// Connecticut lawyer Robert Serafinowicz was sentenced to a 364-day suspended sentence and two years of probation after pleading no contest to third degree assault charges. The charges stem from a September 7, 2022 incident where Serafinowicz slapped another attorney — Edward Gavin — outside of the Derby, Connecticut, courthouse. The altercation was caught on video.

Serafinowicz maintains he was provoked, and that there’s a 10-year history of animosity between the lawyers. So, what was the beef behind the slap? The ABA Journal has the deets:

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Serafinowicz told the ABA Journal in 2022 that his dispute with Gavin went back 10 years, and it concerned Gavin’s defense of a judge whom Serafinowicz had criticized. Serafinowicz was suspended for 120 days beginning in 2015 for his disparaging remarks about the judge.

Serafinowicz told the Journal that Gavin had been making snide remarks about the situation for years. Serafinowicz said he asked Gavin to apologize before he slapped him. In an audio clip, Serafinowicz can be heard saying, “No, I’m not calming down; this is all coming out, and everybody knows that. And I got a f- – -ing list. Do you want to talk s- – – in front of me now? Do you want to f- – -ing apologize?”

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As part of the deal, Serafinowicz also must continue anger managment treatment and avoid threatening, assaulting, or harassing Gavin.

There’s also a separate criminal case against Serafinowicz outstanding for the alleged stalking and harassment of a forensic psychologist. Serafinawicz says he hired the psychologist about 10 years ago, but the relationship soured and he referred to the psychologist as “an absolute lunatic.”

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Serafinowicz chalks up the bad blood he’s accumulated to his success record as an attorney:

Serafinowicz said he was winning acquittals for his clients while contending with the charges and said he has made a lot of enemies over the years.

“I don’t say this to be arrogant, please: I always win. Because I know what to try. I know how to evaluate the case. And I’m not going to try it if I don’t think I have a chance of winning it. My record can be put up against anybody’s,” he said.

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Which is… certainly *an* explanation.

Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].

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Assault, Courts, Legal Ethics