President, Harned Strategies LLC
Karen Harned is President at Harned Strategies LLC. Previously, she served as Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center, a post she held from 2002-2022. Prior to joining the Legal Center, Ms. Harned was an attorney at a Washington, D.C. law firm specializing in food and drug law, where she represented several small and large businesses and their respective trade associations before Congress and federal agencies. She also served as Assistant Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Don Nickles of Oklahoma from August of 1989 to March of 1993. Ms. Harned received her B.A. from the University of Oklahoma in 1989 and her J.D. from The George Washington University National Law Center in 1995. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.
As Executive Director of the NFIB Small Business Legal Center, Ms. Harned commented regularly on small business cases before federal and state courts, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court. She has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business, NBC Nightly News, CNN, CNBC and MSNBC, as well as National Public Radio, CBS Radio, and radio outlets across the country. Her opinion editorials and articles regarding healthcare, lawsuit abuse, regulation, and other issues important to small business have been published in newspapers and other publications nationwide.
Ms. Harned has testified before Congress on the small business impact of regulation and the civil justice system. Additionally, she has conducted numerous webinars and legal compliance seminars for small business owners across the country on issues relating to employment law, including unionization and immigration.
Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP
Jaime A. Santos is a partner in the firm’s Appellate Litigation practice. Her work focuses on appellate matters and complex civil litigation in federal courts, and she has experience in a wide range of areas including ERISA litigation, patent litigation, constitutional law, and product litigation. Ms. Santos has been the primary author of dozens of briefs filed in the Supreme Court, many more briefs filed in federal courts of appeals and federal district courts, and she has presented oral argument in state and federal trial and appellate courts. Ms. Santos also co-hosts the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny.
Ms. Santos maintains an active pro bono practice. She has been counsel of record in numerous criminal, immigration, and civil rights appeals in the Fourth, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits. She has also advocated on behalf of transgender litigants asserting constitutional claims before the Fourth Circuit and the Supreme Court, and represented a criminal defendant challenging his sentence before the Supreme Court. In 2015, Ms. Santos was honored by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights for her commitment to pro bono civil rights work.
In addition to her pro bono practice, Ms. Santos has been a thought leader in preventing and addressing bias and harassment in the legal profession. She speaks at conferences across the country and has published several articles on the topic. Since January 2018, she has advised numerous state and federal courts on improving the policies and processes governing inappropriate conduct in the workplace.
Ms. Santos serves on the MacArthur Justice Center Supreme Court & Appellate Advisory Board, and on the National Women’s Law Center’s Leadership Advisory Council.
Before joining Goodwin in 2013, Ms. Santos served as a law clerk to the Honorable George H. King of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and to the Honorable Raymond C. Fisher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In law school, she was a supervising editor for the Harvard Law Review.
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, Gates Corporation
Matthew R. A. Heiman joined the Company in May 2026 and has served as the Company’s Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary since June 2026. As Chief Legal Officer, Mr. Heiman is responsible for all legal functions for Gates, including securities and corporate governance, M&A, litigation, commercial, regulatory, compliance, patents and trademarks, real estate, employment and labor, sustainability and environmental matters. Prior to joining Gates, Mr. Heiman held senior legal leadership roles at Waystar, where he served as Chief Legal & Administrative Officer from 2023 to 2025 and as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary from 2020 to 2023. Prior to that, he was with Johnson Controls, where he served as Vice President, Corporate Secretary, and Associate General Counsel. Mr. Heiman has been a Senior Fellow for the National Security Institute at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia School of Law since 2018.
Senior Counselor, The Brunswick Group
Robert B. Zoellick is a Principal of Brunswick Group’s Geopolitical advisory offer and a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. In addition, Zoellick serves on the boards of Temasek, Singapore’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, and Twitter, Inc., and is on the Advisory Board of Swiss Re. He is a member of the boards of the Peterson Institute for International Economics and the Carnegie Endowment, chairs the Global Tiger Initiative, and is a member of the Global Leadership Council of Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian agency.
