FordHarrison LLP, one of the country's largest management-side labor and employment law firms, announces the addition of Nicole Bermel Dunlap as Counsel in the firm's Tampa office. Nicole comes to FordHarrison from Littler Mendelson, a national employment and labor law firm.
Nicole concentrates her practice in representing management clients in both employment and labor litigation. She also advises clients on litigation avoidance, labor relations, and compliance with various federal employment statutes. She has defended numerous national retail and healthcare corporations in employment litigation involving the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; gender discrimination claims under Title VII; the Family and Medical Leave Act; and the Tennessee Human Rights Act. Nicole has litigated numerous cases, in both state and federal court, involving violations of non-compete agreements, trade secret laws, breaches of fiduciary duty, and other related claims, including experience trying the enforcement of a non-compete agreement in a federal jury trial.
Nicole also has substantial experience representing healthcare facilities in labor litigation. As second chair, she has tried unfair labor practices in multiple bench trials before administrative law judges, including 8(a)(1), 8(a)(3) discharges, and a complex 8(a)(5) bad faith bargaining charge under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). In trying these charges, she was an integral part of the trial team, involved in developing trial strategy, managing documents, preparing and questioning witnesses, drafting post-trial briefs and various memoranda regarding enforcement of subpoenas and privilege issues.
"The firm's Florida offices have added top notch talent to our ranks over the last couple of years, and Nicole is no exception," said Tracey Jaensch, managing partner of FordHarrison's Tampa office. "Her valuable experience and proven success record will prove beneficial to the firm and its clients alike."