For the first time in decades, the town of Old Saybrook has a new town attorney. At a March 13 Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting, the board unanimously voted to appoint Berchem Moses as the town’s legal counsel following the retirement of former attorney Mike Cronin.

First Selectman Carl Fortuna told the other selectmen that with Cronin retiring, he recommended hiring Berchem Moses as the Town’s counsel. The board unanimously approved the move.

Fortuna said that some boards and commissions had already used the firm.

“They have been very responsive to all our needs and requests so far,” Fortuna said.

In particular, the Police Commission had used the firm to review proposed changes to its bylaws, and the Town hired the firm to conduct an independent investigation into a personnel matter last year.

Fortuna said appointing the firm would not preclude the town from using a different law firm if there was a matter where another attorney may provide more specific expertise. Fortuna said there is no term for the appointment, meaning the Town could switch legal counsel at any time.

The town needed to appoint a new town attorney because earlier this year, Cronin, who had been the town’s attorney for nearly 50 years, announced he would be retiring. Fortuna called it “the end of an era” for the town and lauded Cornin’s work for the town over the years.

“Old Saybrook is very much what it is today — one of the most desirable towns in Connecticut — because of his practical and sound advice to the last 10 or so first selectmen. As a town, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to this amazing lawyer, who always had the best interests of the town in mind when advising first selectmen and other boards and commissions. His fine representation will likely be unmatched in our community or any other in Connecticut,” Fortuna said.