Law Firm Overview

DONNA M. BALLMAN, P.A.

A FULL SERVICE LITIGATION FIRM

The firm is experienced in handling:

Employment discrimination: both Plaintiff and Defense of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, disability, race, religious, national origin and age discrimination claims;representation before EEOC, Florida Commission on Human Relations, county Equal Opportunity Boards; arbitration of employment discrimination claim.

Litigation prevention : advice on sexual harassment policies, terminations, contracts, and other matters to prevent litigation.

Employment litigation : employment related defamation, including false accusations of theft, sexual harassment, and discrimination; Family and Medical Leave Act advice and litigation; wrongful termination for making worker's compensation claims, employment wiretapping.

Housing discrimination : both plaintiff and Defense of housing discrimination claims.    

Administrative law : representing before administrative law judges under Administrative Procedure Act, representation before EEOC, county Equal Opportunity Board, Florida Elections Commission, Division of Unemployment Compensation.

Election law : representation of candidates, political committees, committees of continuous existence, and political parties on all matters involving Florida election law; representation before the Florida Elections Commission; Voting Rights Act.

Alternate dispute resolution : Florida Supreme Court certified circuit civil mediator; arbitrator for commercial and employment disputes.  

Seminars/Lectures

EMPLOYMENT LAW

Taught Continuing Accounting Education (CPE) Seminar "Employment Law Overview" October 25, 2002, Florida Gold Alumni Chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi.

Taught Continuing Legal Education Seminar, "Sexual Harassment and Workplace Violence", January 15, 2002, Lorman Education Services.

Taught Seminar/panel, "Family and Medical Leave Act in Florida ", December 14, 1999, Lorman Education Services.

Taught Continuing legal education seminar, "Vogue Topics in Employment Law" covering issues of litigation prevention and sexual harassment on June 27, 1997 at the Florida Bar Annual Conference on behalf of FAWL.

Taught Continuing paralegal education seminar, "How to Bring and Defend Against Employee Discrimination Claims", Alison Seminars, 1996. Topics: sexual harassment, Americans With Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, race and pregnancy discrimination, employment defamation, and other employment related actions.

Taught Seminar/panel, Legal Services employees, "Employment Discrimination", 1994. Topics: sexual harassment, Americans With Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, race discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, employment defamation, and other employment related actions.

Speeches, "How to Defend Against or Bring Employee Discrimination Claims" to Downtown and North Miami Kiwanis, Downtown Business and Professional Women, Hialeah/Miami Springs Business and Professional Women in 1992-96.

Featured in Lifetime Television Network's 1996 special, "Full Disclosure: Sexual Harassment" relating to legal issues in sexual harassment, specifically discussing defamation relating to false claims of sexual harassment.

ELECTION LAW

Taught Seminar, "Election Law", New Miami Group as part of a panel, 1994, 1996, 1998. Topics: contributions, expenditures, reporting, qualifying, and other issues relating to Florida election law as it applies to candidates and campaigns.

Taught Seminar "Election Law", Florida Democratic Convention, 1991, 1993. Topics: contributions, expenditures, reporting, qualifying, and other issues relating to Florida election law as it applies to candidates, parties and campaigns.

ARBITRATION

Taught Seminar "Arbitration: How to Resolve Your Cases in One-Fourth the Time and for One-Tenth the Cost", Southern Business Women's Show, 1996. Topics: arbitration clauses in contracts, how to bring arbitration claims, basic arbitration procedures, comparison of arbitration, litigation, mediation, other alternate dispute resolution.

MISCELLANEOUS

Taught CLE Seminar, "Executive Session, Sunshine Law/Public Records Law" Association of County and City Attorneys, 6/18/98.

Taught Seminar, "The Ethics of Discrimination," University of Miami Politics and Religion Class, 7/6/98.

Taught Seminar, "The One-Two-Threes of Starting Your Own Business", The International Women's Convention, sponsored by the National Association of Women Business Owners, 1994 and 1996.

Donna M. Ballman, P.A.
4801 South University Drive, Suite 3010
Fort Lauderdale, FL  33328
Telephone: 954-680-6669
Fax: 954-680-6694
E-mail

Our employment law attorneys at the law offices of Donna M. Ballman, P.A. represent employers and employees throughout south Florida and the Florida Keys, including the cities of: Fort Lauderdale (Ft. Lauderdale), Miami, West Palm Beach, Naples, Ft. Meyers, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Stuart, Jupiter, Boca Raton, and Hollywood. Our employment lawyers also represent employers and employees in the following counties: Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Miami-Dade County . Whether you need a south Florida wrongful termination attorney or a Fort Lauderdale retaliatory discharge lawyer, we can help.

