When people search for Ted Kittila, they find an attorney whose career has been shaped by complex litigation, constitutional advocacy, disability rights, faith, and a deep belief that every client deserves effective legal representation. Over more than 25 years as a trial attorney, Kittila has handled sophisticated disputes, high-stakes legal matters, and public-interest cases that reflect his commitment to the rule of law.
As Managing Partner of Halloran Farkas + Kittila LLP, Kittila brings together courtroom experience, Delaware litigation knowledge, and a professional philosophy rooted in service. His work has included corporate and commercial litigation, Delaware Court of Chancery matters, bankruptcy-related disputes, international client representation, constitutional issues, and disability rights advocacy.
But the foundation of his legal career began long before he entered a courtroom.
Early Influences and the Path to Law
Ted Kittila grew up in Seaford, Delaware, a small town where attorneys were not especially common. His first exposure to the legal profession came through mentors who challenged him to think critically and engage seriously with ideas. One of those mentors was Brian Shirey, his Sunday School teacher, who encouraged thoughtful debate. Another was Karl Haller, a public defender with a law office in Georgetown, Delaware.
Through these early relationships, Kittila saw that law was not only about institutions or procedure. It was also about people, judgment, fairness, and service. These mentors gave him firsthand exposure to the legal world and helped shape the values that would later define his practice.
Kittila went on to graduate summa cum laude from the University of Delaware, earn a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Germany, and graduate cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School. After law school, he clerked in the Delaware Court of Chancery, one of the nation’s most respected courts for corporate and equity litigation. That experience helped build the foundation for his later work in complex Delaware disputes.
Building a Litigation Career
Kittila’s legal career has included work at major firms in New York, service in Delaware litigation practices, the founding of Greenhill Law Group, and his later role in helping build Halloran Farkas + Kittila LLP. Today, the firm has offices in multiple U.S. cities and handles sophisticated legal matters for businesses, founders, public entities, international clients, and individuals facing significant disputes.
As an experienced litigator, Kittila has appeared in every court in the State of Delaware and has handled cases involving Delaware corporate law, commercial disputes, contract interpretation, fiduciary duties, stockholder rights, bankruptcy-related matters, and issues of first impression. His practice has also included matters before federal courts, appellate courts, and courts in other jurisdictions across the country.
His work reflects both technical legal skill and strategic judgment. Delaware litigation often involves complex business structures, high financial stakes, and urgent timelines. In that environment, attorneys must understand not only the law, but also the business realities, client pressures, and long-term consequences involved in litigation.
For Kittila, legal advocacy is not merely about winning arguments. It is about preparing carefully, understanding the client’s position, respecting the process, and helping people navigate difficult moments with clarity.
Why Every Client Deserves Effective Representation
One of the clearest themes in Kittila’s professional philosophy is his belief that every client deserves effective legal representation. That belief applies across industries, political backgrounds, public perceptions, and legal challenges.
Kittila has long been influenced by To Kill a Mockingbird and the example of Atticus Finch representing an unpopular client despite public pressure. A copy of the book is kept on the mantel at his firm as a reminder of the responsibility lawyers carry. To Kittila, the lesson is not abstract. The legal system depends on advocates who are willing to stand beside clients when the work is difficult, misunderstood, or unpopular.
That does not mean every case is simple or every client is easy to represent. It means the rule of law requires fairness, due process, and serious advocacy. Lawyers play an important role in ensuring that disputes are handled through legal channels rather than assumption, emotion, or public pressure.
This view has guided Kittila throughout his career. Whether representing businesses in complex commercial disputes or individuals seeking protection of their rights, he approaches legal work with the understanding that each matter carries real consequences for the people involved.
Constitutional Advocacy and Disability Rights
In recent years, Kittila has placed significant focus on constitutional and disability rights matters. He has described his role as lead counsel in cases challenging assisted suicide laws in New York and Delaware as especially important. These cases raise serious questions involving equal protection, disability rights, and the obligation of the legal system to protect vulnerable populations.
Disability rights advocacy requires more than legal research and courtroom skill. It requires empathy, constitutional understanding, and a willingness to address issues that can affect people whose voices are often overlooked. For Kittila, this work reflects a broader commitment to helping individuals stand up to powerful systems and ensuring that legal protections remain meaningful.
His work in this area also aligns with his belief that the law should serve as a safeguard for liberty and human dignity. Constitutional principles are not merely academic concepts. They become most important when individuals or communities need protection, recognition, and access to justice.
Faith, Service, and Legal Responsibility
Kittila’s Christian faith is central to how he understands his personal and professional life. He has described faith as an important part of his family, his service, and his approach to practicing law. His wife has also played an important role in the life of his firm, helping support its growth and operations.
For Kittila, faith informs the way he counsels clients and views responsibility. Litigation can be stressful, uncertain, and emotionally exhausting. Clients often come to attorneys during some of the hardest seasons of their lives. Kittila sees part of his role as helping clients understand the bigger picture while also providing strong legal advocacy.
His service-oriented approach can also be seen in his pro bono and public-interest work, including matters involving liberty, religious rights, and individuals seeking fair treatment. He has described much of this work as connected to the Golden Rule and the belief that people deserve to be treated with dignity.
A Defining Lesson in Client Commitment
One story from early in Kittila’s career illustrates how seriously he takes client service. While on vacation as a young attorney, he received a call from a man whose legal representation had suddenly fallen apart just days before trial. The client needed immediate help, and his business and future were at risk.
Although the timing was difficult, Kittila stepped in. With only days to prepare, he entered the case, faced a major law firm at trial, and helped protect the client from the outcome the opposing side had expected. The experience became a lasting example of what it means to answer the call when someone needs help.
Later, when Kittila started his own firm, that same client became the first person to sign on with him. Their relationship continued for years, built on trust earned during a moment of pressure and uncertainty. For Kittila, the story is not only about a successful legal result. It is about showing up when the work matters.
Teaching, Mentorship, and the Future of Trial Advocacy
In addition to his litigation practice, Kittila is committed to teaching and mentoring future attorneys. He serves as adjunct faculty at Rutgers Law School, where he teaches Trial Advocacy as an adjunct professor. He also teaches trial practice through continuing legal education programs and serves on the Executive Committee of the Rodney Inn of Court, where he helps plan programming and mentor younger lawyers.
This work reflects his belief that legal skills must be passed down through example, discipline, and practice. Trial advocacy is not only about speaking well in court. It requires preparation, credibility, ethics, judgment, and the ability to understand both facts and people.
At Halloran Farkas + Kittila LLP, he also helps develop young attorneys and law clerks. Many have gone on to successful careers in law firms, government service, and other legal roles. For Kittila, mentorship is part of the responsibility of leadership.
A Professional Identity Built on Principle
Ted Kittila’s career reflects a combination of litigation experience, constitutional advocacy, disability rights work, faith-based service, and commitment to the legal profession. He has represented clients across varied backgrounds and circumstances, handled complex disputes, taught future lawyers, and taken on matters that raise important questions about liberty, justice, and due process.
His definition of success is grounded not only in professional achievement, but also in peace, purpose, and being comfortable in one’s own skin. That perspective helps explain why his approach to law is both serious and personal. The legal system may be imperfect, but Kittila believes it remains essential to stability, fairness, and the protection of rights.
For clients seeking an attorney who understands both the complexity of litigation and the human weight behind it, Ted Kittila’s career offers a clear message: principled advocacy still matters.