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…

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…

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,…

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…

Sarah DeFranco draws from over fifteen years' 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

Paige Newman is an associate in the Labor and Employment Practice Group. Paige focuses her practice on matters relating to state and federal discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour claims.

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…

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…

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…