John P. Shea, Jr.

John P. Shea is a principal in the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. For more than 20 years he has focused his practice on representing and advising employers in labor and employment matters.

John, an experienced advisor, advocate and ally, provides his clients with a professional human resources partner who understands their business and the pace at which it is transacted. When necessary, he provides proactive and seasoned advocacy representing employers, officers, and managers in employment litigation, including the defense of: discrimination, retaliation and harassment claims under Title VII, CFEPA, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, the ADA, and the ADEA; whistleblower and wrongful termination claims; wage and hour claims; constitutional violations against public employers and their employees brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C § 1983; and employment-related common law tort (negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress) and contract (express and implied) claims. His trial experience includes matters submitted to arbitration, numerous courtside trials to judgment and jury trials to verdict in state and federal courts.

On the labor front, John assists employers with understanding and exercising their rights. He assists in effectively managing workforces during organizing campaigns and, when necessary, after unionization has occurred by negotiating, arbitrating, and administering collective bargaining agreements and protecting management rights through representation in unfair labor practice proceedings. While John has a diverse labor and employment practice, he frequently advises municipal Police Departments and Police Commissions on officer investigations, on and off duty misconduct and fitness for duty, and has defended numerous grievances brought by officers asserting alleged contractual violations arising from, among other actions, discipline and discharge.

Honors and Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Employment Law – Management”, “Labor Law – Management” and “Litigation – Labor and Employment” (2025)
• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management" and "Ones to Watch: Litigation – Labor and Employment” (2024)

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

• Avon Chamber of Commerce, Past President, former Board of Director member
• Boy Scouts of America, former Cub Scout and Webelo Den Leader