Copeland, Rebecca A.

Bernard Pellegrino practices in the areas of land use and zoning, general civil litigation, personal injury, worker's compensation, sports law, labor and employment law, and construction law and litigation. He is a 1985 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, at Boston College Law School  in 1988. He is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts in Connecticut.

In the area of land use and zoning, Attorney Pellegrino has experience appearing before municipal agencies throughout the State seeking approvals for a variety of different real estate developments. The boards he appears before each month include Inland Wetland Panels, Planning and Zoning Commissions and Zoning Appeals Boards. His clients include single and multi-family residential builders, large commercial and retail developers, and educational institutions. He has acted as zoning counsel for Quinnipiac University  for over 15 years, having secured numerous approvals for the school, including the TD Bank Sportscenter complex on the University’s York Hill Campus in Hamden, Ct.

In May, 2009 Attorney Pellegrino was certified as a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) by the U.S. Green Building Council , having successfully completed the preparatory review and passed the accreditation exam for this internationally recognized “green” building certification program. As such, he has been certified to advise clients on compliance with the LEED guidelines. Additionally, his clients receive invaluable certifications points towards LEED designation for development projects in which he has been retained. For additional information on our Green Building practice please review our Practice Areas Overview.

Attorney Pellegrino is the founder of the Sports and Entertainment Law Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. He is also a member of the Sports Lawyers Association and the ABA's Forum on the Sports and Entertainment Industries. He is a noted speaker and author on issues related to the law and business of the sports industries. As a member of the Professional Hockey Players' Association workers’ compensation panel, Attorney Pellegrino has represented professional hockey players before the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission. Mr. Pellegrino has served as an adjunct professor of Sports Law at the University of New Haven and Sacred Heart University .

Noted for his community involvement, Bernie is the Past-President of the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Past -President of the Board of Directors of the Clifford W. Beers Guidance Clinic, Inc., and former counsel of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Haven. Since 1994 he has been a member of the Town of North Haven, Water Pollution Control Authority. He is also the Chair of the North Haven Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c) 3 corporation that raises funds to support educational initiatives for school children in the Town of North Haven. He is a life-long resident of North Haven where he presently resides with his wife and three children, Brett, Daphne and Clara.