CORE COMPETENCIES:
Mr. Escalera applies a practical, common-sense, and cost-conscious approach to resolving employment disputes. His clients value his good judgment, leadership, and dedication to their best interests.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
For more than 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 served as lead counsel for the Army Litigation Division defending the Department of the Army in employment discrimination suits brought by civilian employees in many states. Since 1990, Mr. Escalera has been exclusively defending private and public sector employers in labor and employment matters. Mr. Escalera has defended numerous employment discrimination and wrongful termination suits in various state courts, federal district courts, and United States Courts of Appeal. Mr. Escalera has extensive experience in class-action litigation. Mr. Escalera is frequently retained to conduct independent internal investigations. He is a frequent lecturer on the Americans with Disabilities Act, sexual harassment, drug testing, wage and hour law, non-compete agreements, effective hiring and management of employees, and avoiding wrongful termination suits.
EDUCATION:
Mr. Escalera received his B.S. degree in history and diplomacy from Georgetown University, his J.D. degree from Washington College of Law, American University, and his Master of Law degree from The Judge Advocate General’s School.
BAR ADMISSIONS:
Mr. Escalera is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association (1981) and the Connecticut Bar Association (1991).
PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC ACTIVITIES:
Mr. Escalera is a member of the American Bar Association and the American Employment Law Council (AELC). Mr. Escalera has been a member of the AELC from 1994 to the present and served as a member of the Advisory Board for the AELC from 2019-2024 and served as Chair of the AELC Roundtable Committee from 2020-2024. Mr. Escalera was an Adjunct Professor at Rensselaer Graduate School for four years, where he taught a course on employment law to MBA candidates. Mr. Escalera was also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law for two years and served as a moot court judge for the law school. Mr. Escalera has served as a member of the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee (CBEC) since 2021 and has served as Secretary of CBEC from 2024 to the present. Mr. Escalera has served as the Firm Manager and President of Kainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C. from 2007 to the present.
Mr. Escalera has served on the Board of Directors of Leadership Greater Hartford for four years, the Hartford Food System for four years, and served as President of the Hartford Food System for three years. Mr. Escalera was a recipient of the Leadership Greater Hartford Community Leadership Recognition Award. In 1999, the Connecticut Bar Foundation selected Mr. Escalera to be named as a James W. Cooper Fellow in recognition of his legal work and service to the community. Mr. Escalera served on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan YMCA of Greater Hartford from 2002-2004. Mr. Escalera served as a member of the Board of Directors of Family Life Education from 2014 to 2022 and served in various capacities, including Treasurer, Vice President, and President. From 2010 to the present, Mr. Escalera has served as Staff Judge Advocate for the Hilliard-Jones-Cookson Post No. 66 American Legion in Clinton, CT. Mr. Escalera has continuously served as the Memorial Day Parade Commander in Clinton for more than 20 years. Mr. Escalera participated as a youth soccer coach from 1991 to 2008. Mr. Escalera has been an active member of the First Church of Christ Congregational in Glastonbury, Connecticut since 1990 and has served in various capacities, including as President of the Board of Trustees from 2024-2025.
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION:
In every year since 2005, Mr. Escalera has been selected to be listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment Law. Mr. Escalera has also been selected as a Connecticut and New England Super Lawyer®: Employment and Labor and Management Defense – Litigation in every year since 2007. Mr. Escalera was designated by Best Lawyers as the Lawyer of the Year for 2022 in Labor and Employment Litigation in Hartford, Connecticut. In addition, he has received the highest peer review rating of “AV-Preeminent” from Martindale-Hubbell.
