Connecticut’s former attorney general, George Jepsen, and his deputy, Perry Zinn Rowthorn, are joining the Hartford law firm of Shipman & Goodwin as partners overseeing a new national practice focused on representing corporate clients facing enforcement action from state attorneys general.
The practice reflects the growing role of state attorneys general, often working in multi-state consortiums, in bringing class-action lawsuits on a broad range of cases involving anti-trust, environmental, data privacy, financial and consumer-protection law.
Jepsen did not seek re-election as attorney general in 2018 after serving two four-year terms. Rowthorn recently left the office after serving as Jepsen’s deputy. Both were active in the National Association of Attorneys General, which has become clearing house for multi-state litigation, including a drug price-fixing case led by Connecticut.
Jepsen was president of the national association in 2016 and 2017.
“They are well known and respected by attorneys general and their senior staff across the country as deeply knowledgeable and experienced problem solvers,” said Alan E. Lieberman, the managing partner at Shipman. “We are thrilled to be able to tap their commitment, knowledge and stellar capabilities as we launch our state attorneys general practice at Shipman.”
Jepsen and Rowthorn were involved in a number of high-profile class-action cases brought by state attorneys general that in some cases supplemented federal action and in other cases filled by a void created by the reluctance of federal officials to take regulatory action.
“Perry and I are very proud of the leadership role the office of the Connecticut Attorney General played at a time when Washington was paralyzed and the state attorneys general stepped in to address major national issues,” Jepsen said.
Rowtorn was the office’s top litigation attorney before becoming Jepsen’s deputy in 2013.
Joette Katz, a former state Supreme Court justice and commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families, also recently joined the firm.
Always nice to read about the “rewards” in the private sector from “public service”. An American tradition. Puzzling why CT Mayors and Governors are not rewarded with similar “opportunities”.