Labor & Employment Attorney

Williams Parker•Sarasota, FL

About The Position

Williams Parker, the region’s largest and oldest law firm, founded in 1925, is seeking an accomplished Labor & Employment Attorney to join its growing employer-side practice. The ideal candidate will bring approximately 10 to 15 years of private-practice experience, a portable book of business, and an established presence along Florida’s Gulf Coast, from Tampa Bay through Sarasota and South Sarasota County. This opportunity is designed for an attorney with a strong professional reputation, deep substantive experience, and the strategic judgment to guide employers through complex workplace challenges while helping strengthen the section’s capabilities, market presence, and future leadership.

Requirements

An established employer-side practice. A portable book of business, demonstrated business development capability, and strong relationships with employers, executives, human resources leaders, in-house counsel, insurance carriers, and referral sources.
Sophisticated Labor & Employment experience. Approximately 10 to 15 years of private-practice experience counseling and defending employers in complex workplace matters, litigation, arbitration, class and collective actions, and administrative proceedings.
Deep substantive knowledge. Significant experience with Title VII, the ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, workplace investigations, wage and hour compliance, restrictive covenants, accommodations, leave management, workforce restructuring, and related federal and state employment laws.
Strategic judgment and trusted-advisor capability. The ability to translate complex legal and regulatory issues into clear, practical business advice while independently managing sophisticated matters and delivering attentive, responsive client service.
Leadership and disciplined execution. Strong written and oral advocacy, sound judgment, accountability, and a collaborative leadership style, with the ability to manage demanding timelines, complex discovery, multiple priorities, and the development of junior attorneys.
A Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school and active membership in The Florida Bar in good standing.

Nice To Haves

Florida Bar Board Certification in Labor & Employment Law is preferred.

Responsibilities

Counsel employers on complex workplace matters. Provide practical, business-oriented guidance on workforce strategy, employee relations, hiring, discipline, accommodations, leave management, wage and hour compliance, reductions in force, separations, restrictive covenants, executive employment matters, and related risks.
Represent employers in litigation and administrative proceedings. Handle employment litigation, arbitration, EPLI claims, class and collective actions, and matters before federal and state courts, the EEOC, NLRB, Department of Labor, OSHA, and related agencies.
Lead workplace investigations and risk-management initiatives. Conduct sensitive investigations involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, misconduct, and whistleblower claims, and deliver management training, employment audits, compliance reviews, and proactive risk assessments.
Develop employment agreements and compliance frameworks. Draft and advise on executive and employment agreements, separation agreements, restrictive covenants, employee handbooks, workplace policies, and human resources compliance initiatives.
Advance the practice and its client relationships. Deepen client and referral relationships, identify opportunities to expand the firm’s services, mentor junior attorneys, and contribute to the section’s continued development.
Coordinate advice across related workforce issues. Address immigration-related employment compliance, workforce mobility, employment eligibility, employee benefits, and ERISA considerations directly or with specialized counsel.