Photo of Daniel Schwartz

Dan represents employers in various employment law matters such as employment discrimination, restrictive covenants, human resources, retaliation and whistle blowing, and wage and hour issues. He has extensive trial and litigation experience in both federal and state courts in a variety of areas, including commercial litigation and trade secret enforcement. Dan is the author of the independent Connecticut Employment Law Blog. The blog discusses new and noteworthy events in labor and employment law on a daily basis.

Late Friday, the General Assembly gave final approval SB 5, now rebranded as the Connecticut Artificial Intelligence Responsibility and Transparency Act. It is a wide-ranging “online safety” and artificial intelligence (AI) bill with several provisions that directly affect hiring and employers.  Governor Lamont has confirmed he plans to sign it. The bill includes staggered

When a workplace issue arises, one of the first questions is who should handle the investigation – and whether it’s time to bring in outside counsel. In this episode of From Lawyer to Employer, Shipman partners Dan Schwartz and Sarah Westby walk through the key considerations, from independence and scope to privilege and deliverables

With the General Assembly set to adjourn on May 6, 2026, several high‑impact workplace proposals remain in play that could reshape compliance programs and day‑to‑day operations for Connecticut employers. 

Many of these measures recycle past efforts, expand private litigation risk, and layer on new reporting and pay mandates. These challenges hit small and mid‑sized employers

If you manage employees across multiple states — or even just here in Connecticut — you already know that noncompete law is anything but simple. With all fifty states and Washington, D.C. regulating noncompetes in some form, compliance has become a logistical challenge, particularly for multi-state employers. Some states ban them outright. Others limit them

What happens when a Chief Human Resources Officer steps beyond traditional HR and takes on operations, facilities, communications, and more?

In this episode of From Lawyer to Employer, host Daniel Schwartz sits down with veteran HR leader Jeanine Reckdenwald to explore what it really takes to move from functional expertise to enterprise leadership.

Jeanine

Generative AI is quickly becoming part of the legal toolkit but the ethical obligations of lawyers haven’t changed. In this episode of From Lawyer to Employer, host Dan Schwartz sits down with Shipman attorney Claire Pariano to explore how generative AI is reshaping legal practice and what in-house counsel need to know to stay

Arbitration clauses are everywhere in today’s workplace — but are they right for your organization?

In this episode of From Lawyer to Employer, host Dan Schwartz is joined by Shipman attorney Emily McDonough Souza to break down arbitration agreements in plain English. They explore the real pros and cons: speed, privacy, predictability, cost concerns

In a significant decision for Connecticut employers, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in Del Rio v. Amazon.com Services, Inc. (SC 21109) that employees must be compensated for time spent undergoing mandatory security screenings on their employer’s premises. The unanimous decision establishes that Connecticut wage laws are more protective than federal law on this issue. 

Background

Massachusetts continues to be one of the most active and technical states for employment law compliance. In this episode of From Lawyer to Employer, host Dan Schwartz is joined by Shipman partner Jared Lucan to break down the most important developments impacting employers with Massachusetts-based employees (or operations spanning both Massachusetts and Connecticut).

They cover

In this seasonal episode, host Dan Schwartz and Shipman partner Peter Murphy unpack the workplace risks that often accompany end-of-year celebrations — from alcohol service to harassment concerns to wage-and-hour pitfalls. They offer practical, proactive tips for planning inclusive, safe, and genuinely fun events while keeping legal risk in check. Whether you’re gearing up for