Giovanna Weller is Co-leader of Carmody’s Litigation practice, Co-chair of the Labor & Employment group and leads the firm’s Employment Litigation practice. Giovanna is a trial lawyer with several decades of experience in counseling CEOs, senior management, and boards of directors of public and private businesses of all sizes.
Giovanna has successfully defended many significant employment cases in federal and state courts, including discrimination, trade secret and non-competition claims, whistleblower, as well as numerous cases before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and the federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. She has successfully argued appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Connecticut Supreme Court and the Connecticut Appellate Court. Her clients include large and small employers, manufacturers, schools, utilities, and insurers. Giovanna regularly trains management personnel on a wide variety of employment related topics.
Giovanna regularly advises heads of private schools, educational institutions and their trustees on legal issues of particular interest educational institutions, including employment, governance, mandated reporting, student disciplinary issues and litigation matters. She is also a member of the firm’s product liability team and defends product liability cases in both state and federal courts through the United States.
Before joining Carmody, Giovanna served as Clerk of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly.
“Giovanna Weller acts for academic institutions and a range of emplyers in matters such as discrimination and whistle-blower suits.”
– Chambers USA 2023
“A great legal strategist and a talented advocate with excellent, clear-eyed judgment.”
– Chambers USA 2022
“Giovanna Tiberii Weller has a significant reputation as one of the state’s top labor and employment litigators.”
– Benchmark Litigation 2022
“Giovanna is an extraordinary practitioner who knows when to push and when to play nice.”
– Chambers USA 2021
“Her ability to relate to clients, judges and juries is unparalleled. She has an innate ability to feel her client’s case and effectively communicate that feeling to judges and juries. She is definitely a go to litigator.”
Fellow, American Bar Association
Fellow, Connecticut Bar Association
Member, Connecticut Supreme Court Historical Society
Connecticut Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
Waterbury Bar Association
Top 10 Most Influential Labor & Employment Lawyers in Connecticut 2023, Business Today
Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers® in New Haven, Connecticut – Employment Law – Management, 2023
Top Tier ranking, Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers, 2017-2023
Best Lawyers® – Employment Law and Litigation, 2021-2024, Employment Law – Management, 2024, Labor Law – Management, 2024
Future Litigation Star and Labor & Employment Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2020-2023
Ranked in Chambers USA Guide – Labor & Employment, 2022-2023
Top 25 Women Lawyers in Connecticut, Connecticut Magazine, 2009, 2011, 2018-2022
Connecticut Super Lawyers® – Employment Litigation Defense, 2007-2022
Top 50 Women Lawyers in New England, Super Lawyers®, 2019
New England Super Lawyers® – Employment Litigation Defense, General Litigation, Employment & Labor, 2007-2019
AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings
Waterbury Young Lawyers’ Award, 2003
Appointed by Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court to serve as member of the Appellate Rules Advisory Committee, 2004-present
Judicial Law Clerk for Connecticut Supreme Court Justice Robert I. Berdon, 1991-1992
Editor, International Law Journal, 1990-1991
Successful lead counsel in jury trial of sex discrimination and retaliation case involving current employee.
Obtained defense verdict after a jury trial involving a claim of breach of contract brought by a former student against a large private university.
Successful lead counsel on appellate team that secured employer-friendly federal appellate court decision providing novel interpretation of state jurisdictional statute in favor of employers with out-of-state former employees.
Outside employment litigation counsel for several companies, including utilities and regional bank.
Enforced covenants not to compete and non-solicitation agreements in state and federal courts.
Obtained injunction and sanctions on behalf of herbal remedies company against former employee who had violated covenant not to compete and misappropriated trade secrets.
Obtained summary judgment on behalf of employer in two matters in federal court brought by former employees alleging disability and sexual orientation discrimination claims.
Presented customized, in-house training programs in several states for large manufacturing client.