Attorney Profiles
GERALD E. FARRELL
Gerald E. Farrell, Sr. the firm’s founder, is a graduate of Boston College Law School where he was an editor on the Boston College Law Review. Upon graduation, he served as a law clerk to T. Emmet Clarie, United States District Judge. He is past Chairman of the Criminal Justice Section of the Connecticut Bar Association and is also the town attorney for the Town of Wallingford.
CHRISTINE FARRELL GROCHOWSKI
Christine Farrell Grochowski is a cum laude graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall. She received her B.A. cum laude from the College of the Holy Cross. While at Holy Cross, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from Boston College Law School. While at Boston College she served as an editor of the Boston College Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Atty. Grochowski received her LLM in elder law and estate planning at Western New England Law School.
ANN M. FARRELL
Ann M. Farrell is a cum laude graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and received a B.A. with honors from the College of the Holy Cross. She obtained a juris doctorate degree cum laude from Boston College Law School. She was chosen as the Wallingford Businesses and Professional Women’s 1995 young careerist and is a member of the disability committee of the Connecticut Bar Association. She received her LLM in elder law and estate planning at Western New England School of Law.
PHILIP A. WRIGHT
Philip A. Wright retired as probate judge for Wallingford in 2022 after nearly 30 years of public service. A longtime Wallingford native, Attorney Wright graduated from Lyman Hall before attending Southern Connecticut State University and Syracuse University College of Law. He has also served as the Administrative Judge of the Central Connecticut Regional Children’s Probate Court for over a decade. He previously served as president of the Connecticut Probate Assembly. Attorney Wright will be accepting clients in the following areas: probate, wills, trust, powers of attorney, living wills, health care directives, real estate closings, conservatorships, guardianships and adoptions.
Our Staff
Samantha Shatas
Sam is a graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University with a degree in psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice. She is a paralegal in the areas of social security disability and estates.
Leonora Torres
Nora received her Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Legal Studies from Bay Path University and has a Masters Degree in Global Studies and International Relations from Northeastern University. She assists in the areas of social security, civil litigation and estates. She is fluent in Spanish.
Nancy Riotte
Nancy Riotte has been the law firm receptionist for many years. Besides being our ambassador of first impressions, Nancy assists on our Social Security Disability cases and handles payments and billing questions.
Carrie Bartolotta
Carrie is a probate paralegal who handles full estate, small estates, tax purposes only estates as well as conservatorships and adoptions.
Nataliia Yarema
Nataliia Yarema (Natalie) is a lawyer in her native Ukraine and was practicing in Kyiv when the war started. At Farrell & Grochowski, she is a paralegal working in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate.