Free Consultation
$0 first 30 minutes
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Reviewed for Highest Level of Professional Excellence. Connecticut Law Tribune Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient. Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law. Licensed in Connecticut and New York. I primarily represent entrepreneurs, startups, established and early stage companies and provide strategic and practical legal solutions to help leverage their branding, products and technology. I also represent individuals with employment-related issues. My focus is handling employment and business dispute resolutions, buying and selling businesses, formation of joint ventures and strategic alliances, complying with regulations, and technology licensing. At my firm, we also represent clients in bringing and defending lawsuits in Federal and state court. We are ever mindful of providing the best representation and results possible at the most reasonable cost.
Free Consultation
$0 first 30 minutes
Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.
Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.
Chat withState: Connecticut
Acquired: 1988
No misconduct found
State: New York
Acquired: 1983
No misconduct found
836 Farmington Avenue, Suite 137, West Hartford, CT, 06119
58 Client Reviews
Showing 16 - 20 of 58 reviews
Posted by anonymous | June 08, 2023
Responsive, Knowledgeable, Great Personality
Mr. Chen was one of a handful of attorneys who answered my questions in an Avvo post. I consulted with him through email and a video call. Mr. Chen is very easy to talk to, he listens to all of your concerns, asks specific questions, and provides reasonable advice. He exhibited genuine concern for my...
I was glad to discuss the matter with you and your spouse and review practical tactics and strategies to resolve your legal issues concerning that unscrupulous healthcare provider.
Posted by Naji Chester-Payne | May 05, 2023
Consultation
Carlton was very professional with his approach to my situation. He was kind and understanding. He's a great listener. I recommend highly recommend him.
Thank you, Naji, for your 5-star rating and recommendation.
Posted by Steffen | October 28, 2022
Mr. Chen is the kind of lawyer you want. He lives his profession. Highly recommended!
Mr. Chen is the kind of lawyer you want. He lives his profession. He gave me free initial legal advice and he went the extra mile. You will recognize immediately that he loves what he does and that he really cares and want to help. And he knows his stuff. Great experience.
Steffen, thank you so much for your kind review. Besides being a business lawyer, I've been a C-level executive, a co-founder of startups, an entrepreneur, a business development consultant working with PE and VC firms, and an active angel investor. And beyond individual client service at law firms, I began my legal career at the Federal Trade Commission and served most of my legal career as in-house lawyer. Therefore, it's my pleasure to share my multi-dimensional perspective with you about the pertinent legal questions you raised.
Posted by Robert | September 19, 2022
Unusually good attorney - friendly, knowledgeable & confident
I had the good fortune of being introduced to attorney Chen a few weeks ago. I found him to be very personable and pleasant and he provided the direction I needed at the time. It is very encouraging when you get a console from such a professional that you feel much more confident after the initia...
Thank you for your unsolicited stellar review. We look forward to zealously representing you.
Posted by Cynthia | September 04, 2022 | Hired Attorney
My experience with Mr Carlton Chen as my lawyer
Mr Chen is a amazing lawyer very hands on with every task explains everything from start to finish to make you have a clear understanding of what's going on with your situation very helpful with a loving winning spirit I would recommend Mr Chen any day best lawyer I ever encountered and if ever ne...
Honestly, Cynthia, we couldn't have achieved our successes without your persistence and preparedness. In the first case, the judge granted our motion to dismiss the case on procedural grounds. In the second case, the judge ruled in your favor because the plaintiff failed to prove her case. In the third case, we put up a good fight but just ran out of defenses. Nevertheless, you performed superbly in each of the three trials. Thank you for being credible and reliable whenever called upon to testify and producing quality fact witnesses willing to testify. I couldn't have wished for a better client.
"I know Attorney Chen to be a knowledgeable and dedicated lawyer. I endorse him without reservation."
"I endorse this lawyer. I have been reading his answers and articles for years and have always enjoyed his ability to explain all the issues that a client should be concerned with. His insights have often helped shape the way I view a business or contract situation. I think his careful attention to detail is a rare and valuable quality in an attorney."
"Attorney Chen gives sound and reasonable advice on avvo. His answers lead me to conclude he is a very thought attorney. I endorse this lawyer."
"It is clear from Carlton's responses on AVVO that he is a knowledgeable and capable advocate who cares about his clients. I endorse this attorney."
