admitted to bar, 1965, Massachusetts; 1966, Connecticut; 1973, U.S. Supreme Court; 1985, New York. Education: University of Pennsylvania (B.S., in Economics, 1961); Boston University (LL.B., 1964). Executive Editor, Connecticut Family Lawyer, 1986-2001. Author: "Tax Aspects in Domestic Relations Cases," Trial Magazine, June, 1980; "When Prenuptial Contracts are Challenged in Court," The Family Advocate, Winter, 1984; "Valuation of Closely Held Corporations" Valuation & Distribution of Marital Property, Matthew Bender Publishing Co., 1984. Co-Author: "Lay Witnesses Can Value Assets," Trial Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 6, p. 33, June, 1986. General Editor, Family Law and Practice, Matthew Bender Publishing Co., 1985; Connecticut Practice Series, Co-Author: Family Law and Practice (3 vols.) West Publishing Co., 2000-2005. Lecturer, Connecticut Bar Association: "Child Support in High Income Cases - Relocation and Arbitration", 2001; "The Bulletproof Financial Affidavit", 2003; "The Art of Advocacy", 2005. Lecturer, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers: "Premarital and Postmarital Agreements in Connecticut", 2004; "Complex Issues in Family Law - How to Handle Tricky Issues and Sticky Situations," 2005; "Prenuptial Agreements in Connecticut In Light Of Civil Unions," 2006. Member and Director, Bridgeport Legal Services, Inc., 1969-1971. Chairman, Greater Bridgeport Housing Council, 1970-1973. Majority Leader and Councilman, Town of Trumbull, Connecticut, 1973-1975. Member, Board of Directors, Cold Spring School, New Haven, Connecticut. Founder, Member of Board of Editors and Editor-in-Chief (1999) Connecticut Family Lawyer. Listed: The Best Lawyers in America, 1995- (selection criteria available at http://www.bestlawyers.com/aboutus/selectionprocess.aspx); Top 10 Lawyers, Worth Magazine, 2002-2003; Connecticut Magazine "Super Lawyers" Top 50 Lawyers in Connecticut, 2006 - (detailed more thoroughly at http://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html); Ten Leaders of Matrimonial and Divorce Law in Connecticut, 2006 (selection criteria available at http://tenleaders.com/research/php); "New York Area's Best Lawyers," 2008 - (selection criteria available at http://nymag.com/guides/bestlawyers/2008/42039/). Member: Connecticut (Member, Executive Committee, Family Law Section, 1978; Secretary-Treasurer, 1981-1982; Vice-Chairman, 1983; Chairman, 1985-1986) and American (Member, 1984; Chairman, 1985-1987; Taxation Committee, 1982; Continuing Legal Education Committee; Member, 1984-1995 and Editor-in-Chief, 1987-1997, The Family Advocate; Chairperson, Bylaw Committee Revision, 1984-1985; Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (Secretary-Treasurer and Second Vice President, 1970-1972; Member, Board of Governors, 1979-1984); The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Member, 1973-1999; Vice-Chairman, 1981-1984 and Chairman, 1985-1987, Family Law Section); American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Fellow, 1984; Chair, Sales and Marketing Committee 2006-2008; Member, Board of Governors, 2003); American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Foundation (Chair, Fund Raising Committee, 2007-2008; Assistant Treasurer, 2008; Board of Managers, 2006); Connecticut Chapter American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Fellow, 1984; Secretary, 2008; Chapter Delegate to Board of Governors, 2003; Member, Amicus Curiae Committee, 2000); International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Fellow, 1994). Reported Cases: Wendt v. Wendt, 59 Conn. App. 656 (2000), cert. denied 255 Conn. 918 (2000); Burns v. Burns, 41 Conn. App. 716 (1996); Fiddelman v. Redmon, 31 Conn. App. 201 (1993); Knock v. Knock, 224 Conn. 776 (1993); Guss v. Guss, 1 Conn. App. 356, 472 A.2d 790 (1984); Grier v. Grier, 24 Conn. App. 801 (1991). Practice Areas: Family Law; Litigation.Email: Arnold H. Rutkin
