Day Pitney names new managing companion; plans downtown Hartford transfer

Day Pitney, a storied regulation agency with Hartford roots that has grown into one of many largest corporations within the area, has named a Connecticut native as its new managing companion.

Gregory A. Hayes, who has spent 35 years as an legal professional with Day Pitney and its predecessor, grew to become the agency’s managing companion on April 2. On this function, he oversees all 13 workplaces alongside the East Coast, from Boston to Miami.

Day Pitney, based in 1919 as Hartford-based Day & Berry, has grown via a collection of mergers and acquisitions. By the Nineteen Thirties, it was one of many largest corporations within the state, referred to as Day, Berry and Howard. It merged with New Jersey-based Pitney Hardin in 2007 to kind Day Pitney.

Now, with roughly 300 attorneys, the full-service agency has workplaces in Greenwich, Hartford, West Hartford, New Haven and Stamford, the place Hayes is predicated.

Hayes’ elevation coincides with, however shouldn’t be associated to, Day Pitney’s pending downtown Hartford relocation from 242 Trumbull St., the place it’s been positioned since 2008, to the Goodwin Sq. workplace tower.

The transfer — set for early fall — is being pushed by Day Pitney’s 15-year lease ending, and 242 Trumbull’s landlord, Northland, advertising and marketing the partially vacant constructing for conversion into residences.

New workplace

Day Pitney has signed a long-term sublease for 36,000 sq. ft and a direct lease for an extra 6,000 sq. ft within the 330,901-square-foot Class A Goodwin Sq. workplace tower.

The brand new area can be smaller and leaner than its present location, which Hayes stated wanted an replace.

“It’s going to be a chance to do what we’ve completed with our different workplaces, which is to get present, if you’ll, by way of not solely using area, however using expertise — to have the ability to go in and take kind of a clean slate and construct it, outfitted the best way a contemporary regulation agency must be,” Hayes stated.

Day Pitney has at all times had a tradition that fostered collaboration, which he stated is likely one of the causes he has stayed for 35 years. That sentiment can be mirrored within the new design, which can characteristic same-size workplaces for all legal professionals, starting from junior associates to companions.

That’s a pattern amongst regulation corporations. Hartford-based Robinson+Cole, which introduced final 12 months plans to relocate from its present 280 Trumbull St. workplace to One State Road, may even be shifting to same-size workplaces.

“The times of companion workplaces being two or 3 times the scale of an affiliate workplace are within the rearview mirror,” Hayes stated. “And so we’re going to be making much more environment friendly use of our area, which signifies that we’ll nonetheless have workplaces for all of the personnel that we at the moment have right here in Hartford, and room for progress.”

The brand new design is anticipated to assist recruit and retain personnel, whereas providing a extra snug expertise for purchasers.

“It does make a distinction, when somebody comes into your workplace to interview, as to what your workplace area seems to be like, what the tone of the workplace is, what the texture of the workplace is, how present and trendy it’s,” Hayes stated. “It sends a constructive sign to anyone who’s seeking to make a dedication to a agency.”

Hayes stated Day Pitney encourages staffers to be within the workplace as typically as attainable, which provides them a greater alternative to study and develop. However, like different corporations throughout the pandemic, Day Pitney pivoted to distant operations.

It at the moment has a hybrid schedule the place staff come into the workplace a minimum of three days per week.

West Hartford roots

Hayes beforehand led the agency’s non-public shopper division as a belief and estates legal professional. Practically a 3rd of Day Pitney’s attorneys — about 80 — focus solely on trusts and estates, he stated.

“This (shopper non-public) follow has been a big follow for the agency, a rising follow, within the 35 years that I’ve been right here,” Hayes stated. “However in contrast to the follow that always exists in bigger regulation corporations, it’s not a service follow. It’s not a boutique follow inside a bigger agency. It’s a big a part of the agency by way of income, by way of personnel.”

Hayes spent 10 years as chair of the non-public shopper division, then joined the chief committee — a three-partner group that governs the agency. He has served on the committee for 5 years.

As managing companion, he succeeds Thomas D. Goldberg, who’s stepping down after 11 years on the chief committee, together with 5 years on the helm. Goldberg will stick with the agency and proceed to follow regulation, as is the custom when managing companions step down at Day Pitney.

Hayes will proceed on the chief committee, together with newly appointed Stamford companion Michael P. Byrne, previously head of the agency’s actual property and environmental follow, and David P. Doyle, from the New Jersey workplace.

Day Pitney has additionally elected Hartford companion Namita Tripathi Shah to the chief board, succeeding fellow Harford companion Glenn W. Dowd, who served six years on the board.

Hayes is a lifelong Connecticut resident, other than a stint in Virginia throughout regulation college. He grew up in West Hartford and acquired his bachelor’s diploma from Yale College and his regulation diploma from the College of Virginia.

He joined the agency’s predecessor, Day, Berry & Howard, as a summer time affiliate in 1986, and have become a full-time worker recent out of regulation college in 1988.

Beneath his management, Hayes stated Day Pitney will proceed its concentrate on serving purchasers and anticipating their wants, together with strategic progress.

“Definitely, now we have at all times had an enormous presence and dedication to Connecticut, and Hartford particularly, however we’re centered on strategic progress in all of our workplaces…,” Hayes stated. “Not that we’re seeking to additional develop our geographic footprint at this level, however actually to proceed to develop in these workplaces that we’re at the moment in stays a key goal.”