“Beneath the instinct to fight there lurks a diviner instinct to love.”
― Inazo Nitobe, Bushido: The Soul of Japan
Biography
For more than two decades, Jonathan “Jak” Kocienda has built his career around medical malpractice litigation. As a Partner at Claggett, Sykes & Garza, Jak heads the firm’s medical malpractice division, representing clients in cases where medicine and questions of liability are deeply intertwined.
Before joining the plaintiffs’ bar, Jak was a co-managing partner and trial attorney at a medical malpractice defense firm, where he represented healthcare providers and institutions in high-stakes claims involving wrongful death and catastrophic injury. His years on the defense side gave him firsthand insight into the issues that drive these cases and how they are challenged. Today, Jak puts that perspective to work for his clients.
Jak’s experience has also made him a resource beyond the courtroom. He has lectured medical professionals on malpractice liability and exposure and served as faculty for continuing legal education programs focused on civil trial skills and deposition practice. His appellate work includes matters before Connecticut’s appellate courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Jak earned his B.A. in History from the College of the Holy Cross and his Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Outside of work, he enjoys practicing Japanese Jujitsu and other martial arts, woodworking and cabinetry, traveling, and spending time outdoors hiking.
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Connecticut Bar Association—Member
- Hartford County Bar Association—Member
- Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association—Member
- Trial Lawyers University—Speaker/Professor
Bar Admissions
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- S. District Court, District of Connecticut
- 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals
Education
- University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D.
- College of the Holy Cross, B.A.
Practice Areas Focus
- Medical Malpractice
- Complex personal injury
- Professional liability litigation
Speaking & Teaching
- March 26, 2026 – Hartford County Bar Association, presentation on Summary Judgment Motions
- October 18, 2024 – Trial Lawyers University, CLE Workshop, Andrew Garza, Alexa Mahony, Jak Kocienda – “Inside Strategies from the Dark Side”
- September 13, 2023 – National Business Institute, Connecticut Civil Trial Skills
Awards
- National Trial Lawyers Top 100