"Even though he is new to Avvo, it is immediately obvious that the answers of Mr. Chen are accurate, analytic and customized to the needs of the Avvo askers. The answer of his I just reviewed was "above and beyond". These are exactly the qualities that every client would look for when hiring an attorney."
"I've worked with Carlton for years, and he always brings a unique and experienced perspective to the problems at hand. He has an unmatched breadth of knowledge and enthusiasm, and I'm proud to call him my colleague."
"I endorse this lawyer! I have been a colleague of Attorney Chen for more than 7 years. I have found him to be one of the best business attorneys I have been associated with in my more than 30 years of practice. Besides being most knowledgeable in his craft, Carlton is very hard-working, trustworthy and has high integrity-all of which are greatly appreciated by his clients and colleagues alike. Carlton is also a good mentor to both younger associates and experienced attorneys."
Landlord or tenant lawyer
Trusts lawyer
Contracts and agreements lawyer
Lawsuits and disputes lawyer
Intellectual property lawyer
Patent application lawyer
Consumer protection lawyer
Business lawyer
Lawsuits and disputes lawyer
2025
AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2024
Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2024
AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2015
Lifetime Achievement Award, Connecticut Law Tribune
2012
Impact Award, Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association
2010
James W. Cooper Life Fellow, Connecticut Bar Foundation
2002
Excellence in Corporate Practice Award, Association of Corporate Counsel
2001
Silver Beaver Award, Connecticut Yankee Council BSA
2022 - Present
Senior Of Counsel, Jia Law Group, P.C., New York Financial District, New York, NY
2013 - Present
Attorney at Law, Kurien Ouellette LLC, West Hartford, CT
1996 - 2012
Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, Colt's Manufacturing Company (Colt Firearms)
1989 - 1996
General Counsel, Olin Hunt Specialty Products, Inc., Olin Corporation
1987 - 1989
Senior Associate, Gager Henry & Narkis, Attorneys at Law
1982 - 1987
General Attorney, Sara Lee Corporation
1980 - 1982
Staff Attorney, US Federal Trade Commission
2017 - Present
Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar AssociationMember of Advisory Board
2017 - Present
Connecticut China CouncilMember of Board of Directors
2016 - Present
Taiyuan Enterprise Union & Taiyuan Entrepreneur Association (Shanxi Province, China)International Counsel (Honorary)
2015 - Present
Willow Wood Country ClubChairman, Nominating Committee
2014 - Present
Keiretsu Forum Mid AtlanticFounding Member, New York Chapter
2014 - 2015
Connecticut Bar AssociationMember of House of Delegates
2008 - 2017
Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar AssociationMember of Board of Directors
2007 - 2014
West Hartford Chamber of Commerce1st Vice Chairman & various positions
Case is pending.
All cases in this "bet-the-farm" MFL were eventually dismissed or withdrawn and, despite great costs to defend, including the payment of legal fees, Colt's Manufacturing Company paid zero damages to the plaintiffs.
1980
JD - Juris Doctor
1977
BA - Bachelor of Arts
2024
2020
The Care and Feeding of Startups: What Angel Investors Want
2019
Small Business Founders' Experience and Lessons Learned
2019
Joint Ventures, Strategic Alliances and Partnerships
2017
Chinese Pharmaceutical Industry Today
2016
How to Start a Non-Profit Organization
2016
Study Tour: New York: The Gateway to Excellence in Health Care
2016
China: Investing in Emerging Technologies
2013
Leveraging Opportunities Through University-Industry Collaboration
2010
Demystifying Intellectual Property and Data Rights: Government and Industry Perspectives
2010
Government Offsets and Countertrade in the Asia Pacific
2002
Avoiding & Dealing with Class Actions
2003
English
Legal Answers
Legal Guides
What should businesses look for in an AI-powered BPO partner in 2026?
01 Apr 2026
Are the checks and bank statements sufficient evidence to pursue legal action and recover the funds?
18 Feb 2026
Can I sue Dollar tree for false advertisement there’s nothing in the store for a dollar in New York City
19 Sep 2025
SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
26 Jun 2024
BLOGGERS AND PODCASTERS BEWARE
06 Oct 2023
HIRING A LAWYER FOR A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
21 May 2022