After 40 years in the legal and consulting field, Jay Levin was considering what to do with the next phase of his life. While discussing the matter with Attorney Jeff Hill, a shareholder and director of Suisman Shapiro, Hill suggested that Levin should join the firm. Levin says he knew two of Suisman Shapiro’s founding attorneys, Max Shapiro and Louis Wool, and appreciated the work of their firm. He was also a close friend of Attorney Matthew Shafner, a pioneer in the field of asbestos injury and champion of the working people, who died in 2015. While serving in the General Assembly, Levin worked with Shafner on legislation that extended the statute of limitations on asbestos claims to 100 years. Earlier this year, Levin decided to leave a Hartford lobbying firm he helped establish in 1999 and join the team at Suisman Shapiro. “It’s very important to be with people you like and admire, and the lawyers at Suisman Shapiro are deeply rooted in the community,” says Levin. “I’ve always loved New London. I’ve lived here since 1969.” In his new role, Levin will serve as “of counsel” for Suisman Shapiro. He will counsel and assist the firm’s attorneys with a number of legal matters, particularly those related to personal injury, workers’ compensation, or criminal law. Levin’s consulting business, Jay B. Levin Government Relations Consulting, will be located in Suisman Shapiro. He says he plans to connect the firm to his clients to advise and assist with issues ranging from environmental law to economic development. “I want to let people know that they’ve got a great group of people here, who are extremely dedicated and compassionate while at the same time being aggressive advocates for their clients,” says Levin. Levin graduated magna cum laude from Connecticut College in 1973, and was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1976 after attending the University of Connecticut School of Law. His first job in the legal field was in-house counsel to Senator Chris Dodd, whose campaign he helped run in 1976. In 1977, Levin became a deputy assistant state’s attorney in the New London County courthouse. After three years as a prosecutor, he joined the law firm of DuPont & Tobin LLC and remained there for 17 years. Levin also returned to politics, serving for several years as city councilor, ceremonial mayor of New London, and a state representative. After narrowly losing the Democratic nomination for Attorney General to Richard Blumenthal in 1989, he formed a government relations practice. Ten years later, he was a founding partner in Levin, Powers & Brennan LLC in Hartford. Levin has also been a member of several community and charitable organizations, serving on the board of the New London County Day School and chairing the board of the local Big Brothers and Big Sisters chapter. He was the presiding justice for the New London Lodge of Elks and president of the New London Jewish Federation. In addition to this work, Levin has been involved in many economic development projects around the state. These include the revitalization of the waterfront and Shaws Cove in New London and the Steel Point Peninsula redevelopment in Bridgeport. Although he is now back in New London, Levin continues to travel around the state. He says the attorneys at Suisman Shapiro specialize in a number of different issues—including personal injury, workers’ compensation, Social Security Disability, criminal defense, family law, business law, real estate, labor and employment, municipal law, and estate planning—and they work with clients throughout Connecticut. “I would like to emphasize that we have been in legal profession for 75 years and specialize in all areas of the law that are most important to people, organizations, and businesses in their daily lives and endeavors,” says Levin. “If someone has an issue that’s across the state, we can handle it here.” Levin can be contacted at 860-271-2290 or by cell at 860-460-2247. For more information, visit suismanshapiro.com.Longtime Advocate Jay Levin Joins Suisman Shapiro
