August
2026
Connecticut Partners Charles Gfeller, Robert Laurie, and Melicent Thompson Named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2027
Congratulations to Gfeller Laurie LLP founding partners Charles F. Gfeller and Robert D. ‘Bob’ Laurie, and managing partner Melicent B. Thompson who were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 33rd edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Charlie was included in the categories of Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Insurance and Bob was included in the categories of Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law. Melicent was included in the Litigation – Insurance category. Only 5% of practicing US lawyers receive the Best Lawyers recognition.
Charlie practices primarily in the areas of complex civil and commercial litigation, insurance coverage, products liability, and risk management. Charlie represents and/or has represented the following types of clients on a local, regional, and national basis: ski areas and ski resorts; ice arenas; National Hockey League, National Football League, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer teams and facilities, stadiums, stadium operators, and stadium concessionaires; zip line operators; indoor rock climbing facilities; marine-based recreational operators; fitness centers (including franchisees); equine facilities and race tracks; auto race tracks; golf courses and golf clubs; triathlon and other extreme competition organizers and operators; schools, colleges and universities; fairs, festivals, and carnivals; other recreational facilities, and manufacturers of recreational products, providing both risk management and litigation services.
Bob is a commercial litigator and business advisor with a broad background, particularly in the areas of financial services, manufacturing, life sciences, and aviation. He is an experienced trial lawyer who has appeared before courts and arbitration panels throughout the U.S. and in various international proceedings. He regularly advises domestic and international insurance and reinsurance companies on complex commercial matters. He represents insurers in disputes concerning insurance coverage determinations, bad faith/extra-contractual claims, life insurance, and related financial products. He has also litigated and arbitrated numerous facultative and treaty reinsurance disputes concerning fraud, contract wording, commutations, allocation, aggregation, number of occurrences, rescission, offset, pre-hearing security and insolvency.
Melicent has more than two decades of experience as a litigator and counselor to corporations and educational institutions. Her broad litigation experience in Connecticut and Georgia state and federal courts includes business disputes, employer, professional and executive liability claims, defense of educational and financial institutions, and general liability issues. Her insurance coverage law practice encompasses all areas of coverage advice in both the first- and third- party contexts and related litigation services, including declaratory judgment actions, defense of bad faith claims and reinsurance matters.
Now with a total of eight offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Vermont, Gfeller Laurie LLP provides AmLaw 100 quality legal services with a more efficient and agile business model. The firm is comprised of experienced and tenacious litigators who represent clients in complex litigation spanning a variety of business markets and jurisdictions, both nationally and internationally.