Zoellick was the President of the World Bank Group from 2007-12, U.S. Trade Representative from 2001 to 2005, and Deputy Secretary of State from 2005 to 2006. From 1985 to 1993, Zoellick served as Counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury and Under Secretary of State, as well as White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
Zoellick is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, the Department of State’s highest honor, the Alexander Hamilton Award of the Department of the Treasury, and the Medal for Distinguished Public Service of the Department of Defense. The German government awarded him the Knight Commanders Cross for his achievements in the course of German unification. The Mexican and Chilean governments awarded him their highest honors for non-citizens, the Aztec Eagle and the Order of Merit, for recognition of his work on free trade, development, and the environment.
Zoellick holds a J.D. magna cum laude from the Harvard Law School, a master's degree in public policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College.
Vice President for the Program on Technology, Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties, Lincoln Network
Arthur Rizer is the Vice President for the Program on Technology, Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties at Lincoln Network. In addition to his work at Lincoln, Arthur is a visiting lecturer at University College London, and an adjunct professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School. Arthur is also a member of Columbia University Justice Lab’s Executive Session for the Future of Justice Policy, the Federalist Society’s Executive Committee of the Criminal Law Practice Group, the Virginia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and other advisory bodies.
Before joining Lincoln, Arthur was founding director of the R Street Institute’s program on criminal justice and civil liberties. Prior to that, Arthur taught at West Virginia University’s College of Law, and was a visiting professor at Georgetown University Law Center. He also served as a trial attorney with the U.S. Justice Department, primarily as a federal prosecutor in the Criminal Division, where he targeted command-and-control drug cartel leaders and narco-terrorists. He also served as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and in the civil division. Earlier in his career, Arthur served in the U.S. Army, originally enlisting as a private before later receiving a commission. He served as an armor officer, later becoming the commander of a military police company and a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps assistant professor. He deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, with the mission to train the Iraqi Infantry and served as an MP acting battalion commander and executive officer. He retired as a lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Army (WVNG). During his Army career, Arthur received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service and Iraq Campaign medals.
Arthur is the author of three books: Lincoln’s Counsel (2010); The National Security Implications of Immigration Law (2013); and Jefferson’s Pen: The Art of Persuasion (2016).
Arthur earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Pacific Lutheran University; a master of laws, with distinction, from Georgetown University’s Law Center; and his JD, magna cum laude, from Gonzaga University School of Law. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Command Staff College. He is in the final stages of a doctorate at the University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, Centre of Criminology that focuses on policing.
Assistant Professor of Law and Assistant Director of the Academic Success Program, Vermont Law School
Professor Richard Sala is the Assistant Director of the Academic Success Program and an Assistant Professor of Law. He joined the VLS faculty in 2019.
Professor Sala enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1997, and served as an infantryman for more than a decade, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. Professor Sala’s enlisted time included service with Marine Corps Ground Defense/Security Force, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and 6th Marines Regimental Headquarters, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina —during which time he deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable, participating in operations in and around the former Yugoslavia, including Operation Dynamic Response in Kosovo.
In 2001, Professor Sala was selected for commissioned service through the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training program. Professor Sala graduated from the University of Colorado in 2003 with bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and International Affairs, a minor in Italian, and a certificate in Central and Eastern European History. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2007 through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program. After completing The Basic School and Infantry Officer Course, he reported to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, in Camp Pendleton, California, where he served as a platoon commander, and company executive officer with Company C—completing a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In 2010, Professor Sala was selected for service a Judge Advocate through the Excess Leave Program. He attended Vermont Law School graduating with a Juris Doctorate (Cum Laude) and a Masters in Environmental Law and Policy (Magna Cum Laude). He was also the recipient of the Maximilian W. Kempner Award.
After completing law school, Professor Sala reported to Legal Services Support Team, Camp Pendleton where he served as a criminal prosecutor with Legal Team Echo and later, as a criminal prosecutor and Officer-in-Charge of Legal Team Delta.
In 2015, Professor Sala joined 1st Battalion, 4th Marines aboard Camp Pendleton, California, where he served as Judge Advocate to the Commanding Officer of Marine Rotational Force-Darwin—completing a deployment to Darwin, Australia in support of bilateral and multilateral training with the Australian Defense Force and regional allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Upon returning from Australia, Professor Sala served as Assistant Deputy Staff Judge Advocate to the Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division.
