Formal Education:
Attorney William J Forbes
128 East Street, Plainville,CT 06062
860 818 0754
Bill@WJForbeslaw.com
COURTS/TRIBUNALS ADMITTED TO PRACTICE BEORE
5/19/2022 -Accredited by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
11/10/80 -Admitted to Practice before the 2nd Circuit Federal Court, Juris #11386
10/09/79 -Admitted to Practice before the State of Connecticut, Juris #100337
WORK EXPERIENCE
1/2022 - Present – Began working with an Attorney in Lecanto, FL. representing veterans before the VA. Obtained VA Accreditation
2017- 8/2022 – Employed by USAA, in complex litigation, involving collapsing foundations in Connecticut… Due to a number of favorable appellate decisions, this litigation has now terminated. I retired in August of 2019 to explore the Caribbean on a sailboat. Returned in April of 2020 after COVID shut down the islands. Was immediately rehired by USAA.
2015-2017 worked for Mastrianni & Seguljic in Plainville, CT. I practiced mostly in divorce, bankruptcy and litigation areas, including construction and partnership litigation.
1985-2015 Worked in a number of partnerships where I was the senior partner. Developed a large practice in bankruptcy, divorce and also did some litigation in additional areas of construction, fraud and partnership.
2000 to 2017- Represented a number of attorneys before the State Judicial Grievance Board and also before the Connecticut Courts.
EDUCATION
2004 – 40 hours of training as a Mediator – Qinnipiac Law School
1990s- Over 50 hours of Collaborative Training
1979 - Juris Doctorate Western New England School of Law
1976 – BA English, Magna Cum Laude
1971 – High School, Deerfield Academy.
Health – Excellent
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
2014- 2019 Board of Directors for the New Britain Bar Association. With the support of local judges, we revitalized the Bar Association including a golf tournament where it grew from 38 participants to 130 within 2 years and became a major fundraiser for the Bar.
2001-2004 President of the Central Connecticut Collaborative Family Law Group While president, I arrange for seminars and grew our organization from 18 to 40 members.
1996 President of the New Britain Bar Association .
1994 Became a Special Master for the Connecticut Court. Only 40 attorneys- 20 men and 20 woman -were selected to participate in a pilot program where lawyers conducted pre-trials instead of judges. This program is still in existence today.
1978 Honorable Discharge, Army National Guard. JAG and Mechanized Infantry.
OTHER ACTIVITIES INTERESTS
USCG Captain’s License – Master 100 tons, OUPV 100 miles offshore. Currently employed as a Tow Boat Captain, part time.
Sailing- Owned a series of boats from a Sunfish as a child to a 43’ Jeanneau DS, which I cruised from Connecticut to the Bahamas until Covid shut down the Caribbean in the Spring of 2020.
Baseball coach in the 1980s for 10 years for inner city boys 12 to 16. Revised draft procedures to make teams more competitive and establish new training programs and mandated minimum playing time for each team member who showed up for practice. With help from the other coaches, our league, a recreational league, began for the first time, to put 3 - 4 kids on the high school team each year.