Editorial: Management Labour & Employment in Florida

01 November 2007

The labour and employment boutique Ford & Harrison LLP performed extremely well in the research for this chapter. It boasts the biggest contingent to be found on the following pages, with representation in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Melbourne. Thomas Garwood leads the firm’s “fantastic” five in terms of nominations. Garwood is an individual whom competitors “have the utmost respect for” and as well as counselling clients Garwood is a “very good litigator”, representing clients in both labour law proceedings and employment law litigation. John-Edward Alley is a “prominent” and “very good attorney”, according to our sources. Alley is a board certified labour and employment lawyer and devotes his practice to representing employers in all aspects of state and federal labour relations and employment law matters. The “great” James Brown represents employers before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the State of Florida Public Employees Relations Commission and the Department of Labor as well as in federal and state courts. A “fantastic trial lawyer” Brown has handled a wide range of discrimination cases and is also a mediator in the employment area. Board certified Peter Reed Corbin represents management in labour and employment matters at trial and before various administrative agencies. He is also experienced in traditional labour matters, such as NLRB proceedings, union elections, collective bargaining, arbitration proceedings, injunctions and wage-hour matters. Andrew Hament has in-house experience having served as labour counsel to Harris Corporation early in his career. He advises management in their employment relationship issues and is “my first port of call for sound and thoughtful counsel”, according to one source. Hament is also a “supreme litigator” and has presented a case to the US Supreme Court, where he established a precedent regarding an employer’s right to remove wage and hour lawsuits filed under the Fair Labor Standards Act from state court to federal court.

Greenberg Traurig LLP can boast the inclusion of three individuals in this edition and is also home to the most highly nominated practitioner, Peter Zinober, who is “one of the elder statesmen of the Florida employment bar” and the founding president of the Academy of Florida Management Attorneys. His practice “commands the highest regard and respect” and focuses on the defence of employment discrimination and other employment litigation cases in state and federal court. He also deals with traditional labour law matters and was described by many of his competitors as “very, very good”. The equally “well regarded” Richard McCrea joins Zinober on the following pages and is known for his “exceptional trial skills”. McCrea specialises employment, civil rights and restrictive covenant litigation. Joseph Fleming brings the firm’s listing to a close and was described to researchers as “superb”. Fleming is a leading figure in the field of complex international litigation involving the Railway Labor Act, chairing the annual American Law Institute-American Bar Association’s Airline and Railroad Labor and Employment Law course for 2007.

Robert Turk co-chairs the labour and employment law department at Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson PA. He is a board-certified labour and employment lawyer and has a “fantastically strong” broad practice. Robert Kofman also chairs the labour and employment department and is board-certified. Kofman provides a “one-stop shop” for employers in employment counselling, litigation and NLRB representation case issues. He has also given over 100 seminars on employment-related issues.

Coffman Coleman Andrews & Grogan is another Florida based labour, employment, and immigration law firm that specialises in representing management. Patrick Coleman is “a hit with clients”, according to one source and is another board certified practitioner, as is his colleague, Eric Holshouser. Holshouser gained praise from high profile sources for his “impressive attitude” and “considerable skill”.

Holland & Knight LLP is home to “solid professionals with good clients” and the firm fields two featured partners. William de Meza is a “great employment lawyer” who has served as employers’ counsel in all manner of discrimination cases. He has a broad practice but is well versed in minimum wage and overtime counselling and litigation, including nationwide ‘collective action’ claims in various industries. Guy Farmer also received sufficient nominations to make the cut and was praised by sources for a “consistently brilliant practice”, with a number of his peers highlighting his work counselling and representing employers in union issues.

Constangy Brooks & Smith LLC is a labour and employment firm with three offices in the state of Florida. The firm put in a strong performance in our research with two practitioners on the following pages. John Dickinson heads up the Jacksonville office and is board certified by the Florida bar. Dickinson specialises in employment litigation, wage and hour compliance and traditional labour law. Michael Malfitano was described to researchers as “very knowledgeable” and heads the Tampa office. Malfitano represents employers in all manner of employment issues, which include collective bargaining and union avoidance. He counsels employers with respect to employee benefits issues, affirmative action and in structuring payroll and compensation programs to avoid wage-hour, equal pay and discrimination issues.

