CT INJURY LAWYERS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Legal Assistant / Paralegal
Christopher Petter is an associate at the firm of Leighton, Katz & Drapeau, LLC. He has over 10 years' experience representing both insurance companies and their insureds, as well as representing injured persons. With over 20 successful trials before juries and workers' compensation commissioners, he is yet another of our attorneys who advances our motto: "We worked for them, now we work for you!" His practice at LK&D consists exclusively of representing injury victims in both personal injury and workers' compensation cases.
When Attorney Petter is not helping his clients get the best possible results, he is helping aspiring law students as coach for the Quinnipiac University School of Law Mock Trial Honor Society competition team, leading multiple teams to the final round in the Northeast region. Attorney Petter serves as a judge for the regional American Mock Trial Association and TYLA mock trial competitions, sharing with them his experience as a trial lawyer and skills from two separate 6-day trial skill courses put on by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.
Attorney Petter resides with his fiancé Taryn, in their home in Cromwell. When they are not otherwise doing work on their new home, you may find them hiking together on the area hiking trails. Chris is an avid reader, and has some pretty good footwork in the courtroom and playing soccer and kickball in a business league.
Attorney Petter received his J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law, and his Bachelor's Degree in History/Political Science from Marywood University. He is a member of the Workers' Compensation and Litigation sections of the Connecticut Bar Association and the Connecticut Trial Lawyer's Association, advancing the interests of injury victims.
Francis X. Drapeau is a partner in the firm of Leighton, Katz & Drapeau with a principal office in Vernon.
His practice consists primarily of representing claimants in the workers' compensation forum and on appeal. Attorney Drapeau is a Board Certified Workers' Compensation Specialist. He has lectured on various workers' compensation topics for both the Connecticut Bar Association and the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association.
Mr. Drapeau received his B.A. degree from Fairfield University and his Juris Doctorate from Western New England College School of Law.
He was admitted to practice in the State of Connecticut in 1991.
He has been a contributor in both the Practice Tips and Point-Counterpoint sections of the Compensation Quarterly.
He is a member of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, and the Tolland County Bar Association of which he is past President. He currently sits on the both the Executive Committee of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Connecticut Bar Association and the Examining Committee for Board Certification as a Workers' Compensation Specialist. Attorney Drapeau can be reached at fdrapeau@CTInjuryLawyers.com
Job Titles:
- Member of the Connecticut Bar Association
Julienne Cutaia received her Bachelor's degree in Politics and Government from the University of Hartford in 2016 and went straight down the street to UConn Law. While there she worked in a small New Britain firm working on personal injury files. She graduated from UConn with her Juris Doctorate in May of 2019 and was admitted to practice law in Connecticut in November.
Julienne is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, the Hartford County Bar Association, the Tolland County Bar Association, the Young Lawyers Section, and the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association.
In her free time she plays violin in the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, reads urban fantasy and sci-fi novels, and plays video games.
Mark D. Leighton is the founding, and current managing attorney of the firm of Leighton, Katz & Drapeau. He was admitted to practice in Connecticut in 1981 and Massachusetts in 1980.
His practice consists primarily of representation of injured persons in both work and nonwork-related accidents. Attorney Leighton is a Board Certified Workers' Compensation Specialist and is the past Chair of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Connecticut Bar Association.
Attorney Leighton has represented both plaintiffs and defendants over the course of his career, having previously been an attorney for an insurance company defense firm as well as a claim representative. He also worked for the Attorney General's Office in Massachusetts.
He received his Juris Doctorate from Western New England University, School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts, and his Bachelor of Arts from Westfield State University in Westfield, Massachusetts.
Attorney Leighton serves on a number of professional organizations, including the Connecticut Bar Association where, in addition to service as Chair, he served as Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Workers' Compensation Section, and is a member of the Executive Committee. He currently serves as the Tolland County representative to the CBA House of Delegates. He is a member and past President of the Tolland County Bar Association. In addition, he is a member of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association.
He has served on a number of town and civic organizations including the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance for the Town of Ellington where he and his wife resided for over 30 years.
Attorney Leighton has authored articles including "Surveillance - Duty to Disclose" in the Compensation Quarterly. He has lectured to other attorneys in the areas of workers' compensation and personal injury/workers' compensation law suits. In addition, he has served as an adjunct facility member at the University of Connecticut, School of Law and Asnuntuck Community College. Attorney Leighton can be reached at mleighton@CTInjuryLawyers.com
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Connecticut Bar Association
- Members of Workers' Compensation Section of Connecticut Bar Association
Mark D. Leighton, Francis X. Drapeau, and Scott A. Carta are all members of Workers' Compensation Section of Connecticut Bar Association (CBA), Executive Committee of the Workers' Compensation Section of CBA and Workers' Compensation Section of Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA). Mark is the past Chair of the Workers' Compensation Section of CBA; Francis is the incoming Vice Chair of the Workers' Compensation Section of CBA; and Scott is the Vice Chair of the Workers' Compensation section of the CTLA.
Together, Leighton, Katz & Drapeau's personal injury attorneys have over one hundred years of experience - which is why many of Connecticut attorneys have already referred clients to us. Find out what makes us different.
Scott A. Carta is partner with the firm of Leighton, Katz & Drapeau with a principal office in Rockville, Connecticut. His practice consists almost exclusively of representing claimants/plaintiffs in workers' compensation and personal injury cases. Mr. Carta is a Board Certified Workers' Compensation Specialist.
Mr. Carta is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, the Tolland County Bar Association, the Middlesex County Bar Association, and a member of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Carta's article, "A Review of the Penalties Found in the Workers' Compensation Act," was featured in the Autumn, 2008 Edition of the Compensation Quarterly. Mr. Carta also authored an article entitled, "Ciarlelli v. Town of Hamden: A Clarifying Decision in Heart and Hypertension Law," which can be found in the Early Fall, 2011 Edition of the Compensation Quarterly. He is also on the Editorial Board of the Compensation Quarterly.
Mr. Carta received his B.A. from the University of Connecticut in 1996 and his J.D. from the University of Connecticut, School of Law in 1999. He was admitted to practice of law in the State of Connecticut in 1999. Attorney Carta can be reached at scarta@CTInjuryLawyers.com