William P. Yelenak, Attorney

William P. Yelenak received his undergraduate degree from Trinity College in 1975 with honors, and his law degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1978.  He was admitted to practice that year and was a partner of Carmody & Torrance from 1984 to 1997.  In January 1997, he became a partner of Moore, O'Brien, Jacques & Yelenak in Cheshire, Connecticut, limiting his practice to representing victims of personal injuries.

Mr. Yelenak is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national trial bar organization in which membership is by invitation only and limited to the top trial lawyers in the state based on their trial experience and ability. The Connecticut chapter is limited to only 58 trial lawyers statewide, balanced between plaintiffs and defense bars.

Mr. Yelenak is also a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association and the Connecticut Bar Association and is the past Secretary of that organization.  He currently chairs the Association's Web Site Advisory Committee.  He is the former chair of the Connecticut Bar Association's Legal Technology Committee. He is a fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation.  He was appointed by Chief Justice William Sullivan to the Civil Commission, a committee of judges and lawyers engaged in recommending court reforms.  He also serves as a Special Master for the United States District Court of Connecticut and an Arbitrator/Special Master for the Connecticut Superior Court. In addition to his activities in bar leadership, he is a frequent lecturer on topics of trial practice, legal technology and the Internet and has authored numerous articles in those fields.

Mr. Yelenak tried one of the longest federal trials in Connecticut history, a yearlong trial that concluded litigation involving claims arising out of a construction project, including the recovery by Mr. Yelenak's client of $8.1 million.  Mr. Yelenak was also class counsel for a sub-class of plaintiffs in the Connecticut State Police Wiretap Class Action pending in the United States District Court that resulted in a $17 million settlement.  Just prior to joining new firm, he was a member of the legal team that brought suit on behalf of the State of Connecticut against the tobacco companies in one of the national Medicaid recovery lawsuits.