Hinckley Allen’s Alexa Millinger and Michelle Peirce Earn 2026 New England Legal Awards Honors

Hinckley Allen is pleased to announce that two of its partners received recognition in Law.com’s 2026 New England Legal Awards, which celebrate legal excellence across Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Partner Alexa T. Millinger has been named a Rising Stars winner in Connecticut, and Partner Michelle R. Peirce has been selected as a Partner of the Year finalist.

Alexa’s recognition reflects her growing leadership in First Amendment and media law, where she has built a practice focused on protecting press freedom, advancing government transparency, and defending constitutional rights. She represents journalists, media organizations, businesses, and individuals in matters involving defamation, pre-publication review, Freedom of Information Act issues, and constitutional questions affecting the press.

Among her recent work, Alexa spent over a year working with the Connecticut Mirror to obtain public records that supported the publication’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into Connecticut’s towing industry. She has also represented major media organizations in First Amendment litigation before the Second Circuit, successfully defended the Hartford Courant and its reporters in defamation lawsuits, and advocated for public access to court proceedings.

Her work extends beyond media law to include general commercial litigation matters. As an example, Alexa helped secure a Connecticut Supreme Court victory that allowed Birch Hill Recovery Center to move forward with a new substance abuse treatment facility in Kent. Beyond her practice, she is active in the legal community as Vice Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Women in the Law Section and a member of the Board of its Media Law Section. She also holds leadership roles with several Connecticut nonprofit and civic organizations.

Michelle, Co-Chair of the firm’s White Collar & Government Enforcement Group and its Women’s Forum, was named a Partner of the Year finalist in recognition of her contributions to clients, the firm, and the broader community. Her practice spans white-collar criminal investigations and indictments, internal investigations, and complex civil litigation, where she represents companies, business executives, individuals, nonprofit organizations, and public entities in high-stakes disputes and regulatory matters.

Over the past year, Michelle has secured favorable outcomes in complex criminal and civil matters involving substantial financial and operational exposure. Her recent work includes helping companies and their leadership resolve sensitive investigations while avoiding more serious criminal consequences, as well as guiding clients through high-profile disputes that require careful judgment at every stage.

Michelle is also a dedicated advocate for pro bono service. A longtime leader and former president of the Women’s Bar Foundation of Massachusetts, she spearheaded Hinckley Allen’s partnership with the organization to expand legal representation for survivors of domestic violence. Her leadership helped contribute a significant increase in the firm’s pro bono hours since she joined Hinckley Allen, along with the firm’s recent recognition of the Women’s Bar Foundation’s 2026 Nery J. Arrano Award.

The honorees will be celebrated at an awards gala on October 8 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston, where the Partner of the Year winner will be announced.