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BrianRich

He | Him | His

Partner

"I deliver high-quality and responsive legal representation. Sometimes that involves trying a case through conclusion, and sometimes it means never entering a courtroom at all."

Overview

Biography

Brian regularly represents some of the world’s largest banks and financial institutions as well as local and regional clients. He handles a variety of business and commercial disputes, including contract claims, real estate litigation, contested commercial and residential foreclosure actions, mortgage resolution, unfair business practices actions, and fraud and lender liability claims.

He has tried dozens of bench and jury trials to conclusion in both state and federal courts. Brian also regularly appears in the Connecticut Appellate Court, Connecticut Supreme Court, and United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit as well as in arbitration and mediation proceedings.

Bar Associations

  • Connecticut Bar Association

Selected Memberships & Affiliations

  • Thomson Reuters Practical Law, Contributor
Experience

Representative Experience

  • Successfully obtained a defense verdict in favor of a bank client in Stamford Superior Court. The jury ultimately rejected the plaintiff’s claim for damages related to purported breaches of settlement agreement and found a substantial offset in favor of the bank.
  • Successfully secured summary judgment in favor of a bank client before the Connecticut Appellate Court in the foreclosure of a commercial mortgage note in the original principal amount of $3 million. The real property securing the note and mortgage comprises an indoor sports facility of significant economic and social interest to the surrounding community.
  • Managed a matter related to a pending state foreclosure case for an international financial services firm in which a borrower appealed a district court order sua sponte ordering remand of federal litigation to state court to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
  • Obtained summary judgment in a case where the plaintiff sued JP Morgan Chase Bank for violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA) relating to attempts to collect on a home equity line of credit account. After extensive litigation, including depositions across the country and a multimillion-dollar demand, the district court dismissed the plaintiff’s slander of title count and granted the bank’s summary judgment motion.
  • Successfully received the Second Circuit’s affirmation of the federal district court’s ruling, dismissing the petition in a state foreclosure action with a complex and detailed procedural history involving multiple bankruptcy filings, state court appeals, and federal removal actions.
  • Successfully argued the appeal of a trial court ruling ordering the payment of property tax and insurance payments from the borrowers during the pendency of the appeal of a foreclosure action before the Connecticut Appellate Court.
  • Successfully obtained a defense verdict in an action arising out of the alleged rendering of preservation services to a premises in delinquency.
  • Handled a matter in trial court regarding a judgment of foreclosure by sale secured on behalf of the plaintiff. The judgment of foreclosure was affirmed by the Connecticut Appellate Court on appeal.

Prior Experience

  • Halloran & Sage LLP, Partner

Selected Community Activities

  • Mercy Shelter and Housing, Former Trustee and Board Chair

Selected Honors

  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Banking and Finance Law, 2024–2025; Commercial Litigation, 2022–2025; Litigation – Securities, 2023–2025; Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law, 2023–2025
  • New England Legal Awards, Banking and Finance Attorney of the Year, Finalist, 2024
  • Selected to Super Lawyers Connecticut Rising Stars: Business Litigation, 2014–2018
  • Hartford Business Journal, 40 Under 40, 2014
  • Connecticut Law Tribune, New Leaders in the Law, 2013
Knowledge

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Connecticut Bankers Association, “A Primer to Connecticut Banking Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Litigation and the Effects of COVID-19” Webinar
  • Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board, “Creative Defense Strategies: The Best Defense Is a Good Offense” CLE
  • New England Mortgage Expo, “Financial Institution and Lender Liability Litigation in the Face of the Foreclosure Epidemic; Should We Bank on a Better 2015?”
  • Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association, “Mortgage Fraud: Common Schemes and Potential Red Flags” Seminar
  • New England Mortgage Expo, “Banking Litigation: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back”

Selected Media

Selected Alerts & Blog Posts

Featured Media

Alerts

USPTO Highlights Risks of Using AI for Inventive Process

Alerts

Navigating New York State's Expanded Regulatory Landscape: Implications for Health Care Transactions

Alerts

Mind the Gap: Recent UCC Filings Not Disclosed in a Search

Alerts

NYS Appellate Court: Insured's Investigative Statements to Liability Insurer Are Protected From Disclosure

Alerts

Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements Under the CTA: Third-Quarter Reminder

Alerts

Website Accessibility Lawsuits: Several "Tester" Plaintiffs—Frank Senior, Joseph Ortiz, Juan Igartua, and Michael Saunders—Targeting Businesses in Recent Flurry of Lawsuits

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