Mark J. Sommaruga

Mark J. Sommaruga has spent 30 years proudly representing the interests of schools (whether traditional/public, magnet, charter or private), and employers in Connecticut. Among other things, Mark has extensive experience in counseling and representing public and private sector clients in labor, employment, education law, and any legal issue that effects their day to day operations, including Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) and records/privacy matters.  

Mark is a member of the firm’s Labor, Employment Law and Employee Benefits Department and School Law and Colleges, Universities and Independent Schools Sections.   He routinely advises clients on a wide range of employment law matters, including hiring, discipline/termination, compensation, leave, accommodations, discrimination, sexual harassment, and personnel policies and procedures.  He also routinely counsels school clients on a wide variety of education law issues, including student discipline, special education, discrimination, abuse/neglect, and policy review, along with counseling clients in disputes with vendors and contractors (including construction matters) and with and between municipal and state agencies.   While Mark has ample experience litigating cases before courts at all levels, and administrative agencies of all kind, including several cases of first impression, Mark takes the most satisfaction in advising clients with practical solutions to address their day to day needs.

Mark has been a participant in and presenter/trainer at numerous workshops, seminars and conferences on education, special education, labor and employment law issues (including sexual harassment prevention training). He has written numerous articles on employment law and education law issues in various trade journals and newsletters, and has been featured in the media (television, radio and newspaper) with respect to COVID-19 issues facing schools and employers.  Mark is the author of Understanding Connecticut's Freedom of Information Act (Fifth Edition, 2018).   He is also a member of the Firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, currently serving as its co-chair.

Office

Professional Affiliations

Connecticut Association of Municipal Attorneys - board of directors

Connecticut Bar Association - Legislative Liaison and member of the Executive Committee, Labor and Employment Section; member of the Executive Committee, Media in the Law Section; Education Law Section

National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys

Connecticut Council of School Attorneys - past president

Oliver Ellsworth Inn of Court, former "Bencher"

Community Involvement

Capital City Education Alliance - Board of Directors

The Bridge Academy – former/founding member of the Board of Directors and former Corporate Secretary

Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity - former mentor, active member

• Successfully represented a municipality in a recent state court case brought by a former employee alleging state law disability discrimination and retaliation claims
• Successfully represents employers at arbitration hearings concerning employee discipline (including termination)
• Successfully represented a school district in three recent state court cases concerning the conduct of referenda, winning at the trial court level and (in one of the cases) prevailing before the Connecticut Supreme Court in a case of first impression
• Successfully represented a regional educational service center with respect to claims of pregnancy discrimination at the Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals
• Successfully represented the interests of several school districts with regard to their obligation to pay pre-school magnet school tuition, saving Connecticut school districts several million dollars per year
• Successfully represented charter school management organizations at the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission with respect to the applicability of the FOIA
• Successfully represented school districts in several cases of first impression at the Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals regarding special education issues (“least restrictive environment," exhaustion of administrative remedies, and use of independent evaluations) 
• Successfully represented a school district in a state court trial concerning retiree health insurance benefits
• Successfully represented clients in litigation regarding the award of construction contracts and bidding procedures

Publications

Press Releases

Blog Posts