Primary Office

777 South Flagler Drive
Suite 500 East

West Palm Beach, Florida
33401-6194

P: (561) 650-0605

F: (561) 655-5677

jsantoro@gunster.com

Joseph Santoro is a shareholder who joined the firm in 2002.

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Practice Areas[ - ]

• Labor and Employment Litigation
  • Representing management in state and federal litigation for:
    • Sexual harassment/discrimination
    • Race, religious and national origin discrimination
    • Disability discrimination/compliance issues
    • Claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act
    • Private and public whistle blower claims
    • Minimum wage and overtime claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act
    • Non-competition, confidentiality and trade secret litigation
    • Disputes regarding executive employment agreements
    • Representing management in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
• Labor and Employment Counseling
  • Providing counseling and training services for management regarding employment and labor matters including:
    • Wage and hour compliance and Department of Labor audits
    • Reductions in force/group layoffs/plant closings
    • Workplace diversity and non-discrimination training
    • Sexual harassment prevention and complaint procedures
    • Employee handbooks and policies
    • Requests for leave under FMLA
    • Reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities

Education[ - ]

• Nova Southeastern University, J.D. magna cum laude, 1998
• University of Central Florida, B.A., 1994

Reported Cases[ - ]

• Phillips v. Corporate Express Office Products, Inc., 800 So. 2d 618 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001), including Supreme Court briefs in Phillips v. Corporate Express Office Products Inc., 847 So. 2d 406 (Fla. 2003)
• Tel Choice v. BellSouth, 17th Judicial Circuit, Palm Beach County, FL, obtained $12 million jury verdict in complex commercial dispute

Honors[ - ]

• AV Rated as independently determined by Martindale Hubbell
• Florida Trend, Legal Elite, 2008

Seminars & Presentations[ - ]

• “Change: The Obama Administration’s Plans for Employment Law,” Gunster Employment Seminar, The Breakers, February 2009
• “Immigration Legislation,” North Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, 2007
• “Non-Competes and Trade Secrets,” Lorman Education Services, West Palm Beach, FL, 2006
• “Immigration Reform,” Economic Forum of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach, FL, 2006
• “Establishing and Refuting Damage Claims in Employment Cases,” Palm Beach County Bar Association, West Palm Beach, FL, 2004
• “Preventing Harassment and Discrimination in the Workplace,” Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, FL, 2003-04
• “Employment Law Issues for the Diverse Workplace,” Stuart, FL, 2003
• “What to Expect from the New Administration,” Boca Raton, FL, 2001

Publications[ - ]

“Time Off to Reflect on the Family and Medical Leave Act,” Briefly… Perspectives on Legislation, Regulation, and Litigation, Vol. 5, No. 5, May 2001

Professional Associations & Memberships[ - ]

• Palm Beach County Bar Association
• Labor and Employment Division, Co-chair, 2007-08

Bar Admissions[ - ]

The Florida Bar, 1998

Court Admissions[ - ]

United States District Courts Southern District of Florida Middle District of Florida

Civic & Community Service[ - ]

• Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, Board Member, 2008-10
• City of North Palm Beach Fire Rescue, former volunteer