Samantha Abeysekera advises and litigates on behalf of management in a diverse array of industries, including financial services, market research, real estate, aviation, and technology start-ups. Both her litigation and advice-and-counseling work focuses on employment discrimination, harassment,…

Marissa Alguire is deputy chair of Akerman’s national Labor & Employment Practice Group. She represents employers in all aspects of employment-related business matters and litigation in state and federal courts, and in arbitration. Her practice focuses on the defense of management in class…

Mojan Anari represents employers in all aspects of employment disputes and counseling. She focuses her practice on pre-litigation disputes, administrative claims, civil individual and class litigation, and preventative advice and counseling. She has experience handling single plaintiff FEHA matters,…

Emily Ayvazian works with local, regional, and Fortune 500 companies in navigating various workplace matters. Her experience includes litigation in federal, state, and appellate courts, as well as before the AAA, EEOC, NLRB, and state and local administrative agencies. As part of her practice, Emily…

Brian Bagley brings more than 15 years of experience representing companies and individuals in complex commercial litigation matters. He has successfully tried cases in state and federal court in addition to advocating for clients during arbitration. Brian focuses his practice on commercial…

Colby Berman focuses her practice on employment disputes, representing employers in state and federal courts, as well as in administrative proceedings, in a broad range of employments matters, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, wage and hour, and varied labor law…

Ray Berti focuses his practice on employment litigation and counseling, representing companies across a wide variety of industries in all types of employment-related matters. As a litigator, Ray regularly represents employers in disputes involving claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment,…

Danya Blair represents clients in a wide variety of civil litigation matters, including the defense of employment claims brought under state and federal statutes, trade secret and non-compete claims, workplace investigations, injunctive proceedings, appeals, commercial litigation, and defense of…

Christopher Bouquet is an associate in the Litigation Practice Group. Christopher focuses his practice on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on litigation arising from construction, real estate, breach of contract, and commercial business disputes. He has experience representing contractor…

Brittany Buccellato concentrates her practice on labor and employment litigation. She represents employers in matters involving discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful discharge, wage and hour violations, breach of contract, collective bargaining, and unfair labor practices. Brittany also…

Sean Cichowski focuses his practice on resolving energy, employment, intellectual property, construction, and commercial disputes in litigation and arbitration. Sean uses his first chair and solo trial counsel experience to give his clients a complete perspective of the risks, benefits, and costs of…

Melissa Cizmorris focuses her practice on employment litigation and counseling. Melissa has litigated in state and federal courts throughout Colorado, Kansas, New York, and New Jersey and represents employers in a variety of labor and employment matters involving Title VII discrimination and…

Nancy Copperthwaite litigates complex disputes, including class actions and appeals, and advises employers on employment law issues. She has handled more than 100 appeals and has argued in all five of Florida’s district courts of appeal (DCA) as well as in the United States Court of Appeals for the…

Megan Coughlin focuses her practice on representing employers in a wide range of employment law matters, including litigation and preventative advice, and counseling. She defends employers against claims arising under Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA, the FMLA, the FCRA, the FLSA, and whistleblower…

Rola Daaboul is a seasoned litigator and trial attorney who focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, business torts, and personal disputes in state and federal courts. She advises clients on a wide range of matters including intellectual property, employment, real estate, construction,…

Sarah DeFranco draws from more than 20 years of experience to provide on-call counseling to employers operating in Florida, Illinois, and New York regarding compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, such as the FMLA, ADA, Title VII, ADEA, and FLSA. Additionally, Sarah has vast…

Damien DeLaney is a seasoned employment litigator and advisor with more than 15 years of experience helping solve employment law problems for clients large and small in a wide array of industries including retail, hospitality, food and beverage, real estate, construction, engineering, manufacturing,…

Christopher Duke serves as managing partner of Akerman's Palm Beach County Offices. With a diverse practice in employment law and complex commercial litigation, Chris represents clients in federal and state courts, as well as in various arbitration forums and before federal, state, and local…

Ashlea Edwards focuses her practice on employment litigation and counseling. She represents employers in a variety of matters, including harassment, discrimination, whistleblowing, employee leave and reasonable accommodations, wrongful termination, retaliation, and wage and hour violations. Her…

Amy Errichiello focuses her practice on complex civil litigation, representing corporate and institutional clients in a range of business litigation matters, including mass tort claims, labor and employment, securities, finance, intellectual property, and construction litigation. She also has…

Benjamin Escobar is a first chair trial lawyer with a background in chemical engineering. He brings a combination of technical know-how and deep sector experience to the complicated landscape of energy litigation. Ben's work encompasses upstream, midstream, downstream processes, with an emphasis on…

Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Labor and Employment Law, Cary Farris focuses his practice on defending businesses in all aspects of labor and employment matters, including discrimination and harassment class actions, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and…

Kevin Finley focuses his practice on representing employers in workplace law matters, including preventive advice and counsel. Kevin advises employers across a broad range of industries on the full spectrum of employment matters, including compliance and counseling, litigation, Title IX…

With over 25 years of experience, Amy Moor Gaylord focuses her practice on traditional labor matters and employment litigation for both public and private sector employers with an emphasis on National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) proceedings, union organizing drives, NLRB-conducted elections,…

Selena Gibson is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer practicing complex and general commercial litigation. She has tried cases in state and federal courts as well as the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She seamlessly guides her clients through all stages of litigation and provides critical…

Eric Gordon is the chair of Akerman’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, a national team representing employers in legal compliance, dispute prevention, and employment litigation throughout the United States. An experienced litigator, he represents Fortune 500 companies operating in the…

Darryl Graham is a federal and state litigation practitioner, and regularly arbitrates domestic and cross-border disputes before the AAA and the ICC. His nationwide trial and arbitration experience includes prosecuting and defending claims involving securities and investment-related fraud, general…

Matthew Gurnick represents employers in single-plaintiff and collective-action employment matters, discrimination, wage and hour, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and PAGA cases before state and federal courts, administration agencies, and in arbitration and mediation. He advises employers…

Phillip Harris focuses his practice on employment litigation, defending clients in non-compete and trade secret litigation, discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, whistleblower, retaliation, and wrongful termination matters. He defends clients in a variety of venues, including state and federal…

A trial lawyer with more than 10 years of experience, Dustin Hillsley has acted as lead counsel in a wide variety of complex commercial litigation matters, with emphasis on private equity, commercial real estate, M&A, bet-the-company, shareholder, and other business litigation. He serves as…

Andrew Karter represents employers before federal and state courts as well as administrative agencies, including the EEOC, the NLRB, and state agencies across the country. Andrew’s employment litigation experience includes discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims, individual and…

Andrea Khoury focuses her practice on commercial litigation in both state and federal courts. She has experience defending public and private clients in the construction industry, including contractors, owners, and other construction professionals, in disputes involving government liability, general…

Reeya Khurana focuses her practice on unemployment disputes, wage and hour, harassment, wrongful termination, and discrimination claims. She has experience representing employers in individual and class/collective litigation matters before federal and state courts, administrative agencies, and…

With a diverse, national practice focusing on employment law, complex commercial litigation, and crisis management, Jeffrey Kimmel represents clients in federal and state courts, as well as in various arbitration forums and before federal, state, and local administrative bodies. His clients operate…

Arlene Kline is a veteran litigator defending labor and employment matters on behalf of banking, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, media, distribution, transportation, software, law firms, and non-profit sector clients. Clients value her comprehensive practice, including policy development,…

Kathy represents broker-dealers in arbitration, state and federal court litigation, and regulatory and self-regulatory organization investigations and enforcement actions. She counsels national and regional securities brokerage firms, clearing firms, and officers, employees, and independent…

Sarah Kroll-Rosenbaum is a trusted strategic advisor to her clients, with whom she collaborates closely to design and execute litigation strategies through the lens of their business priorities. Sarah is the Team Leader of Akerman's Staffing Law sector team which offers staffing companies…

Ryan Krone defends businesses in all aspects of labor and employment matters, including wrongful terminations, breach of contract matters, discrimination and harassment claims, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) cases, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) cases, wage and hour cases, as well…

Elpitha Lambros focuses her practice on a wide range of complex matters, including high-stakes commercial disputes and white collar investigations. Elpitha represents clients in both federal and state courts through all phases of litigation and across  various industries including aerospace,…

A recognized authority on workforce matters with more than 25 years of experience, Debra Leder provides employers with human resources consultation, corporate due diligence assistance, review and drafting of employment-related agreements and contracts, employee handbooks and policies. Serving a…

Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Labor and Employment Law, John Linker focuses his practice on defending businesses of all sizes in matters involving wrongful terminations, union organizing, breach of contract matters, unfair labor practice charges, discrimination…

Sarah Lis has extensive employment litigation experience and routinely defends employers across the country in connection with collective and class actions arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and related state wage and hour laws. She also regularly advises companies on compliance with…

Julia Lissner loves partnering with clients to navigate and tackle complex business problems through litigation. Julia represents public and private companies and individuals in a wide range of business disputes in state and federal courts nationwide. She has extensive experience in preparing cases…

