FordHarrison is pleased to announce that five of the firm's Florida-based attorneys have been named to the "2015 Florida Legal Elite" list by Florida Trend magazine. Todd S. Aidman, Ed B. Carlstedt, Gregg Gerglach, Bari L. Goldstein and Tracey K. Jaensch were recognized.
The selection process was rigorous. It began with notifying and inviting members of the Florida Bar to name attorneys they hold in the highest regard or would recommend to others. The ballots were processed, checked and tabulated and the list of top vote-getters was further examined using membership status and practice histories provided by The Florida Bar. This year's list of Legal Elite attorneys represent the top 2% of attorneys in the state of Florida.
Todd Aidman is experienced in complex and class action litigation and regularly practices in the trial and appellate levels of federal and state courts, as well as administrative agencies such as the EEOC and DOL. He defends companies in a broad range of employment and labor disputes, including cases involving allegations of age, race, national origin, disability, sex discrimination, sexual and racial harassment, retaliation, fraud, defamation, negligent supervision and retention and breach of contract. He also handles claims involving the FLSA, FMLA, ERISA, the WARN Act, employee handbooks, drug testing, misappropriation of trade secrets, and noncompetition agreements. Todd is nationally known for handling Title III ADA cases as well as collective action brought under the FLSA. He received his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in 1999.
Ed Carlstedt's practice focuses on trade secret, non-compete and restrictive covenant disputes as well as representing management in employment law matters, including defending employers against harassment, discrimination and retaliation claims. Ed has extensive experience in matters involving trade secret, non-compete and restrictive covenant related issues, and has handled dozens of evidentiary hearings in federal and state courts in connection with such disputes. He has also defended employers in discrimination, harassment, medical leave, wage and hour and other complex litigation matters in state court, federal court, and arbitration proceedings. Ed received his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law, cum laude, in 1997.
Gregg Gerlach educates employers, lawyers and human resource professionals throughout Florida on cutting edge developments in U.S. and Florida labor and employment law. He provides prompt, practical and solutions oriented counseling and guidance on every aspect of the employer-employee relationship including working with employers to ensure implementation and application of "HR Best Practices." He is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Florida Bar, much of his recent litigation experience has concentrated on suits involving breach of employment contracts, enforcing non-compete agreements, and defending employers against overtime and medical leave claims arising under the FLSA and FMLA. Gregg received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1991.
Bari Goldstein advises employers on personnel issues, wage and hour and employee relations; conducts on-site investigations and audits; and develops and presents workshops on varied employment subjects. She assists clients in the development of Affirmative Action Programs (AAP), represents clients during OFCCP audits and counsels employers on issues stemming from AAP obligations and requirements. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI), the accrediting body for the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). She is also a qualified EEO investigator. Bari received her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 1998.
Tracey Jaensch's practice focuses on defending employers in discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and contract dispute litigation. Tracey is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Florida Bar. She represents companies in a variety of industries, including health care, corrections, banking, hospitality and retail. Tracey's specialty is complex litigation and trial work. She has successfully tried numerous cases for clients and been lead defense attorney in multi-plaintiff discrimination lawsuits in Florida. Tracey also has significant experience in executive level employment contract disputes, trade secret and whistle-blower suits. Tracey received her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in 1991.