Areas of Practice

• Employment Law: including Non-Compete Agreements, Severance Contracts and
• - Age Discrimination
• - Alternative Dispute Resolution
• - Americans with Disabilities Act - - Employee
• - Americans with Disabilities Act - - Employer
• - Business & Commercial law
• - Civil Rights
• - Disability & Illness Discrimination
• - Housing Discrimination
• - Employment Discrimination - - Employee
• - Employment Discrimination - - Employer
• - Employment Law - - Employer
• - Employment Law - - Employee
• - National Origin Discrimination
• - Race Discrimination
• - Sex Harassment
• - Sexual Discrimination
• - Sexual Harasssment - - Employee
• - Sexual Harassment - - Employer
• - Defamation

Honors and Awards

• Named Leading Florida Attorney, American Research Corporation
• Named Leading American Attorney, American Research Corporation
• PULSE Award in Recognition for Dedicated Legal Service to the African-American Community
• Woman of Distinction, Grand Jury Association of Florida, 1995 - 1996
• Woman of the Year, Downtown Business and Professional Woman, 1991 - 1992
• Who's Who in American Law
• International Who's Who
• Who's Who in the World
• Who's Who in the South and the Southwest
• Omicron Delta Kappa
• "South Florida Top Lawyer" in Area of Employment Law, South Florida Legal Guide and Miami Metro Magazine, 2001 - 2002
• "South Florida Top Lawyer" in Area of Employment Law, South Florida Legal Guide and Miami Metro Magazine, 2002 - 2003

Published Works

• The Florida Election Law Hand Book
• New Guidelines on Hiring Under Disability Act, Miami Daily Business Review, August 29, 1994
• Election Law, Miami Herald Almanac of Florida Politics
• Don't Fear Lawsuites, But Prepare for the Worst, Broward Review, Miami Review Business Tips Section, December 6, 1993
• Political Campaign Contributions by Foreign Nationals in Florida Elections, Fla. B.J., March, 1991
• Ungagging the Judges, Miami Review, Nov. 22, 1991
• Adrift in a Sea Frivolous Suits, Miami Review (Regarding Employment Discrimination Suits), July 5, 1991
• Are You Ready To Go Solo?, Barrister Magazine (Young Lawyers Publication of the American Bar Association), Winter 1991- 1992
• Flying Solo (Reprint), Full Disclosure: Do You Really Want to Be a Lawyer, Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association
• Casenote, AFSCME v. Washington (Co-Author), 1986 U. Miami L. Rev.

Classes and Seminars

• Employment Law Overview, Continuing Accounting Education (CPE) Seminar, Florida Gold Coast Alumni Chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi, October 25, 2002
• Vogue Topics in Employment Law, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Florida Bar Annual Conference on Behalf of FAWL, June 27, 1997
• How to Bring and Defend Against Employee Discrimination Claims, Continuing Paralegal Education Seminar, Alison Seminars, 1996
• Seminar/Panel, Employment Discrimination, Legal Services Employees, 1994
• How to Defend Against of Bring Employee Discrimination Claims, Downtown and North Miami Kiwanis, 1992 - 1996
• How to Defend Against or Bring Employee Discrimination Claims, Downtown Business and Professional Woman, 1992 - 1996
• How to Defend Against or Bring Employee Discrimination Claims, Hialeah/Miami Springs Business and Professional Woman, 1992 - 1996
• Full Disclosure: Sexual Harassment, Lifetime Television Network's 1996 Special
• Election Law, New Miami Group, 1996
• Arbitration: How to Resolve Your Cases in One-Fouth the Time and for One-Tenth the Cost, Southern Business Woman's Show, 1996
• The One- Two- Threes of Starting Your Own Business, The International Woman's Convention, National Association of Woman Business Owners, 1994 - 1996
• Speaker, Why Woman Need to Be Involved in Politics, Business and Professional Woman District Conference, 1993
• Lawyer/Teacher Partnership Program, Dade County Bar, 1994
• Sexual Harassment and Workplace Violence, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Lorman Education Services, January 15, 2002
• Family and Medical Leave Act in Florida, Lorman Education Services, December 14, 1999
• Executive Sessions, Sunshine Law/Public Records Law, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Association of County and City Attorneys, June 18, 1998
• The Ethics of Discrimination, University of Miami, Politics and Religion Class, July 6, 1998
• The One- Two- Threes of Starting Your Own Business, The International Women's Convention, National Association of Women Business Owners, 1996

West Practice Categories

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Business & Commercial Law, Contracts, Civil Rights, Age Discrimination, Disability & Illness Discrimination, National Origin Discrimination, Race Discrimination, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Employment Law -- Employee, Affirmative Action -- Employee, Americans with Disabilities Act -- Employee, Employee Rights -- Employee, Employment Contracts -- Employee, Employment Discrimination -- Employee, Federal Employer's Liability Act (FELA) -- Employee, Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) -- Employee, Pensions, Benefits & Compensations -- Employee, Sexual Harassment -- Employee, Wage & Hour Laws -- Employee, Wrongful Termination -- Employee, Employment Law -- Employer, Affirmative Action -- Employer, Americans with Disabilities Act -- Employer, Employee Rights -- Employer, Employment Contracts -- Employer, Employment Discrimination -- Employer, Municipal Employment -- Employer, Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) -- Employer, Pensions, Benefits & Compensations -- Employer, Sexual Harassment -- Employer, Wage & Hour Laws -- Employer, Wrongful Termination -- Employer, Defamation & Privacy -- Defense, Defamation & Privacy -- Plaintiff