Attorney Dan Casagrande
Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves has appointed Cramer & Anderson as Danbury Corporation Counsel, with Municipal Law Partner Dan Casagrande serving as the point person.
“Attorney Casagrande has served as outside assistant corporation counsel for the city of Danbury for the last 30 years. His skills, along with the entire Cramer & Anderson firm, will enable us to proactively address and prepare for all legal matters facing our city,” Mayor Alves wrote in a letter to the City Council, according to a News-Times story on the appointment.
Attorney Casagrande has served as outside Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City since 1990, and also served on the transition team of Mayor Alves, a first-term mayor who won a close race in November.
“Dan is a highly experienced attorney with an immense knowledge base in municipal law and local government, as well as a trusted advocate who has represented the best interests of the City of Danbury for decades,” Mayor Alves said when the transition team was announced after the election.
Attorney Casagrande has a long history of defending the best interests of Danbury, as well as creating innovative solutions to issues affecting the city.
One signature example is Union Carbide’s 1998 appeal of the municipal tax assessment valuation of its Danbury, Conn., headquarters, equating to a $307 million market value.
In his role as outside Assistant Corporation Counsel, Attorney Casagrande squared off against a highly experienced tax attorney representing Union Carbide. The trial court upheld the City’s valuation after a 24-day trial, Union Carbide appealed, and Attorney Casagrande ultimately prevailed before the Connecticut Supreme Court, safeguarding $10 million in tax revenue for the City.
In 2006, Danbury adopted an ordinance envisioned and written by Attorney Casagrande that bans convicted sex offenders from “child safety zones” near schools and recreational areas. It was the first such prohibition in Connecticut and required intricate research to avoid constitutional jeopardy. Never challenged, the ordinance served as a template for other cities and towns in the state to follow suit in protecting their children, including Brookfield, New Milford, Ridgefield, and Windsor Locks.
When Danbury was sued in the late 1990s over landfill odors by 350 plaintiffs in Bethel, who hired attorneys affiliated with the firm made famous in “Erin Brockovich” and demanded $120 million, Attorney Casagrande secured a settlement of $3.5 million, with all but $900,000 paid by the City’s insurers.
About Attorney Casagrande
Attorney Casagrande was recently named to the Connecticut Super Lawyers list for a second consecutive year in the State, Local & Municipal category. Super Lawyers designation is reserved for outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
That honor follows a Distinguished Leaders Award given to Attorney Casagrande this past summer as part of the New England Legal Awards for his string of notable positive outcomes in 2022.
Also earlier this year, Attorney Casagrande was awarded AV Preeminent status from Martindale-Hubbell, an honor based on peer reviews that signifies the highest level of professional excellence for legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.
Additionally, he was elected a 2023 Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation (CBF) James W. Cooper Fellows Program. Fellows are nominated by their peers based on outstanding service to the profession and larger community. The 2023 Fellows were announced in the Feb. 9 CBF newsletter.
In addition to his longstanding role with the City of Danbury, Attorney Casagrande has served multiple-year engagements as Town Attorney for New Milford and New Fairfield, and he has been retained for special counsel assignments on behalf of Ridgefield, Middlebury, Southbury, New Milford, Waterford, Cheshire, Bethany, Beacon Falls, and the City of Waterbury.
Attorney Casagrande’s practice also focuses on Planning & Zoning Land Use and Land Use & Environmental Law. See his profile page to learn more.
Attorney Casagrande may be reached by phone at 203-744-1234 or by email at dcasagrande@crameranderson.com.
About Cramer & Anderson
Cramer & Anderson provides sophisticated legal services, close to home, with regional offices in New Milford, Washington Depot, Kent, Litchfield, Danbury, and Ridgefield. For more information, see the firm’s website or call the flagship office in New Milford at (860) 355-2631.
