Hartford Business Journal

12 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 26, 2026 Charles F. Gfeller, co-founding partner of West Hartford-based litigation firm Gfeller Laurie LLP, in the firm's West Hartford office. HBJ Photo | Steve Laschever Expanding Terrain Amid rising liability risks, West Hartford law firm builds national ski defense powerhouse with dual-state expansion It remains to be seen whether other states' courts will follow the decision. "I think there's probably a realization by a lot of resort operators that the law is not bulletproof protection for them," Gfeller said, declining to comment specifically on the Miller case. Risk management Today, ski resorts are also far more complex businesses than they once were, operating as year-round desti- nations with a mix of recreation and hospitality — from snowboarding and tubing to mountain biking, zip lines, scenic lifts and seasonal festivals. That By Andrew Larson alarson@hartfordbusiness.com W est Hartford-based litigation firm Gfeller Laurie LLP has quietly assembled a deep bench of ski defense attorneys, adding offices in two major skiing markets over the last six months, while the industry grapples with a shift in how courts view liability. The expansions into Denver and Rutland, Vermont, also brought a rare distinction: Gfeller Laurie now counts four former presidents of the Associa- tion of Ski Defense Attorneys among its 39 lawyers. "We have four former presidents now, which I definitely think is more than anybody else has," said Charles F. Gfeller, co-founding partner of the firm, in a recent interview with the Hartford Business Journal. With the new offices, Gfeller Laurie — which in 2025 ranked 11th on Hartford Business Journal's list of largest Greater Hartford law firms — added six attorneys overall. One of them is partner and ski litigation veteran Thomas P. Aicher, who joined Gfeller Laurie from Rutland- based Cleary, Shahi & Aicher after two of his partners retired Jan. 1. "Suddenly, I needed some more horsepower," Aicher said. For Gfeller Laurie, the additions filled geographic gaps while deepening expertise in a specialty practice area. The firm had long wanted a presence in northern New England and Colorado, where insurance and corporate clients increasingly sought representation. "It's really opportunity and circum- stance," Gfeller said. "We've always been entrepreneurial minded and entrepreneurial focused, and have always had an attitude that if we saw opportunity, we would kick the tires on it and take it, if it was appropriate." Aicher said he has defended Vermont ski areas in high-profile cases, including a February 2024 federal jury trial where Vermont's Okemo Mountain Resort and Vail Resorts prevailed against a skier left paralyzed after crashing into snowmaking equipment. Gfeller has similar experience. In 2012, the Connecticut Appellate Court upheld a defense verdict he secured for Ski Sundown in New Hartford after a teenager became paralyzed in a 2006 terrain park accident. The jury unani- mously found the plaintiff responsible for his own injuries. Ski litigation operates in a unique legal environment. In most ski states — including Connecticut — statutes generally block lawsuits tied to inju- ries caused by skiing's inherent risks, setting a high bar for plaintiffs. But when they do succeed in proving a resort violated safety regulations or acted negligently beyond those inherent risks, the financial consequences can be severe. 'Not bulletproof protection' Gfeller Laurie's expansion comes at a pivotal moment for ski resorts facing growing uncertainty over liability — particularly in Colorado, one of the industry's most important markets. In May 2024, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Crested Butte that liability waivers — the fine print skiers accept when buying lift tickets — cannot be used to block lawsuits alleging a resort violated state safety laws and regulations. In other words, even if a skier signed a waiver, the resort can still face legal exposure if it failed to comply with mandated safety standards governing lift operations. Importantly, the Supreme Court did not decide that Crested Butte was negligent or responsible for the acci- dent; it ruled that the waiver could not automatically prevent the lawsuit from going forward. The case later went to a jury, which found the resort at fault and awarded damages that were ultimately reduced under Colorado law to $12.4 million. The decision has raised concern across the ski industry because it limits what operators once viewed as their strongest legal defense in lawsuits involving chairlifts and other safety-reg- ulated resort operations. AT A GLANCE Gfeller Laurie LLP Industry: Litigation & Civil Defense Law Top Executive: Melicent B. Thompson, Managing Partner HQ: West Hartford Attorneys: 39 Website: gllawgroup.com Contact: 860-760-8400 Gfeller Laurie's new offices Rutland, Vermont Partners: Thomas P. Aicher; Kaveh S. Shahi Associate: Ellie Gebarowski-Shafer Denver Senior counsel: Steve Zweig; Maryjo Zweig Counsel: Brian Birenbach

• Cover