In 2016, Professor Sala was selected to serve as Assistant Professor and Marine Officer Instructor at the University of Rochester where he also earned a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School.
Professor Sala retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2018.
Upon retiring, Professor Sala joined the New Hampshire Department of Justice serving as the Attorney to the Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education.
His personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (x2) and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (x2). He is also the recipient of the Lieutenant Colonel Vic Taylor/Major General Edwin B. Wheeler Award for being the Distinguished Graduate of Infantry Officer’s Course, Class 2-08.
Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP
Svetlana S. Gans is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP where she helps clients navigate complex consumer protection, privacy, and competition related regulatory proceedings before the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), , U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, State Attorneys General and other enforcement bodies. Ms. Gans also assists on litigation matters and provides strategic counseling and advice related to public policy issues.
Before joining Gibson Dunn, she served as the Vice President & Associate General Counsel at NCTA, the Internet & Television Association, where she helped lead the association’s consumer protection and competition policy work. Prior to joining NCTA, Ms. Gans served with distinction as Chief of Staff to Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen at the FTC. As the agency chief of staff, Ms. Gans managed and oversaw agency operations, including bureau and office heads reporting to the Chairman, a seven-member office staff, and an agency budget of over $300 million. She also served as the Acting Chairman’s key advisor on consumer protection and competition investigations and litigation, working with a diverse team of attorneys and economists to preserve competition and protect U.S. consumers. She created, executed, and oversaw several strategic initiatives for the agency, including the agency process reform, regulatory reform, and data security transparency initiatives. Previously, Ms. Gans had the unique experience of serving in both litigating bureaus of the FTC: the Bureau of Competition and the Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Prior to her time in government, Ms. Gans worked as an antitrust associate at major law firms. Her practice focused on defending consumer product, financial services, and trade association clients in regulatory and private investigations alleging conspiracy and violations of antitrust and consumer protection laws.
Ms. Gans has been an active leader in the ABA Antitrust Law Section (“Section”) for two decades, and currently serves as the Section’s Marketing Officer. Ms. Gans helped create the Section’s Young Lawyer Representative Program, now in its 10th year, and the Section’s Law Ambassador Program, each aimed at developing and promoting the next generation of consumer protection and competition attorneys. Ms. Gans is also active in the Federal Communications Bar Association, currently serving as Co-Chair of the Diversity Pipeline Initiative and the Women’s Leadership Committee.
Ms. Gans received her law degree with high honors from the University of Denver College of Law. During law school, Ms. Gans served as a Judicial Intern to the Honorable John L. Kane, Jr. and as an Honors Program Paralegal for the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division, Merger Taskforce. Ms. Gans earned her undergraduate degree cum laude from Boston University.
Elizabeth and Thomas Holder Chair, Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology
Peter Swire has been a leading privacy and cyberlaw scholar, government leader, and practitioner since the rise of the Internet in the 1990’s. He came to the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2013, where he is the Elizabeth and Tommy Holder Chair in the Scheller College of Business, and Professor in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy. He is senior counsel with the law firm of Alston & Bird LLP.
Swire served as one of five members of President Obama’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technology. Prior to that, he was co-chair of the global Do Not Track process for the World Wide Web Consortium. He is a Senior Fellow with the Future of Privacy Forum, and has served on the National Academy of Sciences & Engineering Forum on Cyber Resilience.
Under President Clinton, Swire was the Chief Counselor for Privacy, in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, the first person to have U.S. government-wide responsibility for privacy policy. Under President Obama, he was Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.
Professor of Economics, Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology
Liad Wagman is Professor of Economics at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Stuart School of Business.
Professor Wagman works on topics in the areas of Information Economics, Industrial Organization, Law and Economics, and Entrepreneurship, studying issues of data and privacy, information trade and utilization, and new venture financing. He is a recipient of the Sigma Xi Excellence in Research Award, the Bauer Family University Excellence in Teaching Award, the Yahoo Faculty Research and Engagement Award, and has been selected into Poet & Quants 2015 Top 40 Business School Faculty Under 40.
