Overview

Jacqueline Prats is an associate in the firm’s Employment Law Practice Group and is experienced in advising employers both in and outside of employment disputes. She represents businesses in the litigation and arbitration of a broad array of employment claims, including wage-and-hour, family and medical leave, restrictive covenant, trade secret, retaliation/whistleblower, and discrimination claims (including harassment and failure-to-accommodate claims), among others. She also represents businesses in employment-related government investigations and pre-dispute negotiations.

Jacqueline also regularly advises employers on federal and state employment-law compliance. She assists employers with developing and implementing workplace policies; drafting employee and employment-related agreements, including non-compete and other restrictive covenant agreements; preparing and updating employee handbooks; and drafting other employment-related documents and agreements. She also provides practical, real-time guidance to employers on issues and incidents that arise in the workplace, including handling employee harassment, discrimination, or retaliation complaints; evaluating employee requests for leave or accommodations; conducting internal workplace investigations; navigating disciplinary or personnel actions; and a wide variety of other workplace issues, large and small.

Representative Matters

  • Won summary judgment on behalf of employer in federal harassment and retaliation case.
  • Successfully defeated a summary judgment motion in a multi-count breach-of-contract and deceptive trade practices case on behalf of a business client, leading to resolution of claims out of court.
  • Successfully moved class-action Fair Labor Standards Act claims against employer from court to arbitration.
  • Assisted in blocking opponent’s demand for attorneys’ fees, resulting in six-to seven-figure reduction of client’s potential liability.
  • Assisted in winning summary judgment in complicated trade-secrets misappropriation case, leading to resolution of claims out of court.
  • Represented numerous employers in drafting and review of employment documents including employee handbooks, workplace policies, and employment agreements.
  • Represented businesses in negligence claims, defamation claims, contract disputes, and collections matters.
  • Represented employers of varying sizes against charges of gender, sexual orientation, race, age, and disability discrimination filed with federal, state, and local administrative agencies.
  • Represented employers of varying sizes against claims of wage-and-hour violations, trade secret misappropriation, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, in both federal and state court.​
  • Represented companies and individuals in prosecution and defense of non-compete and other restrictive covenant claims.

Honors and Distinctions

  • The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2024-2026
  • Florida Super Lawyers , Rising Stars, Employment Litigation: Defense, 2019-2025
  • Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Up & Comers, 2019
  • The Florida Bar Labor and Employment Section, Checkoff Newcoming Author of the Year Award, 2020

Professional Involvement

  • American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
  • Hillsborough County Bar Association, member
  • Florida Bar
  • Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL), Student Member
  • Bay Area Legal Services (BALS)
  • Tampa Connection, Class of 2020

Community Involvement

  • Kinney Karate, Martial Arts Instructor
  • Family Forms Clinic for Bay Area Legal Services
  • Stageworks Theatre, Community Engagement Committee

Thought Leadership