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McGann, Bartlett & Brown, LLC
MOST PROMINENT WORKERS' COMP FIRM
Meet Our Team
The firm is dedicated to addressing legal issues defending work-related injuries in Connecticut. More importantly, it has developed a genuine connection and loyalty to its clients.
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Although the firm primarily handles Workers’ Compensation matters, it also handles insurance litigation issues. This includes subrogation and lien recovery, insurance coverage disputes, wrongful termination and personal injury matters.
Check out our document "Recent Caselaw and Statutory Changes."
Richard S. Bartlett, Founding Partner
Attorney Bartlett is a founding partner of the firm which was established in 1984. He graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law with honors in 1981 and was admitted to the Connecticut Bar Association that same year. He received a Master’s Degree in the field of Nutritional Biochemistry in 1974 and worked in that field prior to obtaining his law degree. He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He has represented clients of McGann, Bartlett & Brown in over 25 matters which have been presented to the State of Connecticut Supreme and Appellate Courts.
Timothy D. Ward, Partner
Attorney Ward is a partner of the firm. He received his B.A. Degree from Boston College in 1983. He graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1986 and was admitted to the Connecticut Bar that same year. He is also admitted to practice in the Federal Court System. Attorney Ward has given lectures to insurance company representatives on various aspects of premises liability. He has served as an arbitrator in underinsured/uninsured motorist cases. Attorney Ward is a member of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association and the Connecticut Bar Association. Attorney Ward has successfully argued matters before the CRB and Appellate Court. He has tried cases to a verdict in superior court both to trial judges and juries.
Erik S. Bartlett, Partner
Attorney Bartlett is a partner of the firm. He graduated from the Quinnipiac College School of Law in 2000, and was admitted to practice that same year. He received a Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Connecticut in 1997. Attorney Bartlett has successfully argued cases before the Connecticut Appellate Court and has appeared before the Connecticut Supreme Court as well. Currently he is a member of the United States Supreme Court Historical Society as well as the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. Attorney Bartlett serves on the annual charity golf tournament committee that has raised substantial funds for Connecticut Food Bank and Foodshare.
Michael M. Buonopane, Partner
Attorney Buonopane is a partner of the firm. He graduated from the University of Connecticut with honors in 1993 and received his law degree from New England School of Law in 1996. He is currently a member of the Connecticut Bar and the United States District Court of Connecticut. Attorney Buonopane served as an intern in criminal matters with the Public Defender’s Office in Hartford and Rockville Superior Court. He has worked as a general practitioner, educating himself in diverse areas of the law before focusing on workers’ compensation and personal injury law. For the past thirty years, Attorney Buonopane has appeared before the Workers' Compensation Commission, the Compensation Review Board and the Appellate Court for the State of Connecticut. He handles subrogation litigation and all aspects of workers' compensation matters. He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, the Workers’ Compensation Section of the CBA and a former member of the American Bar Association. Mr. Buonopane has lectured to local business entities and the State Department of Labor on issues of Workers’ Compensation Law. From 2003 to 2008, he was board certified with the Connecticut Bar Association as a specialist in workers’ compensation law.
Terrance M. Brennan, Partner
Attorney Brennan is a partner of the firm. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Connecticut. He received his Juris Doctorate from Western New England School of Law in 1999, and was admitted to the Connecticut Bar that same year. He is also admitted to practice in the Federal Court Systems. Prior to joining McGann, Bartlett & Brown, he worked at Kenny, Brimmer, Melley & Maloney as well as the Law offices of Nancy Rosenbaum dealing with all areas of civil practice with an emphasis on workers’ compensation defense. Attorney Brennan is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association.
George F. O’Donnell, Partner
Attorney O’Donnell is a partner of the firm. He graduated in 2007 from Gettysburg College with a B.A. in Management and a minor in economics. In 2010 he earned his J.D. from Western New England College, School of Law. Following law school, he practiced primarily in the areas of personal injury, workers’ compensation, and criminal defense. Prior to joining McGann, Bartlett & Brown in 2015, he was employed by another defense firm where his practice focused on representing employers, insurance carriers, third party administrators and self-insured employers in workers’ compensation claims. Attorney O’Donnell is admitted to the state bar of Connecticut and the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, Workers’ Compensation Section Executive Committee. Attorney O’Donnell concentrates his practice on workers’ compensation defense. Attorney O’Donnell was selected by Super Lawyers to their Rising Stars list for workers’ compensation in 2017. Attorney O’Donnell has served on the Board of Directors of the Hartford County Bar Foundation since 2020.
Laurie McQuade, Partner
Attorney McQuade is a partner of the firm. She graduated cum laude with a B.A. from Fairfield University in 1993. She graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1996. Attorney McQuade began her legal career in 1996 as In-house Counsel for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. Attorney McQuade continued her career at McHugh and Chapman where she pursued personal injury and workers’ compensation matters on behalf of plaintiffs/ claimants. She joined the law firm of Maher Williams, where she spent ten years handling hundreds of cases on behalf of employers and insurers in workers compensation cases. Attorney McQuade joined McGann Bartlett Brown in 2016 where her practice focuses on representing employers, insurance carriers, third party administrators and self-insured employers in workers’ compensation claims. Attorney McQuade is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association.
