Jurate Schwartz

Jurate Schwartz is a special employment law counsel in the Labor & Employment Law Department. She devotes her practice to counseling clients in employment matters, as well as representing employers in federal and state litigations, arbitrations and administrative proceedings.

Jurate’s practice includes providing advice on compliance with various laws affecting the workplace, including the FMLA, ADEA, Title VII, ADA, FLSA and similar state and local laws. She counsels clients on developing, implementing and enforcing personnel policies and procedures and reviewing and revising employee handbooks under federal, state and local law. Jurate is experienced in conducting wage-and-hour audits under federal and state wage-hour laws and advising clients on classification issues. She also assists clients in drafting employment, consulting and separation agreements and various restrictive covenants.

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Florida Private Sector Whistleblower Must Show Actual Violation of Law

By Steven J. Pearlman and Jurate Schwartz on March 6, 2017 Posted in Associational Retaliation, State-Specific Whistleblower Claims

The Middle District of Florida recently held that to establish a prima facie case under the Florida Private Whistleblower Act (FWA), § 448.102(3), Fla. Stat., a plaintiff must show an actual violation of a law, rule or regulation. Graddy v. Wal–Mart Stores E., LP, No. 5:16-CV-9-OC-28PRL (M.D. Fla. Feb. 14, 2017).… Continue Reading

Proskauer Represents Employer Against Former Executive Found Liable for Snooping on Boss’s and Others’ Emails

By Lloyd B. Chinn and Jurate Schwartz on February 2, 2017 Posted in Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Employee Document/Data Theft, State-Specific Whistleblower Claims, Stored Communications Act

A former employee of the upscale outdoor furniture designer and manufacturer Brown Jordan recently failed in his bid to pursue whistleblower retaliation claims against the company and also found himself liable for snooping on his boss’s (and other’s) emails. A three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit recently affirmed the District Court’s summary judgment for the employer … Continue Reading

No “Pleasure” for Florida Whistleblower

By Allan Weitzman and Jurate Schwartz on May 6, 2015 Posted in State-Specific Whistleblower Claims

Despite 14 pages of vigorous dissent, a majority of a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit has done the right thing and joined the Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Circuits in holding that the National Bank Act (“NBA”) preempts state wrongful discharge claims. In its May 5, 2015, decision, the majority concluded that the NBA’s language empowering banks to “dismiss … Continue Reading

M.D. Florida: Employee Must Report To SEC To Be A Protected Dodd-Frank Whistleblower

By Allan Weitzman and Jurate Schwartz on May 28, 2014 Posted in Dodd Frank

Two weeks ago, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida dismissed with prejudice a former employee’s Dodd-Frank whistleblower claim on the ground that the employee was not a “whistleblower” within the meaning of the Dodd-Frank Reform Act because she did not provide information relating to a violation of the securities law to … Continue Reading

Proskauer Whistleblower Defense

Jurate Schwartz