Summertime is generally a slow one for law firm hirings and promotions. But several Connecticut firms have released announcements regarding professional staff in recent weeks. Those include McCarter & English, which has bolstered its labor and employment practice with two attorneys, one in Hartford and the other in Stamford.

Hugh F. Murray III, a labor and employment attorney, has joined McCarter & English as a partner in the firm's Hartford office. He works with clients in the manufacturing, transportation, education, utilities, energy, health care, retail and hospitality industries in connection with union-related issues. He also handles claims of wrongful discharge, discrimination, unpaid wages, breach of contract, breach of noncompete or nonsolicitation agreements and other disputes throughout New England. Murray was previously a partner at Murtha Cullina in Hartford.

Michel Bayonne has joined McCarter & English as a partner in the firm's Stamford office. A labor and employment lawyer, Bayonne defends public entities in arbitration hearings before the state Board of Mediation and Arbitration and the American Arbitration Association, and defends prohibited-practice charges on a wide range of matters before the state Board of Labor Relations. He also conducts internal investigations of claims involving gender and race discrimination and sexual harassment. Before joining McCarter & English, Bayonne practiced at Durant Nichols Houston in Bridgeport.