Gfeller Laurie LLP Add Three Attorneys to Vermont Office, Enhancing Sports and Recreation Litigation Practice
The litigation law firm of Gfeller Laurie LLP (based in West Hartford, CT) has expanded its footprint in the Northeast by opening a new office in Rutland, VT, and adding partners Thomas P. Aicher and Kaveh S. Shahi, along with associate Ellie Gebarowski-Shafer and their staff.
Attorneys Aicher, Shahi, and Gebarowski-Shafer, formerly with Cleary, Shahi & Aicher, P.C., “bring a wealth of litigation experience and standing in Vermont and add depth to the firm’s well-known Sports and Recreation litigation practice,” according to co-founding partner Charles Gfeller.
The firm represents sports and recreational facilities throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean. Clients include recreational facilities and operators, including, among others, ski areas (winter and summer operations), ice arenas, parasail operators, jet ski operators, rock-climbing facilities, and zip line operators.
Charles Gfeller
In August 2025, Gfeller Laurie (www.gllawgroup.com) added an office in Denver, CO, which also bolstered the growth of its Sports and Recreation litigation practice. The firm now has 39 attorneys.
Gfeller noted that adding the attorneys and “expanding into Vermont is a natural fit with our firm’s business objectives and strategic plan. Tom and Kaveh are fantastic attorneys who bring a wealth of litigation experience and a tremendous reputation and standing in Vermont and beyond. Tom is nationally known in the ski industry and serves as Outside Special Counsel to the National Ski Areas Association. He adds invaluable depth to our Sports and Recreation litigation team that serves the ski industry, as well as other recreational and sports industries, in various parts of the United States and now Vermont. Kaveh is known as a fantastic litigator who has significant trial experience and will also add tremendous depth to our overall litigation team.”
“Joining Gfeller Laurie is a logical and well-aligned next step for our team of attorneys. As a successful regional law firm, Gfeller Laurie has a deep bench in sports and recreational litigation, as well as construction, trucking, professional liability, and insurance-related litigation, and offers broad access to institutional clients,” said Aicher, partner.
Aicher has been engaged in trial practice since 1991 and regularly defends Vermont’s winter and summer resorts with respect to sports injury claims. In 2016, he was named Outside Special Counsel to the National Ski Areas Association, acting as national counsel to the ski industry on risk management issues and judicial trends. Gfeller Laurie now boasts four former presidents of the prestigious Association of Ski Defense Attorneys, including Charles Gfeller, Steve Zweig, Maryjo Zweig, and now Aicher.
“We are excited by the opportunity to continue to provide stellar legal services in Vermont and New Hampshire while giving clients access to the tremendous talent and resources offered by Gfeller Laurie, a well-respected regional firm,” added Shahi, who is engaged in a diverse trial and appellate practice in the areas of insurance defense, insurance coverage, civil rights, construction, medical, legal, and dental malpractice, employment law, and commercial SEC cases. He carries the highest rating from Chambers and Best Lawyers and is a Fellow of the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is also a member of the Defense Research Institute, the Supreme Court Historical Society, and the International Association of Defense Counsel.
Meanwhile, Gfeller Laurie Managing Partner Melicent B. Thompson added that the move made strategic sense. “We have several institutional clients who have litigation and counseling needs in Vermont and northern New England,” she said. “The addition of Tom, Kaveh, and their outstanding team allows us to provide more comprehensive services and expand our reach to these and other clients.”
Ellie Gebarowski-Shafer focuses her practice on wills, estate planning, guardianship cases, and other probate matters. She assists clients navigating the family court system, whether through marital separation and divorce, enforcement of custody orders, or representation of youth in juvenile matters. In addition, she handles the defense of tort claims relating to personal injury, property damage, and other liability claims.
The firm’s Sports & Recreation practice represents sports and recreational facilities throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Clients include a wide variety of recreational facilities and operators, including, among others, ski areas (winter and summer operations), ice arenas, parasail operators, jet ski operators, indoor rock-climbing facilities, zip line operators, gyms, equine facilities (including internationally known racetracks), auto racetracks, bike parks, scholastic, college, and university-operated sports and recreational facilities, camps, fairs, festivals, carnivals, and water parks.
Now with a total of eight offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Vermont, Gfeller Laurie LLP represents clients in litigation matters spanning a variety of industries, including Insurance, Sports & Recreation, Financial Services, Construction and Commercial Litigation, and Healthcare and Professional Liability.