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NEWS JUNE 7, 2021 ■ 7

Tributes Pour In for Saxe

Partner Edwin Doernberger

By Robert Storace

olleagues, peers and friends are remembering
Edwin Doernberger as a consummate attorney
Cwho never got rattled and a mentor to dozens
over his career.
Doernberger, a partner with the Trumbull-based
Saxe Doernberger & Vita for 20 years, died May 21 in
Woodbridge following a bout with cancer. He was 76.
Colleagues say more than 60 people attended a
service for Doernberger at his home Thursday, and
the word “mentor” was repeated often, said Saxe
Doernberger partner Jeffrey Vita.
“Many of the people he mentored were there. He
had a big impact on those lives and on my life,” said
Vita, who noted that his friend and colleague was
on the company’s weekly partner Zoom call the day
before he died.
“He loved his work and he loved to participate in
the roundtables we had on cases,” Vita said.
Most importantly, Vita and others said, was that
their friend wasn’t only sharp and one of the best
insurance attorneys out there, but he loved to help
people through being a mentor to them.
He was such a noted mentor that the Connecticut
Law Tribune named him “Best Mentor” during its
2020 virtual awards ceremonies.
“He wasn’t in the limelight, rather he was a be-
hind-the-scenes kind of mentor,” Vita said. “He The late Edwin Doernberger of Saxe Doernberger &
would often take a young associate to a hearing and Vita. Courtesy photo.
let them absorb what was going on. He encouraged In addition to helping many over his career, Do-
everyone to have their own style in court and to dive ernberger just loved the business of law, Jordan said.
right into a case.” “They say when you love what you do, it’s not re-
Saxe Doernberger partner Dave Jordan, who ally work. That was Ed,” Jordan said. “He loved the
joined the firm in 2004, said Doernberger was a law. He would read cases from the U.S. Supreme
mentor and friend to him too. Court or Connecticut Supreme Court whether they
“He was a true senior statesman at the firm,” Jor- were relevant to our cases or not. He’d knock on my
dan said Friday. “He’d provide guidance and great door and talk about those cases. He’d read some
advice. He was a great guy to troubleshoot with. He quote a judge wrote that he thought was particularly
was always there for me. He’d always pick up the amusing and we’d talk about it.”
phone or set time aside to talk to someone.” ■ Continued on PAGE 8

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