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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 26, 2026 13 expansion in offerings, legal experts say, has broadened the range of liability risks, and increased the value of specialized counsel. When serious injuries occur at ski resorts, the financial stakes can be enormous. "The demands in the cases are bigger, the exposures are bigger, and that I attribute to the cost of medical care for these really serious injury cases," Aicher said. "People really have no choice but to try and pursue litigation, because they've got to figure out a way to pay these bills. Modern health care costs are driving litigation in a lot of ways." Medical bills tied to catastrophic injuries — such as spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries or paralysis — can exceed $1 million for initial treatment alone, with lifetime care costs climbing into the tens of millions of dollars. The shifting legal landscape has heightened demand for proactive risk management, according to Gfeller, as resort operators work to avoid high-stakes litigation. Beyond defending lawsuits, the firm helps clients reduce risk through staff training, contract reviews for third-party events and updates to safety protocols — from lift operations and ski school programs to hotel amenities and other recreational activities. "We do a lot of proactive work with our clients," Gfeller said. "Because of the recognition that there are inherent risks to a lot of the activities that they are sponsoring at their facilities, we help them to come up with the best strategies, methodologies, what have you, to manage those risks, to try to minimize bad outcomes, and to do their business as best as possible." Geographic barriers in ski litigation have also diminished significantly in recent years, legal experts said. Major resort operators such as Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Co. own proper- ties across multiple states, creating demand for law firms that can support clients across jurisdictions without relying on separate local counsel. Vail Resorts now operates 42 ski resorts across four countries, up from 10 before 2015, according to the company's website. "To have one firm handling or avail- able to fully support that client in two, three jurisdictions is really to benefit the client more than it is to try and domi- nate the marketplace," Aicher said. Looking ahead Gfeller Laurie's sports and recreation practice now represents facilities throughout the United States and the Caribbean, including ski areas, ice arenas, water parks, rock climbing facilities, zip line operators and equine operations. While the firm has no immediate plans for further geographic expansion, Gfeller said growth remains on the table if the right opportunity arises. The firm now operates eight offices across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Vermont. Its other major practice areas include insurance, finan- cial services, construction, commercial litigation, health care and professional liability and transportation. "We're always looking to grow in a way that makes sense for our firm, whether it's sports and recreation, or one of the other practice areas we have," Gfeller said. Charles F. Gfeller (left), co-founding partner; Melicent B. Thompson, managing partner; and Robert D. Laurie, partner, at Gfeller Laurie LLP's West Hartford office. HBJ Photo | Steve Laschever • CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT • GENERAL CONTRACTING • DESIGN–BUILD 2 1 D E M I N G R D , B E R L I N , C T 0 6 0 3 7 • ( 8 6 0 ) 6 1 0 - 1 0 9 3 • W W W. O L S E N C S . C O M VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE!