Overview
Lisa Berg is a highly sought-after counselor for national employers on a range of issues, including employment policies, agreements, compliance, and litigation avoidance.
- Chambers USA 2024
Lisa Berg is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Labor and Employment Law and has more than 30 years of experience providing advice and counseling to employers of all sizes to minimize risk of labor & employment litigation.
Lisa exclusively represents management in labor & employment matters, and has experience in a diverse group of industries, including healthcare, pharmaceutical, information technology, education, airline, manufacturing, automobile, legal, housing, construction, arts, professional sports, propane, banking, real estate, financial, hospitality, and retail.
An important focus of Lisa's practice is litigation avoidance and identifying problems before they occur. To this end, she has assisted our clients in designing and implementing personnel policies and procedures; drafting employment, consulting, independent contractor, severance, and non-competition agreements; conducting internal audits to identify potential legal problems; investigating sexual harassment and other unlawful discrimination charges; training supervisors regarding compliance with all applicable labor and employment laws; and managing employee terminations. On a daily basis, Lisa provides advice to clients concerning all aspects of the employment relationship, such as: reductions-in-force; employee discipline, evaluation and discharge; wage and hour practices; accommodation of disabilities; family and medical leave; drug abuse and testing; and workplace privacy and data security. In addition, Lisa appears before the EEOC and state and local EEO agencies to handle charges or complaints of discrimination, and works with in-house legal counsel and human resource professionals to prepare position statements and produce other data designed to prevent potential lawsuits.
Lisa also has considerable expertise in all areas of traditional labor law, including management of employer responses to union organizational campaigns (both corporate campaigns and election petitions), representation of employers during representation case hearings before the National Labor Relations Board, training supervisors to avoid unfair labor practice charges and lawsuits, litigation of unfair labor practice charges, prevention and management of picketing and strikes, negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, development of policies and procedures to maintain a union-free workplace, arbitrating grievances, managing union decertifications, and establishing positive working relationships with unions already representing clients’ employees. In addition, Lisa counsels clients on union avoidance and has conducted hundreds of seminars for clients and professional organizations on how to remain union-free.
Prior to joining the Firm, Lisa gained legislative experience working in Washington, D.C. for Congressman Matthew McHugh, as well as with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee ("AIPAC"). Lisa also clerked for the United States Department of Justice, Office of Special Investigations, the division assigned to prosecute Nazi war criminals. She was selected by the U.S. Government to work in former East Germany (Alexanderplatz), shortly after the fall of communism, to research Nazi and concentration camp files in the East German National Archives.
Lisa is a Past President of the Academy of Florida Management Attorneys. Lisa also is a regular contributor to the firm’s labor and employment law blog, BeLabor the Point and is a Co-Editor and contributor to the Florida Employment Law Letter.
Representative Experience
- Assisted national employers in creating pandemic-response plans and managing complex and novel COVID-19 issues.
- Successfully defeated numerous union organizing campaigns.
- Handles grievances, arbitrations, and mediations.
- Develops employee handbooks and supervisor manuals for employers of all sizes and industries.
- Assists clients in drafting enforceable employment, consulting, nondisclosure, and noncompetition agreements.
- Conducts internal audits to identify potential legal problems under a broad category of labor and employment laws.
- Conducts internal investigations, including claims of discrimination and harassment.
- Assists clients with developing cybersecurity policies, processes, and training to reduce the risk of a workplace data security breaches and respond appropriately when one occurs.
- Conducts companywide and supervisor training on a variety of topics, including workplace harassment, EEO compliance, FMLA, ADA, PWFA, military leave, workplace violence, litigation prevention, background checks, internal investigations, and layoffs.
- Advises clients concerning all aspects of the employment relationship, such as: reductions-in-force, corporate restructuring, employee hiring, discipline, evaluation, discharge, and retention; wage and hour practices; accommodation of disabilities, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions; family and medical leave issues; artificial intelligence, drug abuse and testing; workplace technology, and employee privacy issues.
- Defends employers in claims brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Law, the Equal Pay Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and other federal, state and local EEO laws and regulations.
