LaDonna J. Hatton

Overview

LaDonna Hatton is an employment lawyer representing employers in virtually all areas of employment law, with a particular focus on discrimination and retaliation. LaDonna advises human resources and other operational managers in connection with internal investigations, discipline, harassment, accommodations under the ADA and the Family and Medical Leave Act. LaDonna brings sophisticated experience to her clients she gleaned from her extensive experience as in-house counsel for numerous public sector agencies.  In addition to providing day-to-day advice to those agencies, LaDonna has wide-ranging experience representing state agencies in administrative proceedings before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, working with outside counsel in employment litigation in state and federal courts, negotiating settlements agreements in employment matters.  She participated in collective bargaining negotiations with five unions while at the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office and represented the agency in matters before the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations.

With 29 years in public service experience, LaDonna began her career in the Appeals Divisions of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Attorney General handling constitutional issues. She argued cases at the Massachusetts Appeals Court and Supreme Judicial Court.  LaDonna was appointed Legal Advisor to the Boston Police Department in 1994. While at the BPD, LaDonna was selected as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Leaders by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in 1996.  She also served as General Counsel to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Massachusetts State Police, and Middlesex Sheriff’s Office. In addition, LaDonna served as Coordinator of Program and Policy Development at the Supreme Judicial Court, and as Undersecretary of Forensic Sciences for the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.