Paula A. Clarke, Esq. served as Legal Counsel to the House Republican caucus prior to joining Gaffney, Bennett and Associates and the Law Offices of Jay F. Malcynsky, P.C. In 1999, in her capacity as Legal Counsel, Paula developed critical skills in the drafting and screening of proposed legislation. Given her extensive experience working at the State Capitol and with state agencies, Paula is primarily responsible for legislative and administrative lobbying, and provides service to our clients in the areas of law, economic development, and regulatory matters.

Lisa M. Fecke joined Gaffney, Bennett and Associates in 1994 after 13 years in the newspaper and public relations fields, and local and state politics. In the 1980s, she served as communications specialist for former New Haven Mayor Biagio DiLieto, and as communications director for the Senate Republican caucus at the state Capitol.

In addition to lobbying for Gaffney, Bennett and Associates on a variety of issues involving health care, energy, budget and taxes, business, arts and culture, and the environment, Lisa is principally responsible for the firm's client communications, one of the vital services Gaffney, Bennett and Associates offers its clients and one of the many features that sets it apart from other government relations firms.

Lisa volunteers for the New Haven chapter of Habitat for Humanity and Columbus House in New Haven.

11-15 years

2026 The Best Lawyers in America, Government Policy and Public Strategies.

2023 Loyola University Chicago School of Law, St. Robert Bellarmine Award, for distinguished contributions to the profession and to the School of Law.

As the founder of Statehouse Solutions, LLC, Matt Glavin helps clients navigate the complex legislative and regulatory landscape in Illinois. His background in politics, law, government, and managing in-house government affairs operations for large corporations, allows him to bring unique value to his clients.

Before founding Statehouse Solutions, Matt served as managing director and shareholder at Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies, where he focused his client work in Springfield. Previously, he was the national director of Government Affairs for American Water, overseeing legislative and regulatory policy in 47 states for the largest privately owned water utility in the country. He also has extensive experience handling policy and regulatory matters before the Illinois Commerce Commission, the state's primary utility regulator.

Earlier in this career, Matt worked in several high-level positions for former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, including director of the Office of Business Development and chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Additionally, he previously served as deputy press secretary to U.S. Senator Richard Durbin. He has worked on several political campaigns in Illinois and worked at a large law firm in Chicago handling consumer and class action defense cases.

Matt serves on the Board of Governors for Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he graduated law school cum laude. Matt also previously served on the board of directors of Equality Illinois, the state's largest LGBTQ organization, and obtained his bachelor's degree from Illinois Wesleyan University.

In 2023, Matt was awarded the St. Robert Bellarmine Award from Loyola, which honors alumni who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to the profession and to the School of Law.

20+ years

Jay F. Malcynsky, Esq., is the co-founder and managing partner of Gaffney, Bennett and Associates, Inc. Jay is also a practicing attorney licensed in Connecticut and Washington, D.C., and is the founder and managing partner of The Law Offices of Jay F. Malcynsky, P.C. In these capacities, Jay has distinguished himself as one of the most knowledgeable, highly respected, and capable professionals in the fields of government relations and political consulting, as well as administrative law. At the state Capitol, clients and legislators frequently call upon Jay's skills in negotiating agreements, forging alliances, and coordinating crisis management. Under his leadership, Gaffney, Bennett and Associates has mounted a record of success unsurpassed in Connecticut.

Jay has been an active and longtime political strategist. Prior to establishing the firm, Jay managed U.S. Congressman Stewart B. McKinney's political campaigns in 1980 and 1982. He also managed the re-election bids of U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Johnson and U.S. Senator Lowell P. Weicker, in 1984 and 1988, respectively. In 2000, Jay served as campaign manager for Bush for President in Connecticut, and was among the lead attorneys representing the Bush campaign during the Florida recount effort.

He is currently vice chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and serves on the Boards of Directors of The UConn Foundation, the Nutmeg State Games, and Connecticut Legal Services.

After graduating from law school, Jay served as a trial attorney in the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. He also served as an attorney for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Kevin B. Spinella, a 10-year veteran of Connecticut politics, joined Gaffney, Bennett & Associates' team of eight lobbyists/lawyers on February 3, 2020.

Kevin began his career as a legislative aide and committee clerk for the House Democrats from 2010-14, overseeing all facets of the committee process and supervising five clerks. He also served as a campaign coordinator for the House Democratic caucus during the 2010-18 election cycles, and was responsible for helping develop strategies, prepare for debates and coordinate events with Congressional and US. Senate campaigns.

As senior policy analyst to former CT House Speaker Brendan Sharkey and current Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, for the past six years, Kevin has performed research, helped analyze policies and programs, and drafted and finalized legislation for the leaders and the caucus. He has also negotiated with and served as a liaison between legislators from both political parties the executive branch, lobbyists and advocates on priority issues.

Kevin's experience covering an array of legislative committees and issues on behalf of the House Democratic caucus and leadership has helped him develop a strong understanding of the legislative process and the critical importance of building and managing relationships.