Overview
Richard M. Hanchett is a shareholder in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group. His practice areas include a broad range of employment law matters, including employment discrimination law, including Title VII, Chapter 760 of the Florida Statutes and other state and local antidiscrimination provisions; Family Medical Leave Act; Americans with Disabilities Act, including alleged employer discrimination and public accommodation/access claims; wage and hour issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Florida law; whistleblower claims; retaliation claims; drug testing and employee privacy in the workplace issues; employment contract disputes; noncompete and restrictive covenants, and employee background checks/FCRA compliance issues. Mr. Hanchett has handled numerous charges of discrimination and other employee issues with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Florida Commission on Human Rights and local government agencies.
Richard is experienced in products liability (personal injury and property damage claims) litigation representing medical device manufacturers and claims against distributors with respect to agricultural products (allegedly defective fungicide, mulch [film] and tomato stakes) and marine generators. He is also experienced in organ and tissue procurement law, and insurance coverage litigation.
Representative Matters
Employment Law
- Representing employers in arbitrations, formal and informal administrative hearings, bench and jury trials in state courts throughout Florida and jury trials in federal courts.
- Counseling clients in compliance issues, terminations, employee discipline, investigations, personnel practice audits and development, employee counseling and training. He also advises clients with respect to insurance coverage for employment claims and litigates such issues when necessary.
Products Liability
- Representation of medical device manufacturer in connection with wrongful death claim alleging failure of telemetry/monitoring devices.
- Represented medical device manufacturer/medical device maintenance provider in personal injury claim based on radiation burns received during imaging.
- Represented medical device manufacturer in connection with potential claim that infusion pump cause neonatal injury.
- Representation of manufacturer of electrical distribution and generation products in multiple personal injury and property damage claims involving transformers, generators, bus bars, uninterruptible power supply devices, and surge arresters.
Honors and Distinctions
- The Best Lawyers in America
- Litigation – Labor & Employment, 2020-2025
- Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025
- Employment Law – Management, 2023-2025
- Tampa Magazine’s Top Lawyers List, 2020-2024
- AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Florida Super Lawyers, 2011-2021 (10+ year recognition)
News
- Sixty-Three Attorneys from Trenam Law Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2025
- Forty-Eight Attorneys Recognized in Tampa Magazine’s Top Lawyers for 2024 – Two Attorneys Listed in Top Categories
- Broward County and Miami Beach Expand Anti-Discrimination Protections to Hair Texture and Style
- NLRB Issues Final Rule Lowering Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status
- Fifty-One Attorneys from Trenam Law Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024
- Forty-One Attorneys Listed in Tampa Magazine’s Top Lawyers for 2023
- Fifty-two Attorneys from Trenam Law Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2023 Four Attorneys Named “Lawyer of the Year”
- Twenty-Four Attorneys Listed in Tampa Magazine’s Top Lawyers for 2022
- Fifty-Four Attorneys from Trenam Law Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2022
- Forty-One Attorneys Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2021
- Twenty-Five Attorneys Listed as Top Lawyers 2021 by Tampa Magazine
- Twenty-Five Attorneys Listed as Top Lawyers 2021 by Tampa Magazine
- Fifty-Four Attorneys from Trenam Law Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021
- Forty-Seven Attorneys Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2020
- Trenam Law Attorneys Recognized as Top Lawyers 2020 by Tampa Magazine
- Forty-Six Attorneys from Trenam Law Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2020
- Forty-Nine Attorneys Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2019
- Forty-Seven Trenam Attorneys Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2018
- Forty-Five Trenam Attorneys Recognized in Florida Super Lawyers 2017
- Forty-Five Trenam Lawyers Named Florida Super Lawyers and Florida Rising Stars
- Twenty-Four Trenam Kemker Lawyers Named to the 2014 Super Lawyers Business Edition
- Fifty Trenam Kemker Lawyers Named Florida Super Lawyers and Florida Rising Stars
Thought Leadership
- “Federal Court Blocks FTC Non-Compete Rule From Taking Effect,” Employment Law Update, August 2024
- “DHS Introduces New Alternative Procedures for Remote Examination of Work Authorization Documents,” Employment Law Update, September 2023
- “NLRB Marks Return to Stricter Standard for Evaluating Workplace Policies,” Employment Law Update, September 2023
- “DOL Announces Proposed Rule to Increase the Minimum Salary Required for Exemptions from Overtime Pay Requirement,” Trenam Legal Update, September 2023
- “NLRB Decision Marks Return to Stricter Independent Contractor Test,” Employment Law Update, June 2023
- “Employers Face Increased Risks Associated with Entering Into Non-Competes and Other Restrictive Covenants with Employees,” Employment Law Update, June 2023
- “New Florida Law Further Restricts Employer COVID-19 Measures,” Employment Law Update, June 2023
- “Gov. DeSantis Signs Immigration Bill Imposing E-Verify and Other Requirements for Many Employers,” Employment Law Update, May 2023
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Issues Updated Summary of Rights Form,” Employment Law Update, May 2023
- “New Protections for Pregnant and Nursing Employees,” Employment Law Update, May 2023
- NLRB Issues Decision Limiting Employers’ Ability to Include Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Provisions in Separation Agreements,” Employment Law Update, May 2023
- “NLRB Issues Decision That May Restrict Workplace Civility Policies,” Employment Law Update, May 2023
- “DHS Ends Policy Allowing Flexibility for Employers to Verify Form I-9 Documents,” Employment Law Update, May 2023
- “Employment Law Update,” co-presenter with Alicia Koepke, Matthews Benefit Group 16th Annual Tax & Business Update, St. Petersburg, FL, June 2016