Stratton Named One of Connecticut’s Most Influential Lawyers

“Fresh Faces” campaign earns Michael Stratton accolades as one of Connecticut’s most influential lawyers of 2008.

The Connecticut Law Tribune has named Stratton Faxon partner, Michael Stratton, as one of the state’s most influential lawyers for the calendar year 2008. This accolade came about as a result of the firm’s widely acclaimed “Fresh Faces” campaign, a community outreach effort created to expand the number of legal aid donors in Connecticut as well as the civic-minded attorney’s personal commitment to pro bono clients.

“Fresh Faces” is part of Stratton Faxon Law Firm’s larger commitment toward charitable philosophies, just one campaign of several existent or in the works with such lofty goals in mind. Founded in 2003, the New Haven based Stratton Faxon has evolved into a force in personal injury, medical malpractice, and product liability in just a few short years.

This kind of charitable commitment has been instilled within the firm since its inception, when its founders vowed to donate 10 percent of their judgment awards and other courtroom compensation to charitable organizations. In less than six years, some 35 to 40 groups have benefited, a potpourri ranging from Connecticut Public Radio to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In 2008, legal aid agencies have become Stratton Faxon’s primary beneficiaries. Such agencies have experienced staggering budget cut backs due to the currently dismal economic climate. With layoffs and salary cuts in full sway, Stratton Faxon’s “Fresh Faces” campaign has emerged as a knight in jurist’s armor. Since the campaign was announced in September 2007, the firm has committed to match the donations of any legal professional who hasn’t donated to legal aid in the past three years. “We’ve already given $100, 000,” Stratton says.

The effort has had its detractors. “At the start, people said, ‘Why did you do that? They have all this IOLTA money.’ But you can’t rely solely on IOLTA money,” Stratton asserts. In fact, proceeds from interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts, the primary source of funding for Connecticut’s legal aid agencies, dwindled to just $4 million in 2008 – from $20 million in 2007.

But Michael Stratton realizes the “big bang theory” of giving. “The more you give, the more you get back,” he says.

To learn more, visit http://www.strattonfaxon.com.

Statton Faxon is a Connecticut personal injury law firm specializing in medical malpractice, wrongful death, birth injury, truck accidents, and malpractice.