CELEBRATING LEGAL EXCELLENCE

The Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) will honor 10 exceptional award winners at Celebrate with the Stars, an annual awards event recognizing Connecticut’s top judges, lawyers and professionals who make a difference through their work by demonstrating allegiance, dedication, service, commitment and mentorship. The event will take place on Wednesday, April 9, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, Connecticut.  

Three Fairfield County attorneys Livia DeFilippis Barndollar, Jeffrey L. Meyers, and Alison J. Toumekian are among this year’s winners.  

Barndollar of Pullman & Comley LLC, Westport, who will receive the Edward F. Hennessey Professionalism Award for her dedication to the highest ideals and standards of the legal profession. For over 35 years she has helped individuals and families in difficult situations navigate the often-tumultuous world of family law.   

Toumekian of Zeldes Needle & Cooper PC, Bridgeport, will receive the Young Lawyers Section Vanguard Award for her outstanding and significant contributions to the CBA Young Lawyers Section (YLS). In addition to having served as a member of the CBA YLS Executive Committee for the past seven years, she has also taken on the role of the District Two representative to the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. 

Meyers of the Law Office of Jeffrey L. Meyers, Norwalk), will also receive The Hon. Anthony V. DeMayo Pro Bono Award. He dedicates time to pro bono work through Connecticut Legal Services and the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s Volunteer Attorney Program, where he provides legal assistance to those in need seeking representation in family law and housing cases. Over the past year, Meyers has taken on four pro bono family law cases with Statewide Legal Services, providing over 106 hours of pro bono service. 

The Connecticut Bar Association, founded in 1875, is the preeminent organization for lawyers and the legal profession in Connecticut. With its 70+ sections and committees, the CBA produces over 300 programs each year, including the Connecticut Legal Conference. The CBA is a nonprofit member service organization dedicated to advancing the legal profession and the principles of law and justice.