SARASOTA, Fla. – Gail E. Farb and Jennifer Fowler-Hermes, labor and employment attorneys with Williams Parker, recently presented at the HR Florida State Conference & Expo, the annual conference of the HR Florida State Council, a state affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management. Ms. Farb presented “Error-Free Employment Relationships – Avoiding Top Legal Mistakes from Hire to Fire” (a/k/a ”How to Steer Your Spaceship Away from Employment Law Black Holes”), and Ms. Fowler-Hermes presented “Managing Employee Participation in Social Movements: What To Do When Political Activism Impacts Your Organization” and “HR Professionals Just Wanna Have Fun: Weird and Wacky Employment Cases.”
Ms. Farb has extensive experience in the area of labor and employment law. She advises private and public sector management clients regarding preventive measures in a wide range of employment matters, including federal and state discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, FMLA, NLRA, restrictive covenants, and whistleblower laws. She balances business and local government needs with legal risks and defends single-plaintiff cases and collective actions in administrative, state, and federal court proceedings. Ms. Farb designs and reviews employee handbooks and policies, as well as employment, severance, and settlement agreements. She assists clients with employee hiring, promotion, discipline, and termination issues; conducts workplace investigations; and develops corporate compliance programs. She also represents management in alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation and arbitration. Ms. Farb is the immediate past Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Sarasota County Bar Association.
Ms. Fowler-Hermes is a board certified specialist in labor and employment law. She represents private, public, for-profit, and not-for-profit employers of all sizes in litigation matters and also assists employers in managing risks to avoid litigation. Her experience includes representing clients before state and federal courts and administrative agencies in many employment matters, including claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Florida Civil Rights Act, the Florida Uniform Trade Secrets Act, whistleblower/retaliation laws, and employment law torts. She also serves as a Florida Supreme Court certified circuit mediator. Additionally, she serves as editor of The Williams Parker Labor & Employment Blog.
About Williams Parker
Williams Parker was founded in 1925. The firm focuses on employers, developers, high net-worth families, and nonprofits. The firm offers one of Florida’s largest trusts and estates practices; tax and employment groups with significant depth; and accomplished real estate, litigation, and corporate practices. For clients whose legal challenges involve matters in other states or countries, the firm’s membership in a global network of highly qualified law firms helps its clients secure the legal support they need virtually wherever they need it. Williams Parker takes great pride in its contributions to the community and ongoing investment in its region. The firm is at 200 South Orange Avenue, Sarasota, Florida; (941) 366-4800; www.williamsparker.com.
