Heather B. Brock

Heather B. Brock is a shareholder in the firm’s Labor and Employment Law Section and is also the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer (CDIO). As CDIO, Heather creates initiatives to further firm’s strong commitment to diversity and inclusion in hiring, retention and attorney advancement. Heather also looks for ways to partner with our clients to meet and advance their diversity and inclusion goals.

Prior to becoming CDIO, Heather served on the firm’s Diversity Committee, the firm’s Women’s Business Development Committee, assisted with the summer associate program and helped create the firm’s first in-house training programs for new and lateral lawyers. She has also been involved with the Florida Diversity Council.

Heather has 20 plus years of experience focusing on management-side litigation and proactively and strategically problem-solving for employers. She also handles litigation involving confidential information and trade secrets/covenants non-compete and employment contracts.

Heather’s approach focuses on the business’s bottom line and figuring out alternative resolutions to avoid litigation. This includes counseling clients on proper management of problem/underperforming employees, creating and executing in-house training programs, and coaching managers and supervisors.

She also promotes claim prevention through well-drafted employment agreements, policies, handbooks and separation agreements. When litigation is unavoidable, Heather aggressively, but cost-effectively, defends her clients before various state and federal courts and administrative agencies.

Heather also assists clients with the difficult decisions that can arise from human resources activities, with an emphasis on risk management to prevent costly lawsuits. Companies frequently retain her to conduct on-site training seminars for managers on how to identify specific employment-related issues.

She also provides onboarding training for new employees so that they fully understand the company’s expectations and obligations regarding employment law matters. She is also regularly retained to serve as outside general counsel to assist small to mid-size companies with management of their litigation risks and costs.

Education:

• University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D., 1993
• Washington and Lee University, B.A., 1990, cum laude

Affiliations:

• Academy of Florida Management Attorneys
• American Bar Association: Labor and Employment Law Section
• Federal Bar Association, Board of Directors, Diversity Committee Chair – Tampa Bay Chapter
• Leadership Tampa – 2018 Class
• The Florida Bar, Labor and Employment Law Section
• Florida Diversity Council – South Florida and Tampa Chapters
• Hillsborough County Bar Association
• Justice William Glenn Terrell Inn of Court: Barrister, 2000-2003