Adams and Reese is pleased to announce that Ben Bard, board certified by The Florida Bar in Labor and Employment Law and representing employers for more than 10 years, has joined the Tampa office of the AmLaw 200 and NLJ 500 law firm.
Previously, Bard was a shareholder at GrayRobinson and a Partner at Thompson, Sizemore, Gonzales & Hearing, practicing on the management side and serving private and public employers throughout the state of Florida. Bard has been ranked among Florida Super Lawyers’ “Rising Stars” for six consecutive years from 2018-2024.
“I am excited about my next chapter at Adams and Reese; one of my biggest draws to the law firm was the multi-state presence. The opportunity to now coordinate with attorneys from other offices to represent those clients more efficiently and effectively was an important part of my decision,” Bard said. “I met with members of the firm’s litigation practice group, labor and employment team, and attorneys in the Tampa office, and Adams and Reese is a great fit to work with my new colleagues to build our labor and employment practice across our Florida offices.”
Bard represents employers in litigation before state and federal courts, as well as federal and state agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, Department of Labor, among other federal, state, and local agencies. Bard has represented clients in a wide array of industries, including telecommunications, government, higher education, religious organizations, insurance, pharmaceutical, and retail pharmacy.
Bard advises employers proactively through the drafting and reviewing of policies, handbooks, and employee agreements, while also handling all types of employment litigation, including wage and hour disputes, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, accommodation of disabilities, and non-compete and confidentiality agreement disputes.
“Employers have a myriad of legal issues of concern in a post-pandemic workplace environment, and compliance with evolving state and federal regulations,” said Scott Hetrick, Adams and Reese Partner and Labor and Employment Team Leader. “Ben’s familiarity with and knowledge of the labor and employment laws that govern Florida state and local jurisdictions, and his more than decade of experience representing employers will all be a tremendous asset to our team as we continue to bolster our depth of employment law experience in Florida.”
Bard earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Tulane University Law School, and received his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Central Arkansas.