Nicole Fluckiger Briganti, Partner
Attorney Fluckiger Briganti is a partner of the firm. She received her B.A. in American Studies from Emmanuel College in 2015. She graduated from Quinnipiac University School of Law, summa cum laude in 2018. While in law school, she interned at a firm that focused on workers’ compensation and personal injury. She is admitted to the Connecticut Bar. In addition to her practice, she is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association. She has served in various roles including; Young Lawyers Executive Committee Workers’ Compensation Chair, Young Lawyers Law School Outreach Director, and Workers’ Compensation Section Executive Committee Member. She is also a member of the CBA House of Delegates.
Amanda Hakala, Partner
Attorney Hakala is a partner of the firm and obtained her B.A. in Political Science from Manhattanville College in 2014. She graduated from Quinnipiac University School of Law, magna cum laude, in 2017 and was admitted to practice in the State of Connecticut that same year. Attorney Hakala began her legal career in insurance defense and has focused exclusively on defense of workers’ compensation cases. Attorney Hakala is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association.
Michael A. Burton, Attorney
Attorney Burton is an associate of the firm. He received a Bachelor of Political Science at the University of Connecticut in 1989. He graduated from Western New England College School of Law in 1994 and was admitted to practice that same year. Attorney Burton Attorney Burton began his legal career in 1994 as an associate for Johnson & Sierra. During that time Attorney Burton practiced civil litigation and workers compensation. In 1996, Attorney Burton began employment with the Law offices of Paul Shapera where he was responsible for handling over 200 workers’ compensation claims. Attorney Burton then became a partner at the firm of Cantarella & Burton where he focused on practicing general liability and workers’ compensation law. From 2000 to 2016, Attorney Burton practiced workers compensation defense law at the firm of Sharp, Shields & Smith.
Rebecca J. Sullivan, Attorney
Attorney Sullivan is an associate at the firm. She received her B.A. at Quinnipiac University in 2019. She graduated from Charleston School of Law in 2025. Prior to entering the legal profession, she worked as a Human Resources Generalist for a public school district. While in law school, she interned with a mediation center as well as the Massachusetts Attorney General's office and was awarded a CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Representing Business Organizations. Attorney Sullivan is admitted to the Connecticut Bar and a member of the Connecticut Bar Association.
James L. Pomeranz, Of Counsel
Attorney Pomeranz is a graduate of Yale University (B.A. 1969) and Georgetown University (J.D. 1972), and was admitted to the Bar in l972. He is also a member of NWCDN. He has practiced in the defense of workers' compensation claims for approximately 43 years and has also done appellate work in this field including appearances before the Supreme Court for Connecticut and the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals concerning Federal issues. He is authorized to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorney Pomeranz is a member of the Hartford County Bar Association. He is also rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell and selected for The Best Lawyers in America Workers Compensation 2008 - 2014. He was recently awarded the Pomeranz-O'Brien award, named in part for his father, a distinguished practitioner in Connecticut Workers’ Compensation, for lifetime excellence in the practice of Workers’ Compensation.
Douglas L. Drayton, Of Counsel
Attorney Douglas L. Drayton, attended the University of Connecticut where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in l966 and received his Juris Doctor form the University of Connecticut School of Law in l969. Attorney Drayton is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the Hartford County Bar Association. He is a past member of the Medical-Legal Committee and currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. He has lectured on Workers' Compensation Law for many institutions, law schools and organizations including various Bar Associations as well as testified at legislative committee hearings on Connecticut Workers' Compensation Law. He was Secretary of the Connecticut Bar Association Committee on Workers' Compensation that drafted appellate rules and regulations for the Connecticut Compensation Review Division. He was a founding member of the Committee for Workers' Compensation Specialization and the original chairman of the Workers' Compensation Certification Examining Committee. He resigned as Chairman but remains on the Examining Committee. Attorney Drayton has also been a faculty member of the Connecticut Bar Association Section on Continuing Legal Education. He is past Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Connecticut Bar Association and has been recognized since the 1995 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his expertise in Workers Compensation since 2011.
Amber L. Russell, Paralegal
Amber Russell has been an employee of McGann, Bartlett & Brown since April of 2002. She graduated from Kaplan University in 2005 and has served as paralegal for the firm since that time. Ms. Russell assists the attorneys on workers’ compensation and civil matters. Ms. Russell has in-depth knowledge of legal terminology and is responsible for handling legal documents, performing legal research and coordinating with local and federal courts to execute the legal affairs of the firm. In addition, Ms. Russell is responsible for the initial review and assignment of all new referrals and may be contacted directly by our clients on new matters requiring our service.
Lisa J. DelMastro, Office Manager
Lisa DelMastro has been an employee of McGann, Bartlett & Brown since February of 1986. She took over the responsibilities of Office Manager in August of 1999. Mrs. DelMastro helps in facilitating the day to day operations of the firm, supervising support staff and assuring that the office remains compliant with local, state and federal regulations. She manages vendor relations, interviewing and hiring of support staff and administration of payroll. Mrs. DelMastro serves as a liaison to firm clients and services the needs of our clients as they arise.
Hannah Navickis, Paralegal
Hannah Navickis began her employment as a scan clerk at McGann, Bartlett & Brown in 2017. In August of 2019 Hannah received her paralegal certificate and was promoted to paralegal. Hannah has experience in workers’ compensation law and conducts legal research and prepares legal documents as required. In addition to client communication, assisting with scheduling meetings and following up on inquires, Hannah is responsible for organizing, maintaining, and preparing all medical records for Commissioner’s Medical Evaluations. Hannah is also familiar with Federal Court proceedings and has assisted with the filing of briefs in Federal Court.