Overview
Steve Bernstein is a partner in the firm's Tampa office, and co-chairs the firm’s Labor Relations practice group.
Steve maintains a traditional labor practice in which he represents employers throughout the United States in both state and federal courts, as well as before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and other state and federal agencies.
In the process, Steve has played a primary role in advising clients on union-related matters. Steve has also acquired a sophisticated level of experience with regard to advising clients on compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), the Family and Medical Leave (FMLA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
A significant portion of his practice is devoted to the implementation of preventive employee relations programs that include supervisory training as well as the development and administration of effective human resources policies and practices.
Previously, Steve worked for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and with the Minority Staff of the U.S. Senate Labor Committee.
Experience
Representative Work
Honors & Leadership
Honors & Awards
- Named, Lawyer of the Year for Labor and Employment Litigation, Tampa, 2018
- Named Outstanding Labor and Employment Law School Student by the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Florida Bar
- Named, Lawyer of the Year, Labor Law-Management, Tampa, 2017 and 2019
- Listed by the Labor Relations Institute (LRI) as one of the "Top 100 Labor Attorneys" in the U.S. since 2006
- "AV" Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Listed in Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business since 2011
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America since 2012
- Florida Super Lawyers since 2012
- Named one of the "People to Know" in Tampa/Hillsborough County by Florida Trend in 2014
Professional Activities
- Member, Pepin Academy Foundation Board of Directors
- Past Chair – Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce
- Member, Advisory Board for Quest, Inc.
- Past President, Academy of Florida Management Attorneys
- Co-Chair to the Labor & Employment Section of the Hillsborough Bar Association
- Member, ABA Committee on Federal Labor Standards Legislation, Subcommittee on USERRA
- Chief Editor, Florida Employment Law Manual
Insights
News
- 5.9.19
- Firm Also Ranked Among the Best in the U.S. for Labor & Employment Law4.25.19
- 12.29.18
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- Firm Also Ranked Among the Best for Labor & Employment Law5.3.18
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- Firm Also Ranked Among the Best for Labor & Employment Law5.30.17
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- 1.11.17
- After serving as Chair-Elect in 2017, Steve Bernstein will become Chair in 201812.27.16
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- Steve Bernstein’s term as Legal Counsel begins January 1, 201312.14.12
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- Steve Bernstein's Three-Year Term Begins January 1, 201212.23.11
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- National Labor and Employment Law Firm Enhances Tampa Presence9.29.08
Seminars & Speaking Engagements
- 4.19.17
- One Day, Many Solutions Tampa4.21.16
- Webinar9.14.15
- Webinar4.27.15
- Webinar1.22.15
- 3.10.14
- 3.10.14
- When Our Soldiers Come Marching Home – Reintegrating Returning Veterans Into the Workforce - Webinar5.9.13
- 5.6.13
- 4.18.13
- "Labor Law Developments" - The American Forest & Paper Association
3.7.14. - Co-Chair – South Florida’s Premier Labor & Employment Conference – The Seminar Group - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
9.20.12 - 9.21.12 - “Update on Recent NLRB Developments - National Association of Professional Employer Organizations -Washington, D.C.
5.22.12 - “Dealing with the Latest Developments at the NLRB - Webinar - Associated Builders & Contractors, Florida East Coast Chapter
4.19.12 - “Winning Unemployment Compensation Cases” - Florida Beer Wholesalers Association - Orlando, FL
4.18.12 - “New Regulatory Developments Impacting Union Organizing, Social Media and Background Checks” - National Association of Convenience Stores H.R. Forum - Orlando, FL
3.6.12 - “What Every Employer Needs to Know About the NLRB “ - Association of Corporate Counsel, Orlando Chapter- Orlando, FL
2.16.12 - “Keeping Your Company One Step Ahead with HR Regulations” - National Association of Convenience Stores Annual Meeting - Chicago, IL
10.1.11 - “Implementing a Strategy to Maintain an Independent Workforce” - Inside Counsel 3rd Annual Labor Symposium - Chicago, IL
10.5.11 - Co-Chair - South Florida's Premier Labor & Employment Conference - The Seminar Group - Miami, FL
9.20.11 - 9.21.11 - “Containing the Cost of Workers' Compensation” - HR Florida
8.28.11 - “FLSA Overtime Exemption for Service Writers: Fact vs. Fiction” - Suncoast Automotive Accountants Association - Tampa, FL
5.23.11 - “A Proactive Strategy for Lawful But Effective Discipline and Discharge” - Association of Legal Administrators - Tampa, FL
5.11.11 - “Legislative Update, Unions and the New NLRB” - National Association of Convenience Stores H.R. Forum - Atlanta, GA
3.8.11
Articles
- 5.10.16
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- 9.10.13
- 8.7.13
- 7.1.13
- 3.28.12
- 9.7.11
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- 7.24.07
Blog Posts
- Government Relations Blog12.2.14
Legal Alerts
- 4.1.19
- 1.25.19
- 1.14.19
- 12.28.18
- 12.27.18
- 10.2.18
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- 9.13.18
- John Ring’s Confirmation Gives NLRB 3-2 Republican Majority4.13.18
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- Labor Board Continues Effort To Assist Organized Labor7.11.16
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Practices
- Employee Leaves
- Collective Bargaining
- Layoffs and Plant Closings
- NLRB Practice
- Strike Defense and Contingency Planning
- Union Campaigns and Elections
- Compliance Audits and Counseling
- Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
- Automotive Dealership
- Labor Relations
- OSHA Inspections and Litigation
Education
- University of Florida College of LawJ.D. 1990, with honors
- Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor RelationsB.S. 1987
Bar Admissions
- Florida
- Georgia
Court Admissions
- Georgia Court of Appeals
- Georgia Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia