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NEWS AUGUST 10, 2020 ¦ 7

What’s Next for Ex-AG George Jepsen?
New Firm to Better ‘Operate Independently’

By Robert Storace

Former Attorney General George Jepsen has left
Shipman & Goodwin to establish his own prac-
tice with longtime friend and colleague Perry
Zinn Rowthorn.
Rowthorn was Jepsen’s chief deputy at the At-
torney General’s Office when they both accepted
positions in February 2019 with the Hartford offices
of Shipman & Goodwin. The two attorneys then
launched the firm’s state attorneys general practice
group to defend corporate clients facing govern-
ment inquiries.
Jepsen, 65, and Rowthorn, 53, announced they Left to right: George Jepsen and Perry Zinn Rowthorn.
were leaving Shipman & Goodwin after 18 months Courtesy photos

to start Jepsen Rowthorn in West Hartford, effective “We will continue representing clients in inves-
Aug. 1. tigations and enforcement actions brought by state
The new firm would continue representing cor- attorneys general, and tap our colleagues at Shipman
porate clients in the full range of investigations and when our clients require traditional legal services
enforcement actions brought on behalf of state at- beyond the scope of our practice,” Jepsen said.
torneys general throughout the country, including Shipman & Goodwin managing partner Alan
investigations and government inquiries. In addi- LIeberman said the two, while at the firm, took on
tion, the new firm is also set to offer legislative affair “some of the most important legal issues of our time.”
services. Jepsen, a former Democratic state Senate major-
Both Jepsen and Rowthorn declined to comment ity leader, first worked at Shipman & Goodwin from
for this report, but in a press release that Shipman & 1996-2001. He left the firm in late 2001 in an unsuc-
Goodwin provided, the firm said it was best for the cessful run for lieutenant governor in 2002. He was an
two to work independently. attorney with Cowdery, Ecker & Murphy from 2003-
“While the State Attorneys General Practice Je- 2011. He later served as attorney general from 2011-19.
psen and Rowthorn established has been fruitful Rowthorn was in a private practice for one year
and rewarding, the nature of Shipman’s general legal until he joined the Office of the Attorney General,
practice and broad client base created client and po- where he worked for 19 years, including five years as
tential client conflicts that limited the scope of the Jepsen’s chief deputy.
work George and Perry were able to take on,” the Both attorneys are West Hartford residents. Jepsen
statement said. “Together, we came to the realiza- got his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1982,
tion that our respective clients’ interests would be while Rowthorn received his law degree from the
best served if George and Perry could operate inde- University of Connecticut School of Law in 1997. ¦
pendently, at a new firm where they could continue
their legal practice.” Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and
Jepsen said in the statement the two attorneys analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow
would still be in close contact with Shipman & him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at
Goodwin. 203-437-5950.

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