Image of Peter K. Rydel
Peter K. Rydel
Partner

Biography

Peter maintains a diverse, multi-disciplined practice in the areas of construction, commercial and employment litigation and counseling. He blends rigorous, yet highly professional, advocacy with a dedication to pragmatic, cost-effective and client-focused solutions for clients.

Peter’s construction practice involves representing owners and indemnitors in warranty and bond claim disputes arising out of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreements. This encompasses disputes concerning large commercial solar arrays. He also represents parties in mechanics’ lien discharge proceedings and related construction matters.

In his commercial litigation practice, Peter represents businesses, financial institutions, venture capital groups (and similar entities) in foreclosure, pre- and post-judgment proceedings, injunction and related disputes. He has tried cases to verdict involving claims of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and business torts. Peter has successfully defended parties against claims of alter ego liability, and  prosecuted recognition proceedings under Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Peter’s experience includes representing manufacturing clients in disputes concerning license agreements.

Peter’s employment practice centers around representing large, mid-size and individual clients in a broad array of employment issues. These matters encompass discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour claims, non-compete litigation, disputes concerning restrictive covenants and employment investigations. Peter routinely appears before state and federal courts and administrative agencies, such as the CHRO. He also advises human resource personnel in developing human resource policies and best practices.

Peter also represents institutional and individual trustees, beneficiaries, fiduciaries, personal representatives and creditors in a wide array of probate controversies, including the administration of decedent’s estates, contested conservatorships, trust construction, fiduciary liability claims, accounting proceedings and contested powers-of-attorney. His trial experience includes representing individuals in estate proceedings and representing clients in multi-jurisdictional, complex estate disputes.

Peter has also had the privilege of working on unique matters, such as representing a local board of education in a dispute concerning the use of retirement funds, and representing a state official investigated for alleged violations of agency policies. He also has substantial experience counseling health care providers in complying with health care privacy laws and subpoenas seeking protected health information.

After law school, Peter clerked for the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department in Albany, NY. This afforded him a unique transition between the academic law school environment and the practice of law.

A native of Bristol, CT, Peter resides in Glastonbury, CT with his wife, children and Trajan, a handsome German Shephard he named after one of the Five Good Emperors of Rome. Peter enjoys skiing, kayaking and the exercise of hitting white balls on a golf course. He is an avid reader of history, to the extent his family believes he may have missed his true calling. He enjoys getting his hands dirty with whatever yard or household work beckons on the weekend and makes every effort to keep pace with his children’s intense youth sports schedules.