Matthew Willis

Allison P. Dearington ​is a principal in the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Her practice is focused on employment litigation, including class and collective action defense, and preventive counseling. Allison represents employers in state and federal courts, before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and in arbitration. She defends a variety of employment claims including discrimination, harassment, ret...

John P. Shea Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. John P., who practices law in Hartford, Connecticut, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

From the onset of a legal career that has spanned three decades and yielded millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for injured people, John J. Houlihan, Jr. has always taken a personal interest in the concerns of his clients. Long after his cases are resolved, he often remains involved in the lives of his clients, considering it the highest honor that he receives a significant percentage of referrals both from former clients and other attorneys. Mr. Houlihan has obtained numerous mil...

Craig Raabe joined the partnership in 2016 from a large, regional law firm, where he previously served as the chair of the litigation department. Mr. Raabe has tried many complex civil and criminal cases. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America© since 2006 (Copyright by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC), most recently in six disciplines: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Antitrust, Regulatory/Environmental...

Mike Spagnola focuses his practice on solving difficult and complicated labor and employment problems for management clients. Mike represents employers exclusively in connection with all aspects of labor and employment law, and in particular, litigation and preventive counsel. He has appeared on behalf of clients in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies, for cases relating to discrimination, retaliation, harassment, whistleblowing, wrongful discharge, wage and hour law, ...

Bob Kaelin, located in Hartford, Connecticut, is a dedicated commercial litigator at Harris Beach Murtha. With substantial experience in advocating for clients, Bob represents them in both state and federal trial and appellate courts. He also handles arbitration and mediation cases, serving as a respected panel arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. Bob's clientele includes community banks, national restaurant chains, and commercial real estate companies. In his practice, Bob fr...

Stephen M. Sedor focuses his practice in the areas of education law, employment litigation and labor disputes. He defends public and private sector employers in lawsuits involving wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, wage and hour disputes, First Amendment and retaliation claims, unfair labor practice charges, restrictive covenants and other disputes. Stephen provides general counseling and advice to public and private sector employers on a wide range of labor and employment matters...

Larry Shipman has dedicated his career to providing thoughtful and thorough legal representation to his clients. He is a practicing attorney at Shipman, Shaiken & Schwefel, LLC, where he passionately handles cases involving real estate, land use matters and commercial transactions. Larry is committed to helping his clients navigate complex legal matters with clarity and resolve. Drawing from his extensive experience, Larry approaches each case with an individualized strategy that reflects...

Heather J. Rhoades is Chairman of Cummings & Lockwood's Private Clients Group and is based in the West Hartford office. She practices in the areas of estate planning, estate settlement, trust administration and charitable planning. Heather is a member of the Firm's National Charitable Planning Group.

For nearly three decades, the emphasis of Mr. Escalera’s practice has been labor and employment law and litigation. Initially, Mr. Escalera served with the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps for nine years where he engaged in extensive criminal and civil litigation. Mr. Escalera was last stationed at the Pentagon where he acted as lead counsel for the Army Litigation Division defending the Department of the Army in employment discrimination suits brought by civilian employees in ...