Community

Our attorneys serve on the boards of organizations that, taken together, do a good portion of the civic work in Hartford — the Foundation that writes the region's largest charitable checks, the museum that preserves Mark Twain's house, the park that sits at the center of the city. The involvement isn't coordinated from the top; partners and senior associates join boards that align with their interests, their clients, and, often, the institutions their families were connected to before they ever joined the firm. What follows is a representative rather than complete picture.

Foundations and civic giving

Samuel Oak has served on the board of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving since 2004, where he currently chairs the Investment Committee. Winona Thorpe, who leads the firm's Trusts & Estates practice, serves on the Foundation's Professional Advisors Council and has helped a number of Connecticut families structure endowed gifts through the Foundation over the years. The firm provides legal support pro bono on a handful of Foundation matters each year and contributes to the Foundation's annual fund.

Arts and history

The firm has a long-standing relationship with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, where several attorneys and their families hold season subscriptions and the firm has served as a corporate sponsor of the Masterworks series. Winona Thorpe is a trustee of the Mark Twain House & Museum, where she chairs the governance committee — a role that has included stewardship through the museum's most recent capital campaign. Edwin Birch is a sustaining contributor to the Connecticut Historical Society and has published the occasional short essay in its journal.

The firm's 50th anniversary celebration in October 2024 was held at the Wadsworth Atheneum, an institution that a number of our partners have supported individually for years. Several of our attorneys are active volunteers at the Connecticut Science Center, which sits a few blocks from the firm's Trumbull Street office.

Parks and public spaces

The firm supports the Bushnell Park Foundation, the nonprofit that maintains Hartford's central public park. Several attorneys have served on the Friends of Bushnell Park committee, and the firm contributes to the annual summer concert series. The Hartford Public Library counts two firm attorneys as current or recent board members; the firm has handled pro bono estate-planning clinics at the Downtown branch on a recurring basis.

Civic leadership and professional service

Winona Thorpe is a past president of the Junior League of Hartford and remains active in the League's volunteer programs. Lance Harrington, Deputy Managing Partner and head of Litigation, sits on the board of Hartford Youth Scholars. A number of firm attorneys serve on the executive committees of sections of the Connecticut Bar Association — a form of civic service to the profession itself that has historically been a strong tradition at Oak, Elm & Birch.

Travelers Championship Pro-Am

The firm has fielded a foursome at the Travelers Championship Pro-Am at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell for a number of consecutive years. The 2024 outing paired Managing Partner Steven Stone, Deputy Managing Partner Lance Harrington, and Real Estate chair Wallace Blackwood with a PGA Tour professional for the morning round; the firm uses the event as a charitable-giving vehicle through the Travelers Championship's community grants program, which directs tournament proceeds to Connecticut nonprofits.