Fisher & Phillips LLP, like Constangy Brooks & Smith is a national labour and employment firm. This “fantastic” outfit also provides two lawyers for our list. Jeffrey Mandel is a “very fine lawyer”, according to one source we spoke to. He is the managing partner of the Orlando office and is board certified by the Florida bar. Well-known among his peers for being “great for public sector work” Mandel represents both private and public-sector employers in all aspects of employment and traditional labour law. Theresa Gallion joins Mandel on the following pages and came “highly recommended”. Gallion is founding partner of the Orlando and Tampa offices and managing partner of the latter. Her practice focuses on employment litigation with a particular focus on complex and collective actions. Her clients have included names in the hospitality, health care, telecommunications and retail industries.

Terence Connor from Hunton & Williams is “one of the deans of labour law in state” and this was reflected in his very strong performance in the research. Connor co-heads the labour and employment practice in the Miami office and is known among his competitors to be a “stand-out practitioner” in the field. He is an excellent trial lawyer and is especially experienced in trying employment and discrimination cases in federal and state courts. Connor also boasts a great deal of expertise in the airline and transportation, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Proskauer Rose LLP is home to Allan Weitzman, a lawyer described to us by one source as “so bright it’s scary”. Weitzman is president of the Academy of Florida Management Attorneys and a “prolific writer and speaker”. His practice is comprehensive and he is experienced in litigation in state or federal court as well as before administrative agencies such as the NLRB. He is well known for his expertise regarding non-compete agreements and successfully tried one such case in the Supreme Court of Florida.

The “terrific” Russell Hamilton is based in the Miami office of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP. Hamilton represents employers, employer associations and employee benefit plans and fiduciaries and has a “fantastic reputation that comes with experience and natural legal acumen”. Michael Casey is the managing partner of Epstein Becker & Green PC’s Miami office and a member of the labour and employment group’s national steering committee. Casey has a broad practice that has his competitors respect and admiration, with one source telling researchers “he is simply top-flight” for union matters.

Baker & Hostetler LLP can boast the inclusion of Kevin Shaughnessy, a practitioner who is “very well known, highly respected, competent and communicates well” according to one high profile source. Shaughnessy focuses his practice on class action and multi-plaintiff cases, is board-certified and a frequent lecturer in the area. His clients over the years have included Orange County in the state of Florida and Ocean Spray Cranberries.

John Robinson from Fowler White Boggs Banker is a former trial attorney at the NLRB and board certified in labour and employment law, business litigation and civil trial. Robinson is “wholly capable” at handling litigation in myriad areas and industries. Thomas Gonzalez of the labour and employment firm Thompson Sizemore & Gonzalez PA is a true “problem solver”. Gonzalez was consistently nominated for his work on behalf of management in a broad range of labour and employment matters.

Daniel Kunkel from Kunkel Miller & Hament was praised for being “very active” in the area. Kunkel’s firm can boast big-name clients such as National Car Rental System, Florida Coca-Cola and the Florida Association of Professional Employer Organizations.

Kevin Hyde from Foley & Lardner LLP is a past chair of the Florida bar labour and employment section. As well as being a member of the firm’s labour and employment practice Hyde is also a member of their automotive industry team and counts a number of tier one manufacturing companies among his clients. Hyde does a great deal of discrimination and non-compliance work as well as Florida whistle-blowing act and wage-hour collective actions.

James Bramnick is an “excellent” individual and chairs the labor and employment practice group at Akerman Senterfitt from the Miami office. He exclusively represents management and counts PDSHeart, Carnival Corporation and JM Family Enterprises and its subsidiaries (including Southeast Toyota Distributors) among his clients. Bramnick is especially well known for his “stellar” traditional labour and employment practice.

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