Connecticut

UPDIKE, KELLY & SPELLACY, P.C.
One State Street
P.O. Box 231277
Hartford, Connecticut 06103-1277

860/548-2600 (phone) 860/548-2680 (fax)

kreynolds@uks.com

Firm Profile

In 1967, Stuart Updike, a prominent New York lawyer, joined forces with Hartford attorneys Peter G. Kelly and Bourke G. Spellacy in a firm soon known for its aggressive, forward-thinking attitude, as well as its ability to respond quickly to a wide range of legal challenges. Today, Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. has become one of the major law firms in Connecticut with 62 lawyers and with offices in Hartford and New Haven. Our clients include individuals, large publicly-held corporations, as well as medium and small-sized businesses, public agencies, and private nonprofit organizations.

Current practice areas are: Administrative; Agriculture and Agribusiness; Appellate; Asbestos; Brownfields Development; Business; Commercial Collection; Commercial Lending and Banking; Commercial Litigation; Construction; Creditors Rights and Bankruptcy; Environmental; Franchise and Distributorship; Fuel Cell and Alternative Energy; Government Guaranteed Lending; Government Relations and Public Affairs; Healthcare and Human Service; Insurance Coverage; Intellectual Property; Labor and Employment; Municipal; Product Liability and Toxic Tort; Professional Liability; Property Valuation; Public Finance/Public Law; Real Estate; Real Estate Finance; Taxation; Trusts and Estates; Utilities; Venture Capital and Emerging Companies.

Firm Specialty

Nothing in government happens by accident. To deal with government successfully, creative and effective representation is needed. We were the first major Connecticut law firm to develop a legislative and public affairs practice more than 30 years ago. We are an aggressive lobbying group that anticipates problems and develops strategies to achieve our clients' objectives. Whether our representation is to pass legislation or stop legislation, prevent a crisis or respond to a crisis, we have the ability and experience to achieve our clients’ goals and objectives. Our success is in our proven track record. We are a strong bipartisan team that is one of Connecticut's most highly respected government relations practice groups and are recognized for effective and articulate promotion of the interests of our clients.

Unlike any other Connecticut lobbying firm, we unite the legal, lobbying and public affairs disciplines through unique experience and intimate familiarity with the legislative and lawmaking process of the State of Connecticut. We are also recognized for our expertise in elections and ethics law and regularly assist businesses subject to regulatory investigations. Our ability to bring to bear the resources of the Firm to issues that emerge during a legislative session at the General Assembly or within an administrative agency is a subtle but critically important asset. It is an asset that separates the Firm from its competitors. Few, if any, public affairs corporations offer this tandem of capability and professionalism.

We also provide legislative montioring and personal tracking of legislative issues and proposals, and employ specially-trained paralegals for the purposes of following pending bills, legislative hearings, committee meetings, amendments and other items of interest.

TAG Contact

KEVIN N. REYNOLDS, ESQ. is a principal of the Firm and Chairman of the Firm’s Government Relations and Public Affairs Pracitce Group. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Reynolds served for several years on the legislative staff of U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd. While working in Senator Dodd’s office, his responsibilities included drafting legislation on domestic issues, preparing legislative statements and handling federal casework.

In 1992, Mr. Reynolds served as Deputy Legal Counsel for the Clinton/Gore Connecticut Coordinated Campaign. In 1994 and 1996, he served as Chief Legal Counsel for the Connecticut Democratic Coordinated Campaign. During the 1996 Presidential Debate in Hartford, Mr. Reynolds served as Transportation Chair.