Stephen R. Bellis

Stephen R. Bellis leads our trial practice group. He concentrates in personal injury cases for clients injured in automobile accidents, slip and falls, worker's compensation and medical malpractice.

Steve represents clients who have been killed, or suffer traumatic brain injuries, as well as back/neck disc herniations or muscle strains. He has tried jury cases throughout the State and successfully argued appeals at the Appellate and Supreme Courts. Steve has recovered millions of dollars for clients.

Attorney Bellis also handles commercial litigation and real estate closings for businesses, banks and borrowers. He represented local and state and national developers as well as homeowners in zoning matters in the City of Shelton. Steve has successfully filed several affordable housing applications in Stratford. He currently serves as counsel to the Shelton Builders Association, Inc.

Steve represents successful owners and their companies primarily in real-estate development. He obtains planning and zoning approvals for commercial shopping centers, subdivisions, planned development districts, apartments, assisted living facilities, condominiums and affordable housing projects. Steve represents the business in obtaining commercial loans including: derivatives, credit swaps, construction and permanent financing. He also litigates business disputes and tax appeals.  

Steve has served as an attorney delegate to the Open World program where he traveled to Russia as part of the Russian American Rules of Law Consortium. He lectured on commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

Attorney Bellis is certified as an arbitrator by the ADR for commercial disputes.  He is also selected as a mediator or arbitrator on personal injury cases.

Attorney Bellis serves as a Board of Director for the New Haven County Bar Association.  He previously was a New Haven delegate to the Connecticut Bar Association.  He is a member of the New Haven Lawyer Referral Service, Connecticut and American Bar Associations, the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. He is active on the Shelton Republican Town Committee and served as Chairman of the Redistricting Committee and Charter Revision Commission. Steve is Counsel for the Shelton Farmers Market - Nonprofit CT Grown produce and Business Law Instructor for the City of New Haven Small Business Academy. Attorney Bellis serves on the Board of Directors for the Shelton Library.

Attorney Bellis obtained his undergraduate degree from Boston University in 1981. He graduated from Catholic University Law School in Washington, D.C. in 1984 and was selected to the Law Review and was commencement speaker. He is admitted and qualified before the Supreme Court of the United States, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the United States District Court of Connecticut and Connecticut State Court.

Litigation Results*

• Medical malpractice Para plegia against neurosurgeon $1,000,000.00 (maximum under insurance policy)
• Whistleblower Medicare Fraud against hospital $2.7 million
• Wrongful Death, Pedestrian against drunk driver, $750,000.00 (maximum under insurance policy)
• Wrongful Death, Pedestrian against motorcycle driver $200,000.00 (maximum under insurance policy)
• Cat scratch against homeowner $100,000.00
• Traumatic Brain Injury Pedestrian against automobile owner $300,000.00 (maximum under insurance policy)
• Employee back injury against employer: $300,000.00 (maximum insurance policy), argued to Supreme Court.
• Medical malpractice against hospital (appendix) $250,000.00
• Wrongful Death pedestrian in shoulder of road against driver $1,000,000.00 (maximum under insurance policy)
• Medical malpractice punctured lung against family doctor $250,000.00
• Medical malpractice death of 90 year old against hospital $100,000.00
• Medical malpractice, Wrongful Death $1.9 Million

* The outcome of each case is dependant on its facts. The outcomes listed above are for illustrative purposes only, and are not meant to serve as a guarantee.

Zoning Cases

• Site Plans before the Planning and Zoning Commission
• PDD approvals commercial developer mixed use shopping center
• Subdivision approvals local developers
• Use variance for National Developer school and office
• Commercial zone change Manhattan developer retail stores and restaurant
• Conservation development plans- local builders
• Variances before the Zoning Board of Appeals
• Appeals of Zoning Cases to the Superior Court
• PDD approval in Shelton - 56 homes, 50 condominiums and 109 units assisted living facility
• PDD approval in Shelton and Milford - commercial and apartment
• Affordable housing approval for 57 apartment units in Stratford
• Affordable Housing Applications

Commercial Closings

• $4.2 million commercial loan for Walgreens, Seymour
• $3.8 million commercial loan for CVS, Milford
• $7.8 million sale shopping center, Shelton
• $6.8 million construction and revolving line of credit for housing/condo project
• $27 million Bank Financing for Shelton Shopping Center