“I attended Manhattan College after Hamden Hall to play lacrosse,” recalled Jon. “But I transferred to UConn and took a semester off in between. During that time off, I was working as a mate on a charter fishing boat in Florida and ended up getting my captain's license.”

Jon said he never planned on staying long in Florida after college, but an opportunity arose that intrigued him.

“After completing my Bachelor of Arts in political science at UConn, my plan was to work somewhere for a year and figure out where life was going to take me,” said Jon. “I was looking for a job on Craigslist and found a law clerk job at the Quick Law Firm in Jupiter. I had the interview set up for the day after I drove down and moved to Florida, and they hired me.”

Even with parents who were both lawyers, Jon had no interest in going to law school.

“I was not eager to follow in their footsteps,” he said. “Growing up, it was not something that struck me as a career path that I actively wanted to pursue. I really didn't get an interest in going to law school until I got this job at Quick Law Firm and got to really see firsthand what practicing law might be like.”

So, Jon was living in Florida, working at the law firm, and running a business called Fishing Adventures To Go when he decided to attend law school.

“I worked as a clerk at Quick Law Firm, and two of the lawyers there, the owner and his daughter, had both gone to Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law in Davie, Fla. They raved about it and urged me to visit the college and meet some professors. I loved the place right off the bat and ended up going there.”

Juris doctorate in hand, Jon’s career continued to grow in Florida.

“During my time at the Quick Law Firm, we would bring in Spicer & Chambers on some of our cases that were going to trial because they did a lot of medical malpractice and plaintiffs personal injury work,” said Jon. “I got to know David Spicer, and he hired me right out of law school. I worked with him as an associate for four or five years before becoming a partner for another four years.”

When David Spicer retired, Jon began working at Saxe Doernberger & Vita. 

“There are a lot of firms out there that defend insurance companies,” explained Jon. However, Saxe Doernberger & Vita is one of the few firms, particularly with the national presence, that represent the policyholder side. I specialize in construction-related issues, so I represent contractors, developers, and owners on big construction projects.”

In looking back at his trajectory, Jon believes it was extremely valuable to get practical experience at a law firm prior to attending law school.

“A lot of people get a political science degree, or a standard college diploma, and go right into law school,” explained Jon. “However, when I was in law school, I had an advantage. I could understand what I was learning and how that might apply in the real world, as opposed to it all being theoretical and abstract.”

These days, Jon’s life is full with both career and family - all of which is in Florida. 

“We've got a full house, and there’s never a dull moment,” reflected Jon. “My wife, Ramona, is a counselor at a school that specializes with special-needs students. We also have a son who is 3 years old and a daughter who is just almost three months. We are very happy here. It's been a lot of fun, and there are good people around us. Plus, my wife's family is here, and they've been a huge help with our kids.”

While Jon has planted roots in Florida, he said he still comes back to Connecticut to visit with some of his former classmates.

“I get up a couple times a year for work and to visit my dad,” said Jon. “He lives in New Haven, and I still have a number of my Hamden Hall buddies in Connecticut; like Sandy Grindley, Jared Clark, Devin Osborne, and Marko Lujic. I don't get to see them as often as I would like, but we stay in touch. If I get to Modern Pizza and Archie's for wings with my friends, that's a successful trip.”