Hartford law firm expands land use practice amid steady multifamily activity

Hartford-based law firm MacDermid, Reynolds & Glissman has nearly doubled the size of its land use practice, responding to a wave of multifamily and commercial development across Connecticut — and preparing for state zoning reforms expected to spur even more building activity. The expansion grows the boutique firm’s land use team from four to seven attorneys and increases its total headcount from 11 to 14 lawyers. MRG, headquartered at 86 Farmington Ave. in Hartford, has also opened a new office in Milford, at 42 Cherry St., to accommodate the new hires — John Knuff, Amy Souchuns and Sara Sharp — all experienced land use attorneys who previously practiced at Hurwitz Sagarin Slossberg & Knuff. The Milford firm announced in early November that it had changed its name to Hurwitz Sagarin & Slossberg as it refocuses exclusively on litigation. The trio brings more than 60 years of combined experience and has represented clients in nearly half of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities. “They’re a staple in Milford and a well-known part of the legal community — really integral to the legal fabric on the shoreline,” said Daniel Glissman, an MRG member and son of founding partner David Glissman. “We think it’s a fantastic fit.” Multifamily strength Connecticut has seen an increase in multifamily construction in the last few years, fueling steady demand for real estate and land use legal services. Building permits for multifamily housing projects with five or more units reached 4,100 in 2024 and 3,937 in 2023 — the highest annual totals on record since at least 1995, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Permits were issued in 2024 for 151 separate multifamily buildings statewide. Through August of this year, fewer multifamily projects have been permitted in Connecticut — 77 vs. 82 in 2024 — but significantly more individual apartment units have been approved, 2,995 compared to 1,952 during the first eight months of 2024. “Our practice has consistently been pretty busy over the last few years,” Glissman said. The firm’s expansion reflects growing demand for specialized legal expertise in Connecticut’s complex land use environment, where developers must navigate zoning regulations across 169 municipalities — each with its own set of rules. Land use law focuses on securing zoning approvals, text amendments and regulatory permits for development projects, while transactional real estate law deals with the purchase, sale, leasing and financing of properties. MRG’s dual focus positions it as a “one-stop shop” for developers, Glissman said. “We can really provide a full service of representation from the initial inception of an idea for a development, all the way through to the construction and ultimate operation, or maybe even sale of that project in the future,” he said. Several economic and demographic trends are sustaining demand for real estate attorneys, said Patrick Hanna, a partner in Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey’s land use and zoning practice, who is based in Stamford. “There’s certainly a lot of macro trends, with respect to elections and tariffs and interest rates, where it seems like there was a lot of money sort of sitting on the sidelines and waiting to be deployed,” Hanna said. “It seems like some of that is loosening up, potentially.” He added that demographic shifts, particularly in Fairfield County, are attracting New York-based developers and investors seeking opportunities in Connecticut. Multifamily development remains especially strong across Connecticut. “We continue to see very robust multifamily development,” Hanna said. “There’s a number in the works now. There’s a number in the zoning approval stage as well. And you can see that, just driving around Fairfield County, the number of cranes, particularly in Stamford and Norwalk.” Developers are also converting vacant office buildings into apartments as part of a growing statewide trend. “We are seeing quite a bit of that throughout the state, but definitely in Fairfield County, where there’s old office parks that developers are looking to convert to multifamily as well,” Hanna said. Housing reforms The legal sector is also bracing for changes in state housing policy, which could spur even more activity in the years ahead. After years of debate, and disagreement, Gov. Ned Lamont and Democratic state lawmakers have agreed to housing reform measures that incentivize municipalities to encourage new multifamily development, especially around bus and train stations. That will create more legal work tied to zoning, permits and municipal contracts.