Year Joined Organization

• 1990

Areas of Practice

• Severance agreements
• Sexual Harassment
• Employment and Labor Law - Employee
• Employment Discrimination
• Whistleblower Litigation
• Noncompete Agreements
• Employment contracts

Certification/Specialties

• Mediator Circuit Civil
• "Employment & Commercial Arbitration Panels,, American Arbitration Association

Bar Admissions

• Florida, 1986
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 1988
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1989
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1999
• U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit, 2002

Education

• University of Miami School of Law, Coral Gables, Florida, 1986
  J.D.
  Honors: Cum Laude
  Law Review: University of Miami Law Review
  
  
• Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, 1981
  B.A.
  Honors: Magna Cum Laude
  Major: Political Science
  Major: Philosophy
  
  

Published Works

• The Florida Election Law Handbook
• New Guidelines on Hiring Under Disability Act, Miami Daily Business Review, August 29, 1994
• Election Law, Miami Herald Almanac of Florida Politics
• Don't Fear Lawsuits, But Prepare for the Worst, Broward Review, Miami Review Business Tips Section, December 6, 1993
• Political Campaign Contributions, Foreign Nationals in Florida Elections, Fla. B.J., March, 1991
• Ungagging the Judges, Miami Review, Nov. 22, 1991
• Adrift in a Sea of Frivolous Suits, Miami Review (Regarding Employment Discrimination Suits), July 5, 1991
• Are You Ready To Go Solo?, Barrister Magazine (Young Lawyers Publication of the American Bar Association), Winter 1991-1992
• Flying Solo (Reprint), Full Disclosure: Do You Really Want to Be a Lawyer, Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association
• Casenote, AFSCME v. Washington (Co-Author), 1986 U. Miami L. Rev.

Classes/Seminars Taught

• February 24, 2010 CLE "Non-Compete Agreements"
• February 20, 2010 WordSmitten Writers "Pitch the Publisher" Workshop, Why You Can't Ignore the Law, No Matter Your Genre
• Taught Feb. 21, 2007 Business & Legal Reports HR continuing education audio conference on new Florida employment laws and cases
• Served as panelist on the Daily Business Review's Labor and Employment Law Roundtable September 14, 2006 regarding severance and non-compete agreements.
• Taught Continuing Legal Education Seminar/panel, "Employment Law Update," February 4, 2004, Sterling Education Services.
• Taught Continuing Legal Education Seminar/panel, "Family and Medical Leave," December 10, 2003, Lorman Education Services.
• Taught Continuing Accounting Education (CPE) Seminar/panel, "Employment Law Overview" October 25, 2002, November 7, 2003, 2005, 2006, Florida Gold Coast Alumni Chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi.
• Taught Continuing Legal Education Seminar/panel, "Sexual Harassment and Workplace Violence", January 15, 2002, Lorman Education Services
• Taught Seminar/panel, "Family and Medical Leave Act in Florida", December 14, 1999, Lorman Education Services.
• Taught Continuing legal education seminar, "Vogue Topics in Employment Law" covering issues of litigation prevention and sexual harassment on June 27, 1997 at the Florida Bar Annual Conference on behalf of FAWL.
• Speeches, "How to Defend Against or Bring Employee Discrimination Claims" to Downtown and North Miami Kiwanis, Downtown Business and Professional Women, Hialeah/Miami Springs Business and Professional Women in 1992-96.
• Featured in Lifetime Television Network's 1996 special, "Full Disclosure: Sexual Harassment" relating to legal issues in sexual harassment, specifically discussing defamation relating to false claims of sexual harassment.
• Taught Seminar, "Election Law", New Miami Group as part of a panel, 1994, 1996, 1998. Topics: contributions, expenditures, reporting, qualifying, and other issues relating to Florida election law as it applies to candidates and campaigns.
• Taught Seminar "Election Law", Florida Democratic Convention, 1991, 1993. Topics: contributions, expenditures, reporting, qualifying, and other issues relating to Florida election law as it applies to candidates, parties and campaigns.
• Taught CLE Seminar, "Executive Session, Sunshine Law/Public Records Law", Association of County and City Attorneys, 6/18/98.
• Taught Seminar, "The One-Two-Threes of Starting Your Own Business", The International Women's Convention, sponsored by the National Association of Women Business Owners, 1994 and 1996.

Honors and Awards

• The Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiffs' Lawyers in America, 2007
• Named a Leading Florida Attorney and Leading American Attorney by Amer. Research Corp., 1999 - 2004
• Named a Top South Florida Lawyer by "South Florida Legal Guide.", 2001 - Present
• Award from PULSE in recognition for dedicated legal services to the African-American community and the PULSE organization.
• Named Woman of Distinction by Grand Jury Association of Florida, 1995-96., 1995 - 1996
• Named Woman of the Year by Downtown Business and Professional Women, 1991-92., 1991 - 1992
• Listed in Who's Who in American Law, International Who's Who, Who's Who in the World, and Who's Who in the South and Southwest.
• AV-rated (Highest Martindale Hubbell's Peer Review Rating), 1994 - Present
• Award-Winning Finalist in the Business: Reference category of the "Best Books 2010" sponsored by USA Book News
• Won the 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Dade Community Council, District 2, 1996 - 1998
  Councilwoman
  
  
• Ark Environmental Foundation, U.S., Inc., 1997 - 1998
  Director/Secretary
  
  
• Florida Bar, 1993 - 1996
  Member, Committee on Judicial Evaluation
  
  
• Dade County Bar, 1994 - 1995
  Member, ABA Host Committee
  
  
• Dade County Bar, 1994 - 1995
  Chair, Subcommittee on Host Services
  
  
• Grand Jury Association of Florida, 1992 - 1998
  Board Member
  
  
• National Association of Women Business Owners, 1992 - 1994
  Board Member
  
  
• National Association of Women Business Owners, 1991 - 1992
  Co-Chair, Committee on Government Affairs
  
  
• Business and Professional Women, Downtown Miami Club, 1992 - 1994
  First Vice President
  
  
• Florida Association for Women Lawyers, 1992 - 1995
  Board Member
  
  
• Florida Association for Women Lawyers, 1991 - 1992
  Chair, Committee on Legislation
  
  
• Florida Association for Women Lawyers, 1992 - 1995
  Chair, Committee on Gender Bias
  
  
• American Arbitration Association, 1993 - Present
  Arbitrator
  
  

Pro Bono Activities

• Guardian Ad Litem, 1988 - 1992

Birth Information

• July 23, 1959, Mansfield, Ohio, United States of America