Professor Wagman is the Senior Economic and Technology Advisor of the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Policy Planning, and was a Visiting Associate Professor of Executive Education and Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a Visiting Scholar at the Duke University Economics Department, a research fellow at the Duke University Computer Science Department, a research fellow at the Duke University Social Sciences Research Institute, a recipient of the Program for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences Fellowship, a recipient of the Education and Research Initiative Award, a recipient of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers Best Paper Award, and a recipient of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Outstanding Paper Award.
Professor Wagman’s work is published in academic journals in economics, finance, operations research, and marketing, including the RAND Journal of Economics, the American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, the Journal of Corporate Finance, and Marketing Science.
Senior Counsel, Future of Privacy Forum
Dr. Gabriela Zanfir-Fortuna is Senior Counsel for the Future of Privacy Forum, where she leads the work on Global privacy developments and European data protection law and policy, with their impact on all focus areas of FPF, including de-identification, AI, mobility, adtech and education.
Prior to moving to the US in 2016, Gabriela worked for the European Data Protection Supervisor in Brussels, being part of the team that advised the EU legislator on the GDPR during its legislative process. She dealt with both enforcement and policy matters, was a member of the EDPS litigation team, as well as actively participated in the work of the Article 29 Working Party. She worked on the assessments of both the draft EU-US Privacy Shield and the draft EU-US Umbrella Agreement during her time at the EDPS and the Article 29 Working Party.
Gabriela is currently serving as a Program Chair (Law) for the ACM Fairness, Accountability and Transparency Conference 2020 and she served as a member of the Program Advisory Committee for the ICDPPC 2019 Conference in Tirana. She is also a member of the Program Committee of PLSC Europe, CPDP – academic track, ACM – AIES 2020 and the ENISA Annual Privacy Forum.
She holds a PhD in law (2013, University of Craiova) with a thesis on the rights of the data subject from the perspective of their adjudication in civil law and an LLM in Human Rights (2010), after obtaining her law degree at the same university (2009). She is also an associated researcher with the Law, Science, Technology and Society Center at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and a Project Scientist supporting the IoT Privacy Infrastructure Project within the Institute for Software Research of Carnegie Mellon University.
Gabriela is a contributor-author to ‘The EU General Data Protection Regulation – A Commentary‘, edited by C. Kuner, C. Docksey and L.A. Bygrave, Oxford University Press, 2020 (on Articles 13, 14, 15, 21 and 82). She is also the author of the volume ‘Protecția Datelor Personale. Drepturile Persoanei Vizate‘, C.H. Beck, Bucharest, 2015.
Partner, Murtha Cullina LLP
Proloy K. Das is the chair of the Appellate Practice Group. He has argued over sixty appeals before the Connecticut Supreme Court, Connecticut Appellate Court, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Attorney Das has advanced legal doctrines in cases of first impression in several areas including election law, tort liability, municipal law, contract law, insurance coverage, and felony prosecutions.
He has been named as one of the Connecticut Law Tribune’s New Leaders of the Law (2005), the Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty” (2007); the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) Best Under 40 (2011); the “Super Lawyers Rising Stars” list of Connecticut appellate lawyers (2008-2012); and the “Super Lawyers” list of top appellate lawyers in New England from 2013-2017. In 2015, the Connecticut Law Tribune named the appellate department chaired by Attorney Das at his prior law firm as its “2015 Appellate Litigation Department of the Year.” In 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 the publication named Murtha Cullina’s appellate practice group as its “Litigation Department of the Year.”
The U. S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has appointed Attorney Das to its pro bono panel of appellate advocates for indigent appellants. Prior to private practice, Attorney Das served as Assistant State’s Attorney in the Appellate Bureau of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office. He earned his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
Attorney Das is the Connecticut State Chair of the Republican National Lawyers Association.
Attorney, Paul, Weiss
An associate in the Restructuring Department, Joshua advises debtors, creditors, sponsors and shareholders, and distressed investment funds in chapter 11 cases, out-of-court restructurings, cross-border insolvency matters, and in bankruptcy litigation at both the trial and appellate courts. He also has significant experience representing the Financial Oversight & Management Board for Puerto Rico, as representative of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and certain of its instrumentalities, in their proceedings under Title III of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA).
