Mark Sommaruga to be Honored by Connecticut Foundation for Open Government
Pullman & Comley School Law Attorney Mark J. Sommaruga will be honored by the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government with the Mitchell W. Pearlman Freedom of Information Award at a reception on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford.
The award honors government officials, journalists and residents of Connecticut who have made significant efforts to foster transparency in government, disclose information vital to the public and ensure that state residents can see their government at work. It is named for Mitch Pearlman, the founding executive director of Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Commission and an international expert on government transparency, privacy and the First Amendment. Two other honorees will also receive Pearlman honors at the ceremony — Connecticut Mirror investigative reporter Ginny Monk and Ellington Town Administrator Matthew Reed.
“The Connecticut Foundation for Open Government bestowing this award on Mark is richly deserved,” says Lee D. Hoffman, chair of Pullman & Comley. “We are thrilled that his diligent work in making the state’s complex Freedom of Information law understandable and accessible to everyone, from municipal officials to all residents is being publicly recognized.”
Mark will be recognized in the General Public category “for his passion for Connecticut’s FOI law.” He is widely recognized as an authority on the FOIA and is the author of “Understanding Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act,” now in its sixth edition, published and jointly distributed by Pullman & Comley and the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. The judges noted that Mark’s book provides clear, practical guidance to public officials, agency members, attorneys, journalists and residents seeking to navigate the FOIA’s complex requirements and exceptions and that it makes the state’s transparency law “accessible and understandable.” CFOG also cited Mark’s work in assisting the state’s FOI Commission and training various public officials on the FOI Act.
Tickets can be purchased at https://bit.ly/Pearlman26 or by mailing a check with the number of desired tickets to Connecticut Foundation for Open Government, 423 Old Post Road, Tolland, CT 06084. The event will feature complimentary hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and soda. For more information, visit ctfog.org.
About Pullman & Comley
Pullman & Comley is one of Connecticut’s largest law firms and, for more than 100 years, has provided a wide range of legal services to clients in the New England region, as well as throughout the United States and internationally. Pullman & Comley’s major practice areas include business organizations and finance; public finance; health care; labor, employment law and employee benefits; litigation; property tax and valuation; real estate, energy, environmental and land use; and trusts and estates. The firm has offices in Bridgeport, Hartford and Westport, Connecticut; White Plains, New York; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Wakefield, Rhode Island. The firm is an active member of the Law Firm Alliance, an international affiliation of law firms. For more information, please visit www.pullcom.com.