- Handles disputes involving the Fair Labor Standards Act (including Department of Labor investigations), the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the WARN Act (which regulates plant closings and mass layoffs).
- Regularly appears before the EEOC and state and local EEO agencies to handle charges or complaints of discrimination, and works with in-house legal counsel and personnel departments to prepare position statements and produce other data designed to prevent potential lawsuits.
- Handles due diligence regarding complex labor and employment law issues in corporate acquisitions and sales.
- Defends charges and claims of housing discrimination, including fair housing issues involving tax credit properties.
Professional & Community Involvement
- Co-Editor, Southeast Employment Law Letter, January 2020-Present
- Co-Editor, Florida Employment Law Letter, February 2014-Present
- Pocket Guide to Florida Employment Laws, Copyright Stearns Weaver Miller 2012-Present
- Florida Chapter Editor, 50 Employment Laws in 50 States, BLR, 2023
- Academy of Florida Management Attorneys (AFMA)
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- President & Director, 2020
- Treasurer, 2018
- Director & Sergeant at Arms, 2017
- Miami City Ballet
- Pro Bono Counsel, 1992-Present
- Board of Trustees, 2005-2012
- Greater Miami Jewish Federation (GMJF)
- Board of Directors, 2008-2010
- Pro Bono Counsel, 2005-Present
- Past Chairman, Board of Directors of Young Leadership Division (YLD), 2003-2004 and 2004-2005
- Leadership Council, 2005-Present
- American Jewish Committee (AJC)
- Board of Directors, 2008-2019
- Chair of Nominating Committee, 2009-Present
- Chair of ACCESS (Young Leadership Division of AJC in Miami, 2008-2010
- Sholom Comay Fellowship, 2007-2008
- Jewish Federations of North America, National Young Leadership Cabinet 2003-2010
- United Way, Young Leaders Society, 2000-2007
- Dade County Bar Association, 1993-2012
- American Bar Association, 1993-Present
- Regional Management Chair, Committee on Practice and Procedure under the NLRA, 2002-Present
Recognition
- Chambers USA, Labor & Employment (Florida), 2021-Present
- Florida Trend, Legal Elite NOTABLE – Labor & Employment Lawyers, 2024
- Florida Super Lawyers, Star Search, 2010
- Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Stanley C. Myers Presidents’ Young Leadership Award, 2009
- American Jewish Committee, Sholom Comay Fellow, 2007-2008
- South Florida Business Journal, Up and Comer’s Award, 2002
- South Florida Legal Guide, Up-and-Coming Attorneys in South Florida, 2002
- South Florida Business Journal, Up and Comer’s Finalist, 2001
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Publications & Presentations
Publications:
The EEOC Final Rule on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Takes Effect
BeLabor the Point Blog|June 2024
Publications:
Co-Editor, Southeast Employment Law Letter
Southeast Employment Law Letter|May 2024
Publications:
Co-Editor, Southeast Employment Law Letter
Southeast Employment Law Letter|February 2024
Publications:
Co-Editor, Southeast Employment Law Letter
Southeast Employment Law Letter|January 2024
Publications:
Co-Editor, Southeast Employment Law Letter
Southeast Employment Law Letter|December 2023
Publications:
Co-Editor, Southeast Employment Law Letter
Southeast Employment Law Letter|October 2023
Publications:
Co-Editor, Southeast Employment Law Letter
Southeast Employment Law Letter|September 2023
Publications:
Co-Editor, Southeast Employment Law Letter
Southeast Employment Law Letter|August 2023
Newsroom
In the Media:
Florida Trend Legal Elite NOTABLE: Labor & Employment Lawyers
Florida Trend: September 2024|September 2024
Firm Announcements:
Three Stearns Weaver Miller Shareholders Selected as Florida Trend’s Legal Elite NOTABLE – Labor & Employment Lawyers
September 2024
Firm Announcements:
35 Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers and 11 Practice Areas Ranked In Chambers USA 2024
June 2024
Firm Announcements:
29 Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers in 11 Practice Areas Ranked In