Steven L. Schwarzberg

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Steven L. Schwarzberg, rated as AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 by Martindale Hubbell, has served as counsel for a number of corporate and individual clients for more than 30 years. He focuses his practice handling litigation and trials in the areas of employment law as well as commercial, probate, intellectual property, corporate and real estate law. Steve regularly represents a broad spectrum of clients, private and public, in both Federal and State courts around the country, in the trial and appellate levels as well as before administrative agencies, arbitration panels, mediators and other alternative dispute forums. He works closely with clients, general counsel, HR Directors and corporate management to find strategic and cost-effective solutions to avoid disputes, if possible, or conclude litigation successfully, when necessary.

Steve was formerly with the firms of Smith & Mandler in Miami and Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn and Greenberg Traurig in West Palm Beach. Steve is the founder and managing member of Schwarzberg & Associates, a litigation boutique specializing in employment law and commercial litigation.

Areas of Experience

• Internet-related matters
• Health Care
• Business Torts
• Bankruptcy litigation
• Insurance litigation
• Appeals
• Administrative Law
• Alternative Dispute Resolution

Admitted to Practice

• Florida
• United States District Courts, including Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida
• United States Bankruptcy Court
• United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eleventh and Fifth Circuits

Education

• J.D., cum laude, University of Miami School of Law, 1980
  • Recipient, Reid Scholarship
  • American Jurisprudence Award in Civil Procedure
• B.A., magna cum laude, Government, Harvard University, 1976
  • Recipient, Harvard Scholarship
  • John F. Kennedy Institute of Politics Summer Research Award
  • Senior Honor’s thesis ranked second in Government Department

Significant Representations

• Won a landmark decision before the Florida Supreme Court in a case which involved changing the law on contract sovereign immunity Pan-Am Tobacco Corporation vs. State of Florida, 425 So.2d 1167 (Fla. 1984).
• Counseled corporate clients in labor and employment compliance and other matters and litigated numerous employment disputes in the State and Federal courts, including defense of Fair Labor Standards Act representative and class action claims, discrimination claims under Title VII and the Florida Civil Rights Act involving age discrimination, race and religious discrimination and sexual harassment, as well as claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Equal Pay Act, Section 1983, ERISA, and claims based on wrongful termination, severance disputes, retaliation, invasion of privacy and related matters.
• Trademark, copyright, trade secrets and restrictive covenant litigation.
• Successful in a four-week jury trial, AAA arbitrations, appeals before the Second and Eleventh Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal, and actions pending in bankruptcy, probate, and State administrative proceedings.
• Representation of Travelers Insurance Company in foreclosure of $40 million mortgage on hotel property, and in related receivership and bankruptcy proceedings.
• Successful representation of shopping center developer in week-long jury trial in Panama City, Florida, defeating claims of fraud brought by lender.
• Appointed by Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley as Administrator in a $65-million civil forfeiture action brought by the State of Florida Comptroller.
• Won an appeal before the Florida Supreme Court relating to the issue of the applicability of the statute of limitations on actions for specific performance affecting real property. Rybovich Boat Works v. Atkins, 585 So.2d 270 (Fla.1991).
• Representation of national retail store chains in various matters throughout Florida and the country.
• General representation of medical technical school company with schools across the Southeastern United States.
• Representation of Ford Motor Company in State of Florida DOAH administrative and appellate proceedings to establish a new dealership location in Florida.
• Trust litigation over revocability of $32 million trust.
• Representation of partners in receivership litigation involving hotel ownership and management.
• Settled million-dollar long-term ERISA disability claim in mediation.
• Appointed by judges to serve as Curator and Attorney-ad-Litem in contested probate matters.
• Represented court-appointed Receivers in various real estate, banking and insurance matters.

Key Representative Clients

• MedVance Institute
• Midtown Imaging, Inc.
• Northern Trust Bank of Florida
• Palm Beach County School Board
• Pueblo Supermarkets (X-Tra)
• Rinker Materials of Florida, Inc.
• Rite Aid Corp.
• Samsung Corporation
• Sara Lee-Coach Stores
• Sears Roebuck & Co.
• SEGA Entertainment
• Song + Associates, Inc.
• Steelcase, Inc.
• Sterling Testing Systems, Inc.
• Sysco Food Services
• Taplin Development
• Telemundo
• The Apogee Companies
• The Center for Family Services
• The Hartford
• The Home Depot U.S.A, Inc.
• Tire Kingdom
• Travelers Insurance Company
• Travelpro International, Inc.
• Wings Plus

Professional and Community Involvement

• Former Board Member, Attorneys’ Division of Israel Bonds
• Former Board Member, Jewish Arts Foundation
• Former Vice President, Jewish Community Center of the Palm Beaches
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Palm Beach County Board
• Harvard Club of the Palm Beaches
• University of Miami Law Alumni Association , Class of 1980 Representative
• Board Member and Co-Founder Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation
• Board Member, Founder Abraham and Bluma Schwarzberg Holocaust Education Fund

Articles, Publications & Lectures

• Presenter of “Lawyer As Employer Practical and Ethical Considerations of Human Resources Administration in Law Practice Management” for Law Office Management Advisory Service (LOMAS).
• Lecturer on various Employment Law-related topics before Chain Restaurant Compensation Association, Worth Avenue Merchants Association and other organizations.
• Provided in-house seminars on employment-related matters for bank, retail chain and other similar clients.
• Featured in American Bar Association article “Suing The State,” June, 1984.