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8 ¦ JULY 6, 2020 NEWS

Risky Business: Suit Says Firm
Referred Client to Fraudster

By Robert Storace

AHartford-based law firm specializing in
elder law, probate and estate planning faces
a malpractice lawsuit for referring a client to
a man who’s pleaded guilty of perpetrating a long-
running fraud.
But the statute of limitations might be in its favor,
experts said.
Plaintiff Cheryl Bonomo sued her former coun-
sel at Nirenstein, Horowitz & Associates in state
court June 22. She wants to hold the law firm ac-
countable for money she says she lost from a
financial adviser, Thomas Renison, who faces a
regulatory lawsuit for allegedly defrauding seniors
of about $6 million.
Bonomo alleged that for about a decade, begin- Guilty Plea
ning in 2008, Renison stole about $400,000 from The Securities and Exchange Commission
her. barred Renison from conducting business in 2014,
Her lawsuit claimed Renison shared office space according to court filings. But Bonomo alleged
with Nirenstein Horowitz. It alleged Barry Horow- Renison skirted the SEC, and formed a limited li-
itz, the president of the law firm, recommended ability company, ARO Equity LLC, through a third
Renison to Bonomo for her probate case, and that party to ask for money from investors, including
Renison compensated Horowitz for the referral. Bonomo.
This allegation suggests a potential conflict of in- Earlier this month, Renison, a South Glastonbury
terest, but experts point to potential good news for resident, pleaded guilty in Massachusetts to conspir-
the law firm: The window might have already closed acy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return
for Bonomo to file suit. in a case unrelated to Bonomo’s.
“The plaintiffs will have a significant problem Bonomo said the law firm was negligent in refer-
because the statute of limitations in Connecticut ring her to him.
for legal malpractice is three years,” said Leslie “The defendant knew or should have known that
Levin, professor at the University of Connecticut Renison, as early as 2008, defrauded one or more of
School of Law. “The plaintiff is alleging conduct his clients,” her complaint alleged.
going back 12 years. The court is not likely to look Bonomo pointed to the SEC’s actions in 2014,
at conduct more than three years before the law- but said the law firm “failed to make the plaintiff
suit was filed.” aware of the dangerous and detrimental conduct
Levin, who isn’t involved in the litigation, contin- of Renison until June 5, 2019.” She says she was the
ued: “We really need to know more of the facts to victim of a Ponzi scheme in which Renison “led his
really say how it will likely come out, but the statute investors, including the plaintiff, to believe that any
of limitations is an issue.” monthly profits she received came from a legitimate

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