By Ashley Robinson Workplace disputes in Fort Lauderdale and Broward County can arise quickly and escalate just as fast. Whether you have experienced wrongful termination, wage theft, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation for whistleblowing, or a complex non-compete enforcement dispute, the quality of your legal representation from the first consultation onward can determine the entire course of your case.
Employment matters in Fort Lauderdale are governed by a combination of federal statutes — including Title VII, the FLSA, the ADA, the ADEA, and the FMLA — and Florida state law, with cases litigated across Broward County state courts and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Having an attorney with genuine courtroom experience, local judicial knowledge, and a deep command of employment law is essential.
After thorough research into attorney credentials, client feedback, peer ratings, and professional recognition, here are five of the most highly regarded employment law attorneys serving Fort Lauderdale in 2026:
1. Peter T. Mavrick — Mavrick Law Firm
Office Address: 1620 W. Oakland Park Boulevard, Suite 300, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311
Core Focus: Employment litigation defense, non-compete and trade secret litigation, business litigation, employer compliance.
Peter Mavrick is one of South Florida’s foremost employment litigators from the employer and business side. A 1992 cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, he has spent over 30 years representing businesses, management, and business owners in the full spectrum of employment and commercial disputes before state and federal courts across Florida.
Key Strengths
- AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell, selected to Florida Super Lawyers, rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, and holding a perfect 10.0 Avvo score — a rare four-platform credential combination confirming both peer recognition and client confidence at the highest available levels.
- Nationally recognized expertise in non-compete covenant litigation and trade secret enforcement — including a May 2025 victory where he defeated a non-compete and non-solicitation lawsuit, securing a dismissal with prejudice and a contractual acknowledgment that the non-compete agreement was void.
- Five-attorney team handling employment litigation defense, employer compliance, discrimination defense, wrongful termination claims, and business tort matters throughout Florida — with verified 2026 client reviews praising his tenacity, strategic thinking, and ability to turn employer-side litigation completely in his clients’ favor.
2. The Amlong Firm — Karen Coolman Amlong
Office Address: 101 NE 3rd Avenue, Suite 1500, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Core Focus: Employee-side discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, sexual harassment, hostile work environment, wrongful termination.
Karen Coolman Amlong has been fighting for employees in Fort Lauderdale’s courts since 1982 — over four decades of dedicated employment law advocacy that has made The Amlong Firm one of the premier employee-rights practices in Florida. Her career in advocacy began before law school, and that conviction has not diminished across more than 40 years of litigation.
Key Strengths
- AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell with a perfect 10.0 Avvo score, recognized as a Best Lawyer in America, and recipient of the American Bar Association’s Small Firm Practitioner of Merit Award — credentials reflecting both peer regard and institutional recognition accumulated across more than four decades of South Florida employment law practice.
- In 2018, Karen and co-counsel William Amlong secured one of the Top 100 Verdicts in Florida in a whistleblower case — a landmark result that reflects the firm’s willingness to take difficult cases to trial against well-resourced employers and major corporations when necessary.
- Regularly lectures before the Florida Bar, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the ACLU on employment discrimination and litigation strategy — an academic and organizational presence that keeps the firm at the forefront of evolving employee rights law across federal and Florida state courts.
3. Gallup Auerbach — Dana M. Gallup
Office Address: 4000 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 265-S, Hollywood, FL 33021 (serving Fort Lauderdale/Broward County)
Core Focus: Employment law for both employees and employers, discrimination, FLSA wage and hour, FMLA, whistleblower protection, non-compete disputes.
Dana Gallup has devoted 30 years of practice exclusively to employment and labor law, representing both employees and employers throughout South and Southwest Florida. His firm, Gallup Auerbach, brings over 60 years of combined employment law experience to clients across Broward County and the surrounding region.
Key Strengths
- AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell and selected to Florida Super Lawyers every year from 2009 to 2025 — one of the longest-running Super Lawyers streaks in employment law across South Florida, reflecting 16 consecutive years of sustained peer-recognized excellence in the field.
- Florida Supreme Court certified as both a civil county and circuit court mediator and arbitrator — dual certifications that give the firm unique alternative dispute resolution capability, enabling clients to pursue or defend employment claims through mediation or arbitration as an efficient alternative to prolonged litigation.
- Admitted to practice before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida — federal court access across all three Florida federal districts, providing Broward County clients with consistent representation regardless of whether their employment claims escalate to federal court or appellate proceedings.
4. USA Employment Lawyers — Jordan Richards
Office Address: 1800 SE 10th Avenue, Suite 205, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Core Focus: Employee-side FLSA wage and hour claims, class and collective actions, wrongful termination, discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, FMLA.
Jordan Richards is the founder of USA Employment Lawyers — a Fort Lauderdale firm established in 2017 that has rapidly built one of the strongest client review profiles and most recognized class and collective action practices in Broward County. A former Broward County State Attorney’s Office prosecutor with prior blue-collar work experience, Richards brings a practical, client-centered approach to employment litigation that resonates strongly with working-class and professional clients alike.
