Historic case changed the game for lawyers
40 years ago, local brothers won TV ad rights fight
It was something that seems unthinkable now.
Forty years ago, the Trantolo brothers ruffled feathers as young lawyers and forever changed how lawyers advertise in the state.
This month marks a four-decade milestone since lawyers can advertise on television and Hartford natives Joe and Vincent Trantolo successfully fought for that ruling.
It was the landmark historic state case, Grievance Committee vs. Trantolo, that was ruled on Jan. 3, 1984, after the case was argued on Oct. 5 of the previous year. The Trantolos won the Supreme Court decision that allowed the use of television in Connecticut law firm advertising for the first time and that has been the law of the land in the state since.
“Those were days where you worried whether you would be a lawyer again. They could have taken our licenses away,” Vincent Trantolo said. “We thought we had the law in our favor, so we pursued it.”
Prior to the ruling, potential clients relied mainly on word-ofmouth or personal referrals for info regarding legal representation.
The ruling also allowed wider audiences to be educated on specific law firms and their offerings and enabled a more diverse socio-economic group to access information about law firms, groups that were very underserved at that time.
“For my father and my uncle who were trying to build a business,” Scott Trantolo said. “They brought legal services to the middle class. The wealthy had their representation. This was for the middle class that was underserved.”
Vincent and Joe Trantolo grew up in the south end of Hartford and followed their father Joe who
began the practice in Hartford in 1938. In the many years that have followed, the Trantolo’s have expanded to New Haven, Waterbury, Torrington and Bridgeport as well as into the bordering states of New York and Massachusetts.
Brothers Scott, 45, and Keith Trantolo, 47, are the next gener
ation to continue the tradition and took over the law firm in 2016.
Scott Trantolo, who is in his 24th year in the firm, was just 2 years old when the ruling was made but he’s proud of what his father, Vincent, and Uncle Joe have done.
“My father and uncle were pioneers in pushing for the rights of legal services,” Scott Trantolo said. “They put their licenses and livelihoods on the lines with this case and the majority of in the profession were fighting them.”
“All of these years later with the level of marketing in the state — every single law firm seems to be advertising and no one wants to give credence to Vincent and Joe Trantolo for fighting for their first amendment rights to advertise,” he said.
“Look at all the advertising in the state and nationwide is astronomical. For me, it’s about time to recognize a pioneer in legal marketing,” he added.
Prior to the Supreme Court ruling, the Hartford County Bar Grievance Committee had a disciplinary hearing for the Trantolos for improperly advertising legal things and information on consumers on fees.
But with the Jan. 3, 1984 ruling, the state Supreme Court unanimously overruled a 1981 ruling by the Hartford Superior Court that Trantolo & Trantolo violated the state code of professional conduct for lawyers when it briefly ran a series of ads in 1980.
“It was tough during those times,” Vincent Trantolo said. “We needed make a mark for ourselves and get our name out there. With those four commercials it certainly did that. It shocked the heck out of the rest of the bar…The first time I saw them my jaw dropped. It was exciting and scary to me. They got people’s attention.”
Vincent Trantolo said other lawyers were upset with the brothers about the commercials.
“I’ve had lawyers who physically assaulted me at court,” Trantolo said. “They said we were stealing their business.”
In his written decision, Chief Justice John A. Speziale said. “A complete ban on such (television) advertising is repugnant to the freedom of speech guarantees embraced by both the United States and Connecticut constituents.”
The Trantolo’s used the advertising to up the volume and had lower fees.
“They were precipice of this,” Scott Trantolo said. “They fought tooth and nail and it’s been a part of our legacy. My father is still involved (with the law firm) and it’s a part of who we are.”
Joe Jr. died in 1978 and Vincent Trantolo, 78, plans to fully retire sometime this year after 53 years. He began practicing in 1971 – two years after his brother Joe.
“I’m very proud of my sons,” Vincent Trantolo said. “My wife of 54 years, Kathleen, is the glue that kept us all together. When things got tough, she was always there to support me. … But my sons are their own men. They have their own ideas. It’s been a great ride.”