Amanda M. DeMatteis
Top rated Employment Litigation attorney in New Haven, Connecticut
Garrison, Levin Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C.
Practice areas: Employment Litigation, Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation
Licensed in Connecticut since: 2013
Education: Quinnipiac University School of Law
Garrison, Levin Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C.
405 Orange StreetNew Haven, CT 06511 Phone: 203-777-4425 Email: Amanda M. DeMatteis Visit website
Amanda DeMatteis is a Connecticut employment lawyer who is passionate about helping employees through tough situations at work. She is widely respected in Connecticut’s employee-rights bar for her strategic advocacy, polished communication, and unwavering commitment to leveling the playing field for working people. Her reputation extends nationally through her leadership in the plaintiff-side employment law community.
Amanda has been ranked by Super Lawyers® since 2022. She was previously ranked as a Rising Star, a distinction given to only 2.5% of Connecticut attorneys under the age of 40, consecutively from 2015 to 2021. Amanda has been recognized annually by The Best Lawyers in America® since 2021.
Amanda has extensive experience representing Connecticut employees at every stage of a case. She has helped individuals through discrimination (on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, pregnancy, or national origin), sexual harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and contract disputes. Amanda has counseled employees and executives during negotiations with their employers, all the way through multiple successful jury trials, and virtually every step in between. No case is too big or too small – she has worked with employees making minimum wage and executives with compensation packages in the seven figures.
In addition to her employment practice, Amanda represents clients injured at work or due to another’s negligence in Connecticut courts and before the Workers’ Compensation Commission. She handles a wide range of injury claims, supported by longtime paralegal Linda DeMatteis – who just so happens to be Amanda’s mom.
Amanda serves as a Board Member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), the country’s leading organization for plaintiff-side employment attorneys. She previously served as President of the Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) from 2019 to 2024, an organization for attorneys who represent employees in all aspects of employment law in Connecticut. Amanda is an active member of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA) and the American Bar Association (ABA), and she serves as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF).
Amanda has been a proud member of the Connecticut community for her entire life. A native of Hamden, Amanda earned her law degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law, where she was the Founder and President of the Labor and Employment Law Society. Amanda received her B.S. from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, where she majored in Political Science and English. She also proudly served as a congressional intern for Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) during her college years.
Amanda lives in North Haven with her husband, Michael, and their two daughters, Elle and Gia. She is proud to be a working mom of two young girls, a wife, a business owner, and a trusted advocate for employees. In her spare time, she enjoys fitness, spending time with family and friends, and traveling—including frequent trips to Disney World.
First Admitted: 2013, Connecticut
Professional Webpage: https://garrisonlaw.com/about-the-firm/amanda-m-dematteis/
Bar / Professional Activity
American Bar Foundation, Fellow
American Bar Association, Member
Connecticut Bar Association, Member
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, Member
American Inns of Court, Invited Member
- National Employment Lawyers Association, Board Member
- Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association, Past President
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
Rivera v. Rosa
Madeline Rivera sustained severe emotional harm following a motor vehicle accident on I-84 in 2012. Although Ms. Rivera had only minor physical injuries, the jury awarded her over $230,000. The insurance company’s final offer to settle the case before trial was $5,000.
, 2015Shazel v. Hines Sudden Service (2014)
, 2014
Michelle Shazel was retaliated against and constructively discharged from her employment in a fast food restaurant after she complained that she was sexually harassed by her coworker.After trial, the jury awarded Ms. Shazel over $115,000, including $100,000 as compensation for her emotional distress.Represented a senior executive in an age discrimination case. The case resolved at mediation for a six-figure result.
Represented a veteran employee who was swiftly terminated when management changed. The employee was over 60 years old and was replaced by a less experienced, younger employee. The dispute resolved prior to litigation for $60,000.
Represented a certified nurse’s assistant who was disciplined and terminated shortly after informing her employer of her pregnancy. The dispute resolved prior to litigation for $45,000.
Educational Background
Quinnipiac University School of Law
Juris Doctorate
, 2012Sacred Heart University
BS, Political Science
, 2008
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Quinnipiac University School of Law, Gateway to Practice, Speaker, 2020
- Sex Discrimination, Sexual Orientation and Gender identity, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA, Speaker, 2019
- Quinnipiac University School of Law, Gateway to Practice, Speaker, 2019
- Quinnipiac University School of Law, Gateway to Practice, Speaker, 2018
CHRO: How to Bring and Defend an Employment Case, Connecticut Bar Association Young Lawyers Section
, Speaker, 2017Building a Moot Court Program & Case Assessment Services For Your Members, National Employment Lawyers Association 2017 Affiliate Leadership Workshop
, Speaker, 2017Lessons We’ve Learned from Cases We’ve Won AND Lost, Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Annual Meeting
, Speaker, 2015
Honors
- Best Lawyer, Best Lawyers in America
- American Bar Foundation Fellow
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2026
- Rising Stars: 2015 - 2021