Charles D. Ray

Compagnie des Grands Hôtels d'Afrique SA—Third Circuit appellate win

Secured a win at the Third Circuit for Compagnie des Grands Hôtels d'Afrique SA when the Court reversed and remanded rulings of the Delaware district court declining to enforce a $60 million arbitral award against Starwood Capital Group or Starman Hotel Holdings LLC, the former parent entities of a failed Moroccan hotel management company against which the arbitral award was originally obtained, under theories of agency and alter ego liability. The Third Circuit later declined Starwood Capital Group and Starman Hotel Holdings, LLC’s bid for a rehearing.

High net worth individual—Appellate win

Secured a victory for a high net worth individual as plaintiff/appellant in a second appeal concerning an underlying arbitration decision involving a prenuptial agreement. Following an adverse decision in the trial court denying her motion to open the judgment in her marital dissolution action on the basis of fraud, we filed our first appeal in 2020 and, in 2021, the appellate court reversed the trial court’s decision and remanded the matter for a probable cause hearing regarding the fraud. The trial court then denied our client’s motion to open the marital dissolution judgment after finding no probable cause that the underlying martial dissolution action was procured through fraud. We appealed the trial court’s probable cause decision and, for the second time, the appellate court ruled in our favor. Specifically, the appellate court determined that we presented evidence that satisfied the probable cause standard that the underlying marital dissolution action was based on fraud and, as a result, remanded the case with the direction to open the judgment for the limited purpose of allowing further discovery in conjunction with our client’s claim of fraud. 

Data center property owner—Reduction in Town’s valuation of real property

Lead trial and appellate counsel in taxpayer’s challenge to the Town’s assessment of its real property for purposes of taxation. The trial court reduced the valuation of the property by more than $36 million, resulting in significant tax savings for the client. The court’s decision was upheld on appeal. Digital 60 & 80 Merritt LLC v. Board of Assessment Appeals, 211 Conn. App. 559, cert. denied, 343 Conn. 926 (2022). 

Innocence Project – Pro bono amicus curiae

Appeared as pro bono amicus counsel on behalf of the Innocence Project and the Connecticut Innocence Project in a series of cases involving procedural issues related to identifications made in criminal prosecutions. State v. Tyus, 342 Conn. 784 (2022); State v. Raynor, 337 Conn. 527 (2020); State v. White, 334 Conn. 742 (2020); State v. Dickson, 322 Conn. 410 (2016), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 137 S.Ct. 2263, 198 L.Ed.2d 713 (2017); State v. Artis, 314 Conn. 131 (2014); State v. Johnson, 312 Conn. 687 (2014); State v. Sanchez, 308 Conn. 64 (2013); State v. Guilbert, 306 Conn. 218 (2012).

Electrical power technology company—Third circuit appellate win

Successfully defended the district court’s reduction of a relator’s attorneys’ fee request in a qui tam action. United States, ex rel. Donald Palmer v. C&D Technologies, Inc., 897 F.3d 128 (3d Cir. 2018).  

Matrimonial matter—Successful defense of arbitration award

Successfully defended the trial court’s decision to confirm an arbitration award in a matrimonial matter. Toland v. Toland, 179 Conn. App. 800, cert. denied, 328 Conn. 935 (2018).   

Pro bono immigration matter—Connecticut Supreme Court victory

Teamed with Greater Hartford Legal Aid in a pro bono matter in which our client sought predicate findings to be used in an application for special immigrant juvenile status. The probate court and trial court refused to consider our client’s requests because he had turned 18 during the proceedings. The Connecticut Appellate Court affirmed those rulings. The Connecticut Supreme Court reversed and ordered further proceedings on our client’s application. In re Henrry P.B.P., 327 Conn. 312 (2017) 

Matrimonial matter—Successful defense of favorable trial court rulings

Successfully defended the trial court’s decision not to treat a significant trust created by our client’s father as a marital asset in a dissolution action, as well as the trial court’s decision not to require our client to undertake litigation in order to resist actions of the trustees in decanting the original trust. Powell-Ferri v. Ferri, 326 Conn. 457 (2017).  

State of Connecticut—Successful defense of claims in construction defect dispute

Successfully defended the state’s claims that its action against a contractor for defective construction was not barred under the doctrines of issue or claim preclusion. State v. Bacon Construction Co., Inc., 160 Conn. App. 75, cert. denied, 319 Conn. 953 (2015).