Key Strengths
- Selected to Florida Super Lawyers Rising Stars every year from 2020 through 2025, with a 4.8-star Google rating across 74 verified reviews and consistent peer endorsements from fellow attorneys who refer all employment matters to Richards specifically — including a fellow attorney who described him as the best employment attorney they know across factors of intelligence, courtroom comfort, and client relations.
- Extensive class and collective action experience under the FLSA, FMLA, ADA, FCRA, Title VII, and WARN Act — covering both wage and hour disputes on behalf of large employee groups and individual wrongful termination and discrimination claims — with a contingency fee model that charges no upfront costs to employee clients.
- Licensed in Florida, Illinois, New York, New Mexico, and Colorado with national case experience, giving Fort Lauderdale clients a single firm capable of handling employment matters that cross state lines — and a former prosecutor’s courtroom confidence to pursue even the toughest cases against major employers through trial.
5. Mark J. Berkowitz, P.A.
Office Address: 800 SE 3rd Avenue, Suite 400, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Core Focus: Employee-side employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wage and hour claims, whistleblower retaliation, EEOC representation.
Mark Berkowitz has practiced employment and labor law exclusively for over 40 years — beginning with a Philadelphia labor and employment firm before founding his own Fort Lauderdale practice in 1995, which has served clients throughout South Florida ever since. His practice is focused entirely on representing individuals and employees, and he has handled matters ranging from EEOC administrative proceedings through federal appellate courts.
Key Strengths
- Avvo Client’s Choice Award holder with a perfect 10.0 Avvo rating, Board Member of the Florida Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association from 2010 to 2011, and member of the Broward County Bar Association’s Labor Law Section since 1995 — sustained organizational involvement reflecting his commitment to employee advocacy across more than three decades of Fort Lauderdale practice.
- Represented multiple federal employees before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Merit System Protection Board — administrative forums requiring specific federal employment law expertise that most state-focused practitioners do not develop — and regularly receives peer endorsements from other law firms for his successful track record against major corporations.
- Exclusively employee-focused practice covering race, national origin, religion, gender, age, and disability discrimination; sexual harassment; wage and hour claims including unpaid overtime; retaliation; and mass layoff and WARN Act matters — a comprehensive scope ensuring clients have full-spectrum coverage under a single experienced practitioner from EEOC intake through federal court litigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What employment laws protect workers in Fort Lauderdale?
A: Broward County employees are protected by a combination of federal statutes — including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act — as well as the Florida Civil Rights Act, which covers discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under Florida law. Fort Lauderdale also has its own municipal employment ordinances that may provide additional protections.
Q. What is the difference between filing a claim with the EEOC versus filing in federal court?
A: Most federal employment discrimination claims require filing a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before a lawsuit can be filed in court. The EEOC investigates the charge, attempts conciliation, and if unresolved, issues a right-to-sue letter that allows the employee to proceed in federal court. An experienced attorney can guide you through both the administrative and litigation stages.
Q. Can I sue my employer for wrongful termination in Florida?
A: Florida is an at-will employment state, meaning employers may generally terminate employees for any reason that is not illegal. However, termination based on race, sex, age, disability, national origin, religion, pregnancy, or in retaliation for protected activity such as whistleblowing or filing an EEOC charge is unlawful and may support a civil lawsuit.
Q. Am I entitled to overtime pay in Fort Lauderdale?
A: Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, most non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay at one and a half times their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. Misclassification as exempt or as an independent contractor is a common employer violation. Wage and hour claims can be filed in state or federal court and may include liquidated damages equal to the unpaid wages.
Q. What is a non-compete agreement and can my employer enforce it in Florida?
A: A non-compete agreement restricts an employee from working for a competitor or starting a competing business for a specified time and geographic area after leaving employment. Florida generally enforces non-compete agreements if they are reasonable in scope and protect a legitimate business interest. Courts examine the duration, geographic area, and whether the restrictions go beyond what is necessary to protect the employer’s interests.
Q. How long do I have to file an employment claim in Florida?
A: The deadline varies by claim type. Federal discrimination claims under Title VII generally require an EEOC charge within 300 days of the discriminatory act. FLSA wage and hour claims have a two-year statute of limitations, extended to three years for willful violations. Florida Civil Rights Act claims must be filed with the Florida Commission on Human Relations within 365 days. Consulting an employment attorney immediately preserves your options.
Q. What should I bring to my first employment law consultation?
A: Useful documents include any written employment contracts or non-compete agreements, recent pay stubs and records of hours worked, performance reviews, any written communications with supervisors or HR regarding the dispute, any termination letter or separation agreement, and documentation of any witnesses to relevant events. The more documentation you provide, the better your attorney can assess the strength and direction of your claim.
Overall, Employment law disputes in Fort Lauderdale can move quickly — EEOC charge deadlines, statute of limitations, and the employer’s own legal team mean that early action matters. The attorneys listed above have each demonstrated sustained professional excellence, genuine courtroom experience in Broward County and the Southern District of Florida, and a commitment to achieving meaningful results for their clients. Consulting more than one attorney when possible is advisable; select the practitioner whose background and approach align most closely with your specific employment situation.