Sarah S. Oldham (Partner) born Mineola, NY, March 5, 1951; admitted to bar, 1988, Connecticut; 1989 U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. Education: Wesleyan University (B.S., cum laude, 1972); Southern Connecticut State College (M.S., School Psychology, 1974); University of Connecticut School of Law (J .D., cum laude, 1988). Member, Connecticut Law Review, 1986-1988. Board of Editors, Connecticut Family Lawyer, 1994-2000. Author: "Post-Majority Support: The Statute Explained," Connecticut Family Lawyer, Fall 1993; "Recent Appellate Developments," Connecticut Family Lawyer, Spring, 1995; "Recent Appellate Decisions," Connecticut Family Lawyer, Fall, 1997; "Distributing Executive Compensation Benefits," The Family Advocate, Winter, 2001; "Examining the Mental Health Expert," The Family Advocate, Spring, 2008; Connecticut Practice Series, Co-Author: "Family Law and Practice," (2 vols.) West Publishing Co., 1999-2000. Lecturer, Connecticut Bar Association: "Relocation Issues After Ireland v. Ireland," September 10, 1999; "Effective Litigation of Mental Health Professionals in Family Cases," March 28, 2001; "Pensions and Divorce: How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Dealing with Pensions in Divorce," May 2, 2002; "The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement (UCCJEA)," June, 2003; "Complex Issues in Family Law Cases" or "How to Handle Tricky Questions and Sticky Situations," April, 2005. Lecturer, ABA-APA Conference, "Psychological Testing in Cases of Disputed Custody," April, 2008. Listed: Best Lawyers in America, 2005-present (selection criteria available at http://www.bestlawyers.com/aboutus/selectionprocess.aspx); Connecticut Magazine "Best Lawyers" Top 25 Female Lawyers, 2007-present (detailed more thoroughly at http://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html); "New York Area's Best Lawyers" 2007-present (selection criteria available at http://nymag.com/guides/bestlawyers/2008/42039/). Member: Connecticut Bar Association (Member, Executive Committee of the Family Law Section, 1993; Treasurer, 1999-2000; Secretary, 2000-2001; Continuing Legal Education, 2001-2002; Chair-Elect, 2002-2003; Chair, 2003-2004; Co-Chair, Post-Majority Support Committee, Family Law Section, 1993-1994); Fairfield County and American Bar Associations; American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Chair, National Test Committee, 2005; Member, Board of Managers, Connecticut Chapter, 2006); International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Member, Board of Managers, USA Chapter, 2007). Reported Cases: Wendt v. Wendt, 59 Conn. App. 656 (2000), cert. denied 255 Conn. 918 (2000); Ireland v. Ireland, 246 Conn. 413 (1998); Hines v. St. Vincent's Medical Center 232 Conn. 632, 657 A2d 578 (1995). Practice Areas: Family Law; Litigation.Email: Sarah S. Oldham
Melissa J. Needle (Partner) born New Haven, Connecticut, January 3, 1965; admitted to bar, 1990, Connecticut; 1991, New York. Education: Tufts University (B.A., 1987); Whittier College School of Law (J.D., 1990). Member: American, Connecticut and Fairfield County Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Matrimonial Law; Family Law.Email: Melissa J. Needle
——————————Alexander J. Cuda (Associate) born Allentown, Pennsylvania, October 21, 1978; admitted to bar, 2004, Connecticut; 2006, U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut. Education: Cornell University (B.A., magna cum laude, 2000); Tulane University Law School (J.D., 2003; LL.M., 2004). Senior Fellow, Legal Research & Writing, Tulane University Law School, 2002-2003. Senior Articles Editor, Journal of Law and Sexuality, 2002-2003. Judge, Yale Mock Trial Tournament, 2005, 2006. Pro bono volunteer, Lawyers for Children America, 2005. Member: Fairfield County (Member, Family Law Section) and Connecticut (Member, Family Law Section; Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2006-2007) Bar Associations. Reported Cases: DiBlase v. Logistec Connecticut, Inc., 283 Conn. 129 (2007); Mitchell v. Medical Inter-Insurance Exchange, 101 Conn. App. 721 (2007). Practice Areas: Family Law; Litigation.Email: Alexander J. Cuda
OF COUNSELKathleen A. Hogan (Of Counsel) born Oakland, California, February 18, 1952; admitted to bar, 1977, Tennessee; 1981, New York; 1983, Connecticut; 1989, Colorado. Education: College of Santa Fe (B.A., magna cum laude, 1973); University of Tennessee at Knoxville (J.D., 1977). Pi Gamma Mu. Associate Editor, Tennessee Law Review, 1976-1977. Managing Editor, Connecticut Family Lawyer, 1986-1991. Member, Board of Editors, Family Advocate, 1993. Author: "Retirement Benefits for County Officials" and "County Correctional Facilities," University of Tennessee Press, 1978; "Involuntary Confinement of Mental Patients," 43 Tennessee Law Review 366, 1976; "Pretrial Proceedings-Exclusive Use of Marital Residence," Matrimonial and Family Law Practice, Matthew Bender Publishing Co., 1985; "Pendente Lite Exclusive Possession of the Matrimonial Home-Grounds for Relief," Connecticut Family Law Journal, Vol. 3, No. 5, July, 1985; "A Look at the Psychotherapist-Patient Privilege," The Family Advocate, Fall 1991; "Hearsay-A Rule of Exceptions," The Family Advocate, Summer 1996; "Illegal Evidence," The Family Advocate, Summer 1996; "Custody Jurisdiction," The Family Advocate, Winter, 2004; "Meddlesome Metadata," The Family Advocate, Winter, 2006. Co-Author: "Lay Witnesses Can Value Assets," Trial Magazine, June, 1986, Vol. 22, No. 6, p. 33; "Appointment of Counsel for Pre-Verbal Children," Connecticut Family Lawyer, Summer, 1988; Colorado Family Law and Practice (2 vols.) West Publishing Co., 1999; Connecticut Practice Series - Family Law and Practice 2d ed (2 vols.) West Publishing Co., 1991. Member: The Colorado, Connecticut and American Bar Associations. (Also Partner, McGuane and Hogan, LLP, Denver, Colorado). Reported Cases: Weinberg v. Weinberg, 89 Conn. App. 649 (2006); Wendt v. Wendt, 59 Conn. App. 656 (2000), cert. denied 255 Conn. 918 (2000); Issler v. Issler, 250 Conn. 226 (1998); Ireland v. Ireland, 246 Conn. 413 (1998); Burns v. Burns, 41 Conn. App. 716 (1996); Fiddelman v. Redmon, 37 Conn. App. 397 (1995); Fiddelman v. Redmon, 31 Conn. App. 201 (1993); Knock v. Knock, 224 Conn. 776 (1993); Ottaviani v. Pechi, 16 Conn. App. 705 (1988); Gross v. Latimer, 1 Conn. App. 501 (1984); Bartha v. Simmons, 15 Conn. App. 801 (1988); In re Marriage of Nussbeck, 899 P.2d 347 (1995); Grier v. Grier, 24 Conn. App. 801 (1991); In re Marriage of McSoud, 131 P.3d 1208 (ColoApp 2006). Practice Areas: Family Law; Litigation; Appeals.Email: Kathleen A. Hogan
Ratings Methodology
The following firm members have been rated by their peersDisclaimer: No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. The testimonial or endorsement does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter. Any result that the endorsed lawyer or law firm may achieve on behalf of one client in one matter does not necessarily indicate that similar results can be obtained for other clients. Past success cannot be an assurance of future success because each case must be decided on its own merits. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Martindale-Hubbell® does not undertake to develop a Client Review Rating or Peer Review Rating for all firms and/or lawyers. Therefore, the fact that a firm or lawyer has not been reviewed should not be construed as unfavorable. Martindale-Hubbell accepts no responsibility for and will not be liable for the content and accuracy of the individual Reviews and the aggregated Reviews.
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