Republican Minority Leader (34th District) and Partner, Fasano, Ippolito, Lee & Florentine, LLC
State Senator Len Fasano has represented the 34th Senate District communities of Durham, East Haven, North Haven and Wallingford since 2003.
In the General Assembly, Len Fasano has served as leader of the Senate Republican Caucus since 2014. He has championed bipartisan policies to benefit taxpayers, promote fiscal stability, and protect core services for the most vulnerable. Recent legislative accomplishments include developing first-in-the-nation legislation to make prescription drugs more affordable and bring transparency to health care, passing historic bipartisan state budgets with spending caps and bonding caps, and developing proposals to reform criminal justice, education funding, and bring more opportunities to Connecticut cities.
As leader of the Senate Republican Caucus, Senator Fasano is committed to making state government more cost-effective and efficient. He rallied bipartisan support to implement a spending cap, after decades of attempts by lawmakers to define the cap approved over 25 years ago. He also championed a bonding cap and volatility cap to reduce state debt and create more stability in state finances.
Senator Fasano established an urban affairs initiative within the Senate Republican Caucus in 2014 to start a dialogue between Republican lawmakers and Connecticut cities to enhance educational and economic opportunities. He has also proposed plans to reform the state’s justice system, to reduce recidivism and help people access the tools they need to succeed in all aspects of life.
As an advocate for the most vulnerable, Sen. Fasano has been named a “Children’s Champion” by the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance and has proposed legislation to reform the state’s child welfare agency to better protect, monitor and support the children in its care. Senator Fasano has also worked closely with advocates for individuals with disabilities, passing legislation to address the growing needs of individuals on the state’s waitlist for services and legislation to better protect children with disabilities who are suspected or documented victims of abuse and neglect.
Senator Fasano is the co-creator of the Bipartisan Round Table on Hospitals and Health Care, established in 2014 in partnership with Senate President Martin Looney to help ensure continued access to affordable quality care in Connecticut. Senator Fasano, whose father was a doctor in New Haven, has advocated for legislation that seeks to remedy the problems caused by the rapid consolidation of physician practices in Connecticut and the resulting impacts on health care costs and patient choice. He was also successful in passing bipartisan legislation to bring more transparency to medical expenses and to ban “gag clauses” that prevented pharmacists from telling consumers if cheaper prescription drug alternatives were available.
Senator Fasano is the President and Founder of Fasano, Ippolito, Lee, & Florentine, a law firm with offices in New Haven and Branford. He is also an East Haven business owner. Fasano earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from Yale University in 1981, a Juris Doctorate from Quinnipiac Law School in 1984, and an L.L.M. Degree in Taxation from Boston University Law School in 1985. He played football at Yale under legendary coach, Carm Cozza.
Senator Fasano has spent all of his life in New Haven and surrounding communities. He has three adult children and two grandchildren. He currently resides in North Haven with his wife, Jill.
Partner, Murtha Cullina LLP
Proloy K. Das is the chair of the Appellate Practice Group. He has argued over sixty appeals before the Connecticut Supreme Court, Connecticut Appellate Court, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Attorney Das has advanced legal doctrines in cases of first impression in several areas including election law, tort liability, municipal law, contract law, insurance coverage, and felony prosecutions.
He has been named as one of the Connecticut Law Tribune’s New Leaders of the Law (2005), the Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty” (2007); the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) Best Under 40 (2011); the “Super Lawyers Rising Stars” list of Connecticut appellate lawyers (2008-2012); and the “Super Lawyers” list of top appellate lawyers in New England from 2013-2017. In 2015, the Connecticut Law Tribune named the appellate department chaired by Attorney Das at his prior law firm as its “2015 Appellate Litigation Department of the Year.” In 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 the publication named Murtha Cullina’s appellate practice group as its “Litigation Department of the Year.”
The U. S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has appointed Attorney Das to its pro bono panel of appellate advocates for indigent appellants. Prior to private practice, Attorney Das served as Assistant State’s Attorney in the Appellate Bureau of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office. He earned his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
Attorney Das is the Connecticut State Chair of the Republican National Lawyers Association.
