G. Thomas Harper (Full bio), a partner with the firm, has practiced since 1973 in labor and employment law. He is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Labor and Employment Law. Mr. Harper represents a diverse group of companies in a broad range of employment and labor issues. He counsels clients concerning the FMLA, the ADA, the ADEA, and sexual harassment. He has defense litigation experience in a wide variety and number of cases, including numerous jury and non-jury trials before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. Mr. Harper was selected for inclusion in the 2005-06 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, published by Woodward and White. For the last ten years, Mr. Harper was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America. In 2007 Mr. Harper was listed in Florida Monthly Magazine as one of the top labor and employment lawyers in Florida.Tom Harper is both a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator and a Board Certified Labor and Employment lawyer. This combination, together with his experience, makes him uniquely qualified to mediate employment related disputes.
He is also an Approved Mediator for all Florida Circuit Courts and for the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and Northern Districts of Florida. Mr. Harper has attended and participated in approximately 100 employment-related mediations. He also brings experience as having represented both employees and employers. This background and experience makes Mr. Harper uniquely qualified to serve as a neutral in workplace disputes.
Mr. Harper has also served as an expert witness on employment law issues in federal court in Florida.
He has been involved in over 200 union-organizing attempts, union elections, decertifications, contract negotiations, and strikes. He presents seminars for clients and employer associations on all aspects of labor and employment law.
Mr. Harper has conducted supervisor training on such diverse topics as National Labor Relations Act Compliance, sexual harassment, the ADA, and the FMLA. Mr. Harper has successfully handled the following:
Won Jury verdicts in age discrimination trials for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.; K-Mart; and Gold Kist, Inc.
Successfully enforced an arbitration agreement resulting in the dismissal of a wrongful termination lawsuit.
Worked with a large orange juice processing facility under attack by the Teamster’s Union resulting in an overwhelming vote against union representation.
Won summary judgement in an age discrimination case resulting from a company-wide restructuring.
Defended a trucking company in a race discrimination lawsuit resulting in the Plaintiff dismissing the lawsuit at the close of discovery. Email:
gth@harpergerlach.com
