Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP

Sarah focuses her litigation practice in the areas of labor and employment defense as well as business and commercial litigation. Sarah has represented a variety of clients including financial institutions, insurance brokerage firms, healthcare facilities, utility companies and individuals in federal and state court as well as in arbitration proceedings. Sarah regularly represents employers in a wide range of matters involving, for example, claims of employment discrimination, harassment and retaliation, wrongful discharge, breach of contract and fiduciary duty, defamation, misappropriation of trade secret, and the prosecution of non-compete agreements. Sarah regularly defends employers before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Additionally, she provides practical advice on ways to minimize the risk of litigation and respond to issues as they arise in the workplace.

Tom is a litigator representing individuals and companies in a wide variety of business-related and personal disputes. He practices in various fields of civil litigation, including commercial, construction and insolvency litigation.

He has tried more than 90 cases to conclusion in Connecticut Superior Court, United States District Court and United States Bankruptcy Court and has argued before both the Connecticut Supreme and Appellate Courts. Tom’s skill at cross-examining adverse witnesses has often turned the tide in hotly-contested commercial cases, especially those involving complex financial documents.

Giovanna is a trial lawyer and has over 20 years of experience in counseling CEOs, senior management, and boards of directors of public and private businesses of all sizes. Giovanna has successfully defended many significant employment cases in federal and state courts, including discrimination, trade secret and non-competition claims, whistleblower, as well as numerous cases before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and the federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. She has successfully argued appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Connecticut Supreme Court and the Connecticut Appellate Court.

Giovanna regularly advises heads of private schools, educational institutions and their trustees on legal issues of particular interest educational institutions, including employment, governance, mandated reporting, student disciplinary issues and litigation matters.

Nick Zaino is a partner and co-practice group leader of the firm’s Business Services Group. He practices primarily in the area of labor and employment law and has extensive experience counseling, representing, and training employers on all aspects of the employment relationship. 

Working closely with C-level executives, in-house counsel, human resource professionals and business owners, Nick assists in managing risk by counseling on compliance and preventative strategies related to: managing employees with medical issues; workplace investigations; discrimination and harassment; hiring, disciplining and terminating employees; retaliation/whistleblower issues; employment, retention, separation, non-competition, confidentiality, change in control, and independent contractor agreements; wage and hour and labor law. Nick conducts training on these issues, tailoring the programs to address the employer’s needs.