About Polauf Law

Employment Law

I came into employment law after drafting a position statement applying the Supreme Court discrimination test. I found it fascinating how a legal framework could be applied to employment disputes to cut out the noise and identify whether discriminatory motives played a role.

I initially defended employers in union charges before the NLRB and in state and federal suits through aggressive motion practice. I was motivated to represent employers who, in my view, were often subjected to exaggerated or frivolous claims—and I succeeded routinely. That experience pushed me toward practicing on my own: to apply my own judgment, litigate and win my own cases, advise my own clients, and focus on the lessons I thought most valuable.

Prior Law Firm Experience

Before opening my firm, I practiced employment law at FordHarrison LLP in Hartford, Zangari Cohn Cuthbertson Duhl & Grello P.C. in New Haven, and Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan LLP in Stamford.

At FordHarrison (Labor & Employment Associate, May 2023 – November 2023), I defended employers facing union charges in NLRB proceedings and in state and federal court suits alleging discrimination in employment and public accommodations. I successfully defended employers in litigation in both state and federal courts, winning motions for summary judgment and dismissal. I rewrote employer handbooks to ensure compliance with labor and other regulations. I also obtained dismissals of more than a dozen administrative tax appeals on jurisdictional grounds.

At Zangari Cohn (Employment Litigation Associate, January 2024 – August 2024), I worked with a small group of attorneys practicing employment litigation and counseling. I drafted a successful Second Circuit brief opposing leave to appeal and numerous dispositive motions in Connecticut’s state superior courts and the federal district court. I also helped secure settlements and release agreements on discrimination, wage and hour, and other contract disputes, and drafted handbooks for regional and national employers. It was during that work that I discovered a quirk in the Connecticut paid sick leave law that later became the subject of my March 2025 Hartford Business Journal article, “Front-Loading: the Silver Lining Behind Connecticut’s New Paid Sick Leave Law.”

At Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan (Employment Litigation Associate, September 2024 – November 2024), I worked with another attorney in the firm’s employment practice in Stamford. That experience informed my views on the role of the insurance industry in employment litigation. I resigned after a short period and decided to take a chance on myself.

Starting Polauf Law

I struck out on my own in January 2025 and formally established Polauf Law LLC in May 2025, after several months practicing independently and obtaining early successes. Those included implementing a frontloading policy with custom advance wage-deduction forms for which I obtained Connecticut Department of Labor approval soon after the state paid sick leave law took effect, and obtaining settlements from a national and a regional company.

Since then, I have taken on nearly two dozen advice-and-counsel and plaintiff-representation engagements for employers and employees across Connecticut. My practice focuses on advice and counsel and litigation, which frequently go hand-in-hand in employment disputes.

Who I Represent

I established my own firm because I wanted to litigate and win my own cases and advise my own clients. I serve people who need legal representation and who have genuinely suffered harm to their ability to earn a living: because they took leave for a sick family member; suffered an illness and needed accommodation (or were too afraid to ask); signed a severance agreement without understanding what they were releasing; or endured a discriminatory or harassing workplace with nowhere to turn.

I did not see that as incompatible with helping individual business owners who seek advice to limit liability, clean up workplace policies, and avoid preventable errors likely to invite lawsuits—while protecting their vision for their business and their employees.

I offer my services to two distinct groups: individuals who have suffered job losses or perceived career setbacks under unjust or discriminatory circumstances, and business owners who create jobs and care about their employees but struggle with the cost and confusion of employment law compliance. I screen each matter for conflicts and do not represent opposing sides in the same dispute.

Beyond Employment

I also occasionally take on commercial litigation and administrative law cases. I have experience litigating and winning tax appeals in Superior Court, and immigration law experience from my time as a congressional district staffer working with an immigrant population.