Vishal Garg

Partner

Direct: (860) 452-6862
Email: vishal@kgwslaw.com

Vishal Garg is a founding partner of Koch, Garg, Walker & Smart, who practices in the areas of criminal defense, habeas corpus law, appellate litigation, civil litigation, and real estate. Vishal is a graduate of the University of Michigan, with a B.A. in Philosophy, and has a Masters Degree in Philosophy from Western Michigan University. He received his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2013, graduating summa cum laude, where he served on the Journal of Law, Technology, and Policy.

Vishal is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He is admitted to the practice of law in Connecticut and the United States District Court, District of Connecticut.

Before becoming a founding partner of Koch, Garg, Walker & Smart, Vishal worked at a small criminal defense firm in the Hartford area, where he had the opportunity to develop extensive litigation experience and had numerous appellate successes, including Miller v. Commissioner of Correction, 176 Conn. App. 616 (2017) and Turner v. Commissioner of Correction, 181 Conn. App. 743 (2018) where the convictions were overturned as a result of Vishal’s superb advocacy.

Vishal prides himself on focusing on the needs of his clients and developing creative solutions to their legal problems. His comprehension of the law is encyclopedic, and his ability to argue his position, to any audience, is unrivaled.

When Vishal is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family in Newington.

Awards:

  • 2023 Super Lawyers Rising Star

Published Decisions:

  • Anderson v. Commissioner of Correction, 201 Conn. App. 1, cert. denied, 335 Conn. 983 (2020)
  • Anthony A. v. Commissioner of Correction, SC 20499, ____ Conn. ____ (June 17, 2021) (to be published at a later date)
  • Benitez v. Commissioner of Correction, 197 Conn. App. 344, cert. denied, 335 Conn. 924 (2020)
  • Budziszewski v. Commissioner of Correction, 322 Conn. 504 (2016) (brief only)
  • Budziszewski v. Connecticut Judicial Branch, 199 Conn. App. 518, cert. denied, 335 Conn. 965 (2020)
  • Bueno v. Commissioner of Correction, 173 Conn. App. 797, cert. denied, 327 Conn. 907 (2017)
  • Cancel v. Commissioner of Correction, 189 Conn. App. 667, cert. denied, 322 Conn. 908 (2019)
  • Carter v. State, 159 Conn. App. 209, cert. denied, 319 Conn. 930 (2015) (reply brief only)
  • Clinton S. v. Commissioner of Correction, 174 Conn. App. 821, cert. denied, 327 Conn. 927 (2017)
  • Dinham v. Commissioner of Correction, 191 Conn. App. 84, cert. denied, 333 Conn. 927 (2019)
  • David N.J. v. Commissioner of Correction, 170 Conn. App. 862, cert. denied, 325 Conn. 913 (2017)
  • Echeverria v. Commissioner of Correction, 193 Conn. App. 1, cert. denied, 333 Conn. 947 (2019)
  • Ernesto P. v. Commissioner of Correction, 159 Conn. App. 120, cert denied, 319 Conn. 930 (2015)
  • Godfrey v. Commissioner of Correction, 202 Conn. App. 684, cert. denied, 336 Conn. 931 (2021)
  • Gould v. Commissioner of Correction, 159 Conn. App. 860, cert. denied, 319 Conn. 957 (2015) (brief only)
  • Grover v. Commissioner of Correction, 183 Conn. App. 804, cert. denied, 330 Conn. 933 (2018) (brief only)
  • Ham v. Commissioner of Correction, 187 Conn. App. 160, cert. denied, 331 Conn. 904 (2019)
  • Haywood v. Commissioner of Correction, 194 Conn. App. 757 (2019), cert denied, 335 Conn. 914 (2020) (argument only)
  • Holbrook v. Commissioner of Correction, 189 Conn. App. 108, cert. denied, 331 Conn. 928 (2019)
  • Jobe v. Commissioner of Correction, 181 Conn. App. 236 (2018), aff’d, 334 Conn. 636 (2020)
  • Jobe v. Commissioner of Correction, 334 Conn. 636 (2020)
  • Johnson v. Commissioner of Correction, 166 Conn. App. 95 (2016), aff’d, Johnson v. Commissioner of Correction, 330 Conn. 520 (2019) (brief only)
  • Johnson v. Commissioner of Correction, 330 Conn. 520 (2019) (brief only)
  • King v. Commissioner of Correction, 161 Conn. App. 269 (2015), cert. denied, 320 Conn. 913 (2016)
  • Lebron v. Commissioner of Correction, 178 Conn. App. 299, cert. denied, 328 Conn. 913 (2017)
  • Lebron v. Commissioner of Correction, 204 Conn. App. 44 (2021)
  • Lewis v. Commissioner of Correction, 166 Conn. App. 22, cert. denied, 323 Conn. 905 (2016)
  • Mahon v. Commissioner of Correction, 157 Conn. App. 246, cert. denied, 317 Conn. 917 (2015)
  • Miller v. Commissioner of Correction, 176 Conn. App. 616 (2017)
  • Nieves v. Commissioner of Correction, 169 Conn. App. 587 (2016), cert. denied, 324 Conn. 915 (2017) (brief only)
  • Placide v. Commissioner of Correction, 167 Conn. App. 497, cert. denied, 323 Conn. 922 (2016)
  • Ricardo R. v. Commissioner of Correction, 185 Conn. App. 787 (2018), cert. denied, 330 Conn. 959 (2019)
  • Rogers v. Commissioner of Correction, 174 Conn. App. 120, cert. denied, 327 Conn. 929 (2017) (reply brief only)
  • Rose v. Commissioner of Correction, 202 Conn. App. 436, cert. granted, 336 Conn. 920 (2021)
  • Ruiz v. Commissioner of Correction, 156 Conn. App. 321, cert. granted in part, denied in part, 319 Conn. 923 (2015) (brief only)
  • Ruiz v. Commissioner of Correction, 195 Conn. App. 847, cert. denied, 335 Conn. 915 (2020)
  • Saunders v. Commissioner of Correction, 194 Conn. App. 473 (2019), cert. granted, 334 Conn. 917 (2020).
  • Santos v. Commissioner of Correction, 176 Conn. App. 788, cert. denied, 327 Conn. 977 (2017)
  • Schuler v. Commissioner of Correction, 200 Conn. App. 602, cert. denied, 336 Conn. 905 (2020)
  • State v. Anderson, 201 Conn. App. 21, cert. denied, 335 Conn. 984 (2020)
  • State v. Brown, 179 Conn. App. 337, cert. denied, 328 Conn. 914 (2018)
  • State v. Edwards, 334 Conn. 688 (2020)
  • State v. Ferrazzano-Mazza, 202 Conn. App. 411, cert. denied, 336 Conn. 928 (2021)
  • State v. Gonzalez, Docket No. 20317, 2021 Conn. LEXIS 47, 2021 WL 800175 (Mar. 2, 2021) (to be published on a future date)
  • State v. Harris, 198 Conn. App. 530, cert. denied, 335 Conn. 961 (2020)
  • State v. Lima, 325 Conn. 623 (2017)
  • State v. Lima, 180 Conn. App. 48 (2018)
  • State v. Stephenson, 187 Conn. App. 20 (2019)
  • State v. Stephenson, Docket No. SC 20272, 2020 Conn. LEXIS 329, 2020 WL 8257814 (2020) (to be published on a future date)
  • Stephenson v. Commissioner of Correction, 197 Conn. App. 172 (2020)
  • Stephenson v. Commissioner of Correction, 203 Conn. App. 314 (2021)
  • Stephen S. v. Commissioner of Correction, 199 Conn. App. 230 (2020)
  • Tilus v. Commissioner of Correction, 175 Conn. App. 336, cert. denied, 327 Conn. 962 (2017)
  • Turner v. Commissioner of Correction, 181 Conn. App. 743 (2018)
  • United States v. Joyner, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 545 (2d Cir. 2022)
  • Woods v. Commissioner of Correction, 197 Conn. App. 597, cert. granted, 335 Conn. 938 (2020)
  • Woods v. Commissioner of Correction, 2021 Conn. LEXIS 355 (2021)

Articles:

Presentations:

  • Litigating Padilla claims, Mandatory OCPD Assigned Counsel Training, October, 2018
  • Knowing Presentation of False Testimony, CCDLA Training, June 2019
  • The Nuts and Bolts of Handling an Appeal, OCPD Assigned Counsel Training, January 2021
  • How to protect your client’s rights from liars and unethical prosecutors (Brady claims), Tolland County Bar Association, November, 2021

Licensed to practice in:
State of Connecticut
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut