Middlefield Town Attorney to Retire in December

Attorney Kenneth Antin, who has served as legal counsel for the Town of Middlefield since 2005, will be stepping down from the job next month.

First Selectman John Brayshaw said Antin, of the firm Dzialo, Pickett and Allen in Middletown, expects to retire in December from the practice of law so that he could spend more time with his family.

Antin has been the town government's legal counsel for the past 8 years, advising the town on such issues like the Powder Ridge sale. Brashaw said Antin's most recent hourly rate was $160, an amount the first selectman noted was "competitive."

Brayshaw told the Board of Selectmen that, while it is his prerogative as first selectman to find a new town attorney, he said he hopes to include the other board members in the search process.

Brayshaw said he may look into finding another lawyer who, like Antin, works out of a firm, rather than someone who runs his or her own private practice. This is because that a firm has lawyers with varying expertise and a town attorney who belongs to a firm can gain that insight from colleagues.