About Me
I graduated college as an educator and art aficionado. I taught high school English and humanities at the local community college. When I taught Macbeth and King Lear to high school seniors, I could not help but focus on the injustices throughout those plays. I pondered how one bad decision led to another, and another, and another. I often thought that if someone had exercised some sense and put a stop to the madness caused by the avalanche of poor decisions, maybe things would have been different, with no offense meant to the immortal bard. I wanted to be the person that helped to stop the madness, so off to the University of Florida College of Law I went. I met my husband while at UF, thank you Gator Nation! We have four children, including a son who recently graduated from UF Law as well. We love Gator sports, documentaries, foreign films, and Mid-Century modern design.
Combining problem solving and daily interaction with people, labor and employment law was a natural fit for me. In my eighteen plus years of practicing law, I have handled agricultural law issues, wage and hour claims, class action defense, discrimination and harassment cases, EEOC Charges, investigations, training of management and staff about respect in the workplace, employee separations, and coaching of employers through difficult days. Employee problems happen in real time in business; responding in real time is something I believe is essential to my relationship with you.
Experience
I have conducted Form I-9 audits, advised about the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII, the Florida Civil Rights, §1981 and §1983, the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act, and the interaction of all of these laws upon workers' compensation matters, including return to work issues. I am one of a small group of lawyers with experience in Agriculture cases, including H2A Guest Workers and the Agricultural Workers Protection Act, "AWPA" and has defended growers and harvesters in class action claims. I spent five years as in-house Corporate Counsel for a super regional insurance carrier and participated in hundreds of mediation. I advised the company about litigation risks, managed outside counsel, and directed staff.
I assist with the preparation of handbooks and then training both staff and management to reduce potential exposure when claims of harassment, discrimination and retaliation arise. I have investigated numerous claims of harassment, discrimination and retaliation from the initial complaint through the EEOC/FCHR process, and then through litigation in the state and federal courts.