Hayber, McKenna & Dinsmore
Partner
Deborah McKenna
Attorney Deborah McKenna is absolutely incredible! She’s professional, honest and genuinely cares about the people she represents. She is extremely knowledgeable and experienced and she makes sure things are done properly and has her client’s best interest in mind.
Isabella M.
Deborah McKenna has over twenty years of experience devoted to advancing the rights of employees in Connecticut. Throughout her career, Attorney McKenna has represented employees in a wide range of employment issues, ranging from severance negotiations, breach of contract and non-competition litigation to unemployment compensation, family and medical leave issues to discrimination and wage and hour matters.
Attorney McKenna has litigated in a wide range of administrative agencies, such as the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Connecticut Department of Labor, the Connecticut Office of Health Care Access, the Connecticut Department of Utilities Control, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the federal Department of Labor as well as various state and federal courts as well as arbitrations. Attorney McKenna has a strong commitment to advancing the legal rights and employment protections of women and victims of family violence. Attorney McKenna has devoted much of her practice to cases involving pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act. She continues to stay up to date with new advancements and strategies in the law so that she can give her clients the best possible representation.
Over the course of her career, Attorney McKenna has written and lectured on various issues related to employment law and practice, worked on legislation on employment law issues, including legislation regarding equal pay for women and employment protections for victims of family violence, and often testifies at the Connecticut General Assembly on issues affecting Connecticut workers. Additionally, Attorney McKenna has worked closely with many women’s rights organizations in Connecticut, including serving as retained counsel for the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund.
Attorney McKenna is admitted to practice in the State of Connecticut and the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Attorney McKenna works at the Firm’s Milford office and represents workers across the state of Connecticut, including, Hamden, North Haven, Milford, Danbury, Bridgeport, and Stamford.
Attorney McKenna, Deborah L. has been selected as a Super Lawyer® in the area of Employment Law for 2022.
Education
Professional Associations
Representative Results
News Appearances
Education
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University of Connecticut School of Law, J.D. with honors 1996
-recipient, National Association of Women Lawyers’ law student award, 1996 -
Connecticut College, B.A. Government/American History 1993
Professional Associations
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National Employment Lawyers Association
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Connecticut Employer Lawyers Association
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Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
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Connecticut Trial Lawyers Women’s Caucus, member and past chair
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Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, member general tort committee
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New Haven County Bar Association
Representative Results
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$1,500,000 settlement for two female executives in a sex discrimination and retaliation case
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$350,000 settlement for a female executive in a race and sex discrimination case
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$287,000 settlement for an Executive-level employee in an FMLA retaliation case
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$285,000 settlement for a retail store Assistant Manager in a race discrimination case
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$275,000 settlement for an Assistant Manager in the food service industry in a disability discrimination case
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$230,000 settlement for two executives in a whistleblowing case
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$160,000 settlement for a school bus driver in an FMLA termination case
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$100,000 settlement for a Manager in an age discrimination case
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$95,000 settlement for a financial adviser in an age discrimination case
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$85,000 settlement for an office worker in a sexual harassment case
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Negotiated many other 5 and 6 figure settlements for employees in workplace discrimination cases.