Attorney, Paul, Weiss
An associate in the Restructuring Department, Joshua advises debtors, creditors, sponsors and shareholders, and distressed investment funds in chapter 11 cases, out-of-court restructurings, cross-border insolvency matters, and in bankruptcy litigation at both the trial and appellate courts. He also has significant experience representing the Financial Oversight & Management Board for Puerto Rico, as representative of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and certain of its instrumentalities, in their proceedings under Title III of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA).
Republican Minority Leader (34th District) and Partner, Fasano, Ippolito, Lee & Florentine, LLC
State Senator Len Fasano has represented the 34th Senate District communities of Durham, East Haven, North Haven and Wallingford since 2003.
In the General Assembly, Len Fasano has served as leader of the Senate Republican Caucus since 2014. He has championed bipartisan policies to benefit taxpayers, promote fiscal stability, and protect core services for the most vulnerable. Recent legislative accomplishments include developing first-in-the-nation legislation to make prescription drugs more affordable and bring transparency to health care, passing historic bipartisan state budgets with spending caps and bonding caps, and developing proposals to reform criminal justice, education funding, and bring more opportunities to Connecticut cities.
As leader of the Senate Republican Caucus, Senator Fasano is committed to making state government more cost-effective and efficient. He rallied bipartisan support to implement a spending cap, after decades of attempts by lawmakers to define the cap approved over 25 years ago. He also championed a bonding cap and volatility cap to reduce state debt and create more stability in state finances.
Senator Fasano established an urban affairs initiative within the Senate Republican Caucus in 2014 to start a dialogue between Republican lawmakers and Connecticut cities to enhance educational and economic opportunities. He has also proposed plans to reform the state’s justice system, to reduce recidivism and help people access the tools they need to succeed in all aspects of life.
As an advocate for the most vulnerable, Sen. Fasano has been named a “Children’s Champion” by the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance and has proposed legislation to reform the state’s child welfare agency to better protect, monitor and support the children in its care. Senator Fasano has also worked closely with advocates for individuals with disabilities, passing legislation to address the growing needs of individuals on the state’s waitlist for services and legislation to better protect children with disabilities who are suspected or documented victims of abuse and neglect.
Senator Fasano is the co-creator of the Bipartisan Round Table on Hospitals and Health Care, established in 2014 in partnership with Senate President Martin Looney to help ensure continued access to affordable quality care in Connecticut. Senator Fasano, whose father was a doctor in New Haven, has advocated for legislation that seeks to remedy the problems caused by the rapid consolidation of physician practices in Connecticut and the resulting impacts on health care costs and patient choice. He was also successful in passing bipartisan legislation to bring more transparency to medical expenses and to ban “gag clauses” that prevented pharmacists from telling consumers if cheaper prescription drug alternatives were available.
Senator Fasano is the President and Founder of Fasano, Ippolito, Lee, & Florentine, a law firm with offices in New Haven and Branford. He is also an East Haven business owner. Fasano earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from Yale University in 1981, a Juris Doctorate from Quinnipiac Law School in 1984, and an L.L.M. Degree in Taxation from Boston University Law School in 1985. He played football at Yale under legendary coach, Carm Cozza.
Senator Fasano has spent all of his life in New Haven and surrounding communities. He has three adult children and two grandchildren. He currently resides in North Haven with his wife, Jill.
Vice Dean and Professor of Law, Villanova University School of Law
Professor Michael Risch joined the Villanova faculty in 2010 from the West Virginia University College of Law, where he directed the Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Law Program. Prior to joining the West Virginia faculty, he served as an Olin Fellow in Law at Stanford Law School. Professor Risch’s teaching and scholarship focus on intellectual property and internet law, with an emphasis on patents, trade secrets and information access. His articles have been published in the Stanford Law Review and Duke Law Journal, among others; online in the Yale Law Journal Online and PENNumbra; and less formally at the Madisonian, Prawfsblawg, and Patently-O blogs. Two of his articles have been cited by the United States Supreme Court. Professor Risch received his A.B. with honors and distinction in Public Policy and with distinction in Quantitative Economics from Stanford University, and his J.D. with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School. Prior to entering academia, he was a partner at intellectual property boutique Russo & Hale LLP in Palo Alto, California.
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