Serving as Office Managing Partner of Akerman's Houston office, Scott Marrs is a formidable trial lawyer litigating high profile matters in state and federal courts as well as arbitrations in the United States, South America, the Middle East, and Europe. Scott focuses on legal issues in virtually…

Erica Mason is a seasoned litigator and advisor whose highly diverse, multi-lingual team offers a strategic advantage to clients with increasingly multicultural and globalized workforces. As national and regional employment counsel for her clients, she routinely defends employment claims before…

A business litigator, Jeff has litigated hundreds of disputes, including complex collective and class actions throughout the country. Jeff represents clients in real estate, software, complex scientific and technical contract matters, as well as in select employment litigation. He serves as lead…

For nearly four decades, Rory McEvoy has practiced exclusively in the field of labor and employment law, including litigation in federal and state courts and before federal, state and local anti-discrimination agencies. Rory represents many of New York’s large hospitals and healthcare systems,…

Scott Meyers serves as Akerman’s Chairman and CEO, leading the strategic direction and growth of the firm. Working within the firm’s collaborative, inclusive, and high-trust culture, Scott drives initiatives that empower Akerman’s lawyers and professionals to deliver effective, creative, and sound…

Cathy Miller focuses her practice on business and employment litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courts and arbitrations. Her experience includes representing clients in employment, Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)…

With a diverse labor and employment practice, Lilly Moon represents employers in federal and state courts, administrative forums, and arbitration, in actions of harassment and discrimination, retaliation and wrongful discharge, whistleblowers, wage and hour, breach of contract, tortious…

Brian Noh focuses his practice on labor and employment counseling and litigation. He represents clients through all stages of litigation and has experience handling discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and wage and hour actions in state and federal court, as well as…

Brian Nugent represents employers throughout the United States in labor and employment matters, as well as corporate formation, contracts, unemployment taxation, and Mergers & Acquisitions. His focus includes advising human capital and human resources outsourcing companies such as professional…

Emily Patajo focuses her practice on employment litigation matters in state and federal courts and in binding arbitration. Emily represents employers in various industries, including grocery, retail, technology, and healthcare, among others. She is routinely involved in the risk assessment and…

John Roache focuses his practice on employment law and class action litigation. He represents employers in numerous wage and hour issues arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Illinois wage statutes, including collective and class actions involving claims for off-the-clock work,…

Paul Rutigliano has been instrumental in developing the Firm’s transactional risk practice, primarily focusing on representing underwriters in connection with transactional risk insurance policies, including representations and warranties insurance, tax insurance, and contingent risk…

Rukayat Salaam focuses her practice on labor and employment-related disputes and litigation avoidance. She represents businesses in employment law matters, including discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation and harassment disputes, wage and hour class actions, PAGA actions, and claims…

Anthony Sbardellati focuses his practice on defending class action, FLSA collective, and PAGA lawsuits, while also regularly advising clients on compliance with wage, hour, and related laws and regulations. Anthony’s practice is particularly focused on the staffing industry, which has given…

Adept at navigating complex labor and employment matters, Scott Silverman is noted by Chambers USA for being "expeditious" and "excellent at providing all points of view." His range of experience includes representation of employers in administrative proceedings, federal and state court litigation,…

Nancy Sotomayor represents employers in complex employment litigation matters, involving class actions and single-plaintiff suits. Her practice is focused on employment issues, including wage and hour, harassment, wrongful termination, and discrimination. Nancy also has trial experience in state and…

Matt Steinberg is co-office managing partner of the firm’s New York office, a member of the firm's board of directors, and previously served as the deputy chair of Akerman’s national Labor & Employment Practice Group. Matt focuses his practice on employment law, both by advising clients on day…

Mishell Parreno Taylor focuses her practice on employment litigation in federal and state courts and administrative agencies across the country. Mishell partners with stakeholders in organizations of all sizes, ranging from local to global corporations on a broad spectrum of employment law issues,…

Jonathan Turner is an associate in Akerman's Litigation Practice Group, where he represents and advises clients regarding a wide array of complex commercial litigation matters. Jonathan has also defended and counseled employers regarding state and federal employment law issues, including those…

Genaira L. Tyce represents employers in a wide array of traditional labor law and employment law matters, with a substantial portion of her practice devoted to advising and counseling employers that are actively confronting union organizing campaigns and those that have unionized…

M. Adil Yaqoob has experience representing clients in various labor and employment matters. With the United States Department of Labor, he represented the agency in enforcement actions in federal district court and administrative fora pertaining to the Fair Labor Standards Act, Occupational Safety…

Melissa Zinkil is a trusted adviser and litigator. She focuses her practice on counseling employers regarding compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and advocating for employers before federal, state, and local agencies and in litigating labor and employment and complex…