Deborah L. La Fleur, B.C.S. - Attorney at Law

Deborah L. La Fleur, B.C.S. Attorney At Law

Deborah L. La Fleur, B.C.S. - Attorney at Law

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deborah.lafleur@gray-robinson.com

T 407.843.8880
F 407.244.5690
 Orlando 301 East Pine Street Suite 1400 Orlando, Florida 32801

Focus

Deborah La Fleur is board certified in Labor and Employment Law by The Florida Bar and represents private and public sector employers in both labor and employment law matters. The majority of Deborah's background and experience is in advising and representing corporations, management, nonprofit entities, healthcare providers, and governmental entities. Deborah represents employers, in federal and state courts and in front of governmental agencies, in connection with all employment-related matters including but not limited to: discrimination; Fair Labor Standards Act (including collective actions); state wage and hour claims; Family and Medical Leave Act; the WARN Act; the enforcement of restrictive covenants, such as covenants not to compete; Americans With Disabilities Act (including its employment and accessibility provisions, such as Title III of the ADA); constitutional claims; torts; whistleblower litigation; compliance with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance; labor-related issues, including but not limited to, preparation and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements, assisting employers during the union election process and defending against unfair practice charges; preparation of employment handbooks, contracts, and a variety of employment-related policies; and providing training on employment-related matters and workplace and public accommodation accessibility compliance. In addition, Deborah has experience in corporate matters, including the employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions and commercial litigation issues.

Deborah also represents employers in state and federal courts, investigations, and in defense of charges of discrimination before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, Florida's Division of Workers' Compensation, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission.

  • Background

    Deborah was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She attended law school at Valparaiso University School of Law. Shortly after leaving law school and passing the bar in Michigan, Deborah moved to Orlando, Florida, where she worked for Darden Restaurants, Inc., as an employee relations representative. After leaving Darden Restaurants, Deborah worked for the law firm formerly known as Brown and Green, P.A., a firm solely dedicated to the practice of labor and employment law, and eventually formed her own general practice firm. Deborah joined the labor and employment practice group of GrayRobinson in June 2002.

  • Education
    • Aquinas College, B.A. (1993)
    • Valparaiso University School of Law, J.D. (1997)
  • Admissions
    • Florida
    • Michigan
    • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
    • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
    • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
    • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
  • Professional Associations and Memberships
    • The Florida Bar
      • Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law
    • State Bar of Michigan
    • Orange County Bar Association
      • Labor and Employment Law Committee 
    • Federal Bar Association
    • Society for Human Resource Management, Member
    • Academy of Florida Management Attorneys, Member
  • Presentations and Seminars
    • "Union Awareness," ABC Central Florida Training and Development Seminar, October 17, 2024
    • “Navigating the 2023 Labor and Employment Law Landscape: What Employers Should Know,” GrayRobinson Labor and Employment Webinar, June 15, 2023 
    • GrayRobinson’s 24th Annual Employment Law Seminar, May 5, 2022  
    • "Top 10 Hits' Avoid Employee Lawsuits," ABC Central Florida, September 22, 2021
    • GrayRobinson’s 23rd Annual Employment Law Seminar, April 1, 2021 
    • "Update on Federal COVID-19 Employment and Business Programs," Seminole County Chamber and the Apopka Area Chamber, April 15, 2020
    • "Federal Employment Law Updates," GrayRobinson 22nd Annual Employment Law Seminar, Orlando, April 4, 2019
    • "Talent Wars: Attracting and Retaining Top Talent," Leadership Seminole Lessons On Leadership Series, June 5, 2018
    • "Florida and Federal Labor and Employment Laws and Requirements," Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida, Inc., May 24, 2018
    • "Harassment in the Workplace," Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, May 10, 2018
    • "Conducting Effective Internal Investigations," GrayRobinson 21st Annual Employment Law Seminar, Orlando, April 5, 2018
    • "2017 Legal Update," Associated Builders and Contractors Human Resources, Orlando, November 9, 2017
    • "Department of Labor Developments" and "Occupational Safety and Health Administration," GrayRobinson 20th Annual Employment Law Seminar, Orlando, April 6, 2017
    • "FLSA and FMLA Updates," GrayRobinson 19th Annual Employment Law Seminar, Orlando, April 7, 2016
    • "Changes that May Cause Your Salaried Exempt Employee to be Entitled to Overtime," Seminole County Chamber of Commerce Legal Symposium, October 27, 2015
    • "National Labor Relations Board 'Quickie Election' Rules," Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Orlando, Florida, May 14, 2015
    • "Department of Labor - The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)," GrayRobinson 18th Annual Employment Law Orlando Seminar, March 12, 2015
    • "Why Size Matters!" Society for Human Resource Management, 2014 Human Resource Conference and Exposition, October 7, 2014
    • Employment Law 101, Seminole County Chamber of Commerce Small Business Legal Symposium, August 21, 2014
    • Why Company Size Matters with Employment Laws Seminar, Matthews Benefit Group, Inc., 13th Annual Tax and Business Update, June 3, 2014
    • Employee Top Ten Complaints, Client Seminar, January 28, 2014
    • Client Management Training, August 8, 2012
    • Update Concerning the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Other Employment Law Issues Seminar, Association for Accounting Administrators , August 3, 2012
    • Overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Association for Accounting Administrators, August 26, 2011
    • Update: Department of Labor Ruling OFCCP Seminar, Corporate Compliance Education Retreat, May 29, 2011
  • Civic
    • Leadership Seminole
      • Board of Directors, Member
        • Chair, 2017-2018
        • Chair-Elect, 2016-2017
        • Secretary, 2015-2016
      • Presidential Alumni
    • Seminole Task Force to Impact Homelessness
    • Greater Orlando Business Network, Past Board Member
  • Awards and Recognitions
    • AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell
    • Chambers USA, Labor and Employment, 2020-2024
      • Recognized Practitioner, 2016-2019