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BrianRich

He | Him | His

Partner

"One of my greatest sources of professional pride is having longstanding clients, many of whom I have represented for the majority of my legal career."

Overview

Biography

Brian regularly represents some of the world’s largest banks and financial institutions as well as local and regional clients. He has consistently been ranked among the top tier of attorneys by national and regional organizations and publications, including being named a 2024 New England Banking and Finance Attorney of the Year by the Connecticut Law Tribune.

Brian handles a variety of business and commercial disputes across the country, including contract claims, real estate litigation, contested commercial and residential foreclosure actions, mortgage resolution, unfair business practices actions, and fraud and lender liability claims. 

Over the course of his 20-plus-year career, Brian has tried scores of bench and jury trials to conclusion, resolved many more through creative settlements, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, and advised clients through complex litigation and discovery issues. Brian regularly appears in state and federal trial courts in Connecticut and New York, the Connecticut Appellate Court, the Connecticut Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit as well as in arbitration and mediation proceedings.

Brian has represented lenders in complex and highly litigated commercial foreclosure actions across the country, obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a Fortune 500 company in a 10-week jury trial, and litigated complex commercial litigation matters through depositions, evidentiary hearings, and court conferences. His practical approach to litigation has resulted in him prevailing in cases others thought could not be won, settling cases others thought could not be settled, and surpassing expectations in delivering superior client service. 

As part of his dedication to his clients, Brian offers value-added services, including presenting in-house educational seminars and conducting client site training designed to proactively avoid litigation issues and address them when they arise. Clients often cite Brian’s passion for education and mitigating future problems as a reason why they come to him when inevitable issues arise. 

Brian frequently authors legal alerts and thought leadership pieces for industry and legal publications and is regularly asked to contribute pieces for various national, regional, and local organizations. He regularly speaks to industry associations, trade groups, and the business and legal community, including providing continuing legal education. 

Bar Associations

  • Connecticut Bar Association

Selected Memberships & Affiliations

  • Thomson Reuters Practical Law, Contributor
Experience

Representative Experience

  • Successfully obtained a defense verdict in favor of a bank client in Stamford Superior Court. The jury ultimately rejected the plaintiff’s claim for damages related to purported breaches of settlement agreement and found a substantial offset in favor of the bank.
  • Successfully secured summary judgment in favor of a bank client before the Connecticut Appellate Court in the foreclosure of a commercial mortgage note in the original principal amount of $3 million. The real property securing the note and mortgage comprises an indoor sports facility of significant economic and social interest to the surrounding community.
  • Managed a matter related to a pending state foreclosure case for an international financial services firm in which a borrower appealed a district court order sua sponte ordering remand of federal litigation to state court to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
  • Obtained summary judgment in a case where the plaintiff sued JP Morgan Chase Bank for violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA) relating to attempts to collect on a home equity line of credit account. After extensive litigation, including depositions across the country and a multimillion-dollar demand, the district court dismissed the plaintiff’s slander of title count and granted the bank’s summary judgment motion.
  • Successfully received the Second Circuit’s affirmation of the federal district court’s ruling, dismissing the petition in a state foreclosure action with a complex and detailed procedural history involving multiple bankruptcy filings, state court appeals, and federal removal actions.
  • Successfully argued the appeal of a trial court ruling ordering the payment of property tax and insurance payments from the borrowers during the pendency of the appeal of a foreclosure action before the Connecticut Appellate Court.
  • Successfully obtained a defense verdict in an action arising out of the alleged rendering of preservation services to a premises in delinquency.
  • Handled a matter in trial court regarding a judgment of foreclosure by sale secured on behalf of the plaintiff. The judgment of foreclosure was affirmed by the Connecticut Appellate Court on appeal.

Prior Experience

  • Halloran & Sage LLP, Partner

Selected Community Activities

  • Mercy Shelter and Housing, Former Trustee and Board Chair

Selected Honors

  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Banking and Finance Law, 2024–2025; Commercial Litigation, 2022–2025; Litigation – Securities, 2023–2025; Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law, 2023–2025
  • New England Legal Awards, Banking and Finance Attorney of the Year, Winner, 2024
  • Selected to Super Lawyers Connecticut Rising Stars: Business Litigation, 2014–2018
  • Hartford Business Journal, 40 Under 40, 2014
  • Connecticut Law Tribune, New Leaders in the Law, 2013
Knowledge

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Connecticut Bankers Association, “A Primer to Connecticut Banking Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Litigation and the Effects of COVID-19” Webinar
  • Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board, “Creative Defense Strategies: The Best Defense Is a Good Offense” CLE
  • New England Mortgage Expo, “Financial Institution and Lender Liability Litigation in the Face of the Foreclosure Epidemic; Should We Bank on a Better 2015?”
  • Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association, “Mortgage Fraud: Common Schemes and Potential Red Flags” Seminar
  • New England Mortgage Expo, “Banking Litigation: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back”

Selected Media

Selected Alerts & Blog Posts

Featured Media

Alerts

Second Circuit Upholds New York State's Ivory Law, but Holds Display Restriction Unconstitutional

Alerts

$175 Million of Federal Funds Available for Electric Vehicle Chargers in New York State

Alerts

USFWS Issues Final Guidance on Northern Long-Eared Bat and Tricolored Bat

Alerts

IRS Guidance Excludes VA Service-Connected Disability Benefits From Certain Income Determinations for Qualified Residential Rental Projects

Alerts

Second Department: Objective Evidence Required to Establish Trivial Defect Defense

Alerts

NYS Department of Health Issues Consumer Protection Guidance on Payments for Health Care Services

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