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About The Attorneys

Summa and Ryan, P.C. is currently staffed by three attorneys, one human resources specialist/paralegal and clerical staff.  The firm has Martindale-Hubbell’s highest “AV” rating, indicating pre-eminence in its field.

            Joseph B. Summa has a BA from Wesleyan University, a Masters Degree in Labor Law and Organizational Behavior from Cornell University and a Law Degree from the University of Connecticut.  He has served as advisor and counselor to local companies, municipalities, and Fortune 500 corporations in all aspects of labor and employment law including National and State Boards of Labor Relations proceedings, employment discrimination, workers’ compensation, arbitration, contact negotiations and general labor relations strategy. He was appointed by Governor Rowland as Chief Negotiator for the State in its negotiations with state employee unions.

            Mr. Summa is frequent lecturer at universities and before business organizations on workplace issues, discrimination law, preventative labor relations and collective bargaining. He has authored numerous articles including one of the earliest studies of State employee collective bargaining “Collective Bargaining for State Employees: A Look at the Statute and Relevant Decisions” Connecticut Law Review, Summer 1977.  He is a former member of the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section and is active in the Connecticut and American Bar Associations’ Labor and Employment Law sections.

             Mary Jane Ryan has a BA from St. Joseph’s College, Brooklyn, NY, and is a 1978 honors graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law where she concentrated in the study of private and public sector labor law.  Upon graduation from law school she served as a Law Clerk to the judges of the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut.  She also served as Vice-President and General Counsel to the Associated General Contractors of Connecticut, Inc., a trade association comprised of major commercial and industrial companies that engaged in multi-employer bargaining with Connecticut's various construction unions.  Since then, she has engaged exclusively in the practice of labor and employment law in the public and private sector, representing management in contract negotiations, binding interest arbitration under M.E.R.A., S.E.R.A., and the Teachers’ Negotiation Act, contractual grievance and arbitration proceedings, and other employment law matters, including unfair labor practice proceedings before the state and federal boards of labor relations and discrimination cases before CHRO and EEOC.

            Ms. Ryan has been an adjunct professor of labor relations at Teikyo Post University and has served as instructor for certificate programs in human resources management and personnel relations and the law.  She has lectured before a variety of trade and professional associations on numerous labor law related topics including privacy issues in the workplace, sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination and wrongful termination.  She has authored several articles in trade magazines and other publications on employment issues including ERISA implications on sections of Connecticut’s workers’ compensation statute and drug and alcohol testing in the workplace.

            William A. Ryan has a B.A. from Williams College and is a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law where he was presented with the school’s Labor Law Award at graduation ceremonies.  His practice has been confined to the representation of management in labor and employment relations since graduating from law school in 1992.  He has labor and employment litigation experience in both State and Federal Court as well as before various labor and employment administrative agencies.  He has also passed the New York and Connecticut bar examinations and is currently a member of the Connecticut and American Bar Associations’ Labor Law sections.  Further, he is a contributing author of a recently published treatise on Connecticut labor and employment law.

 

 

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Last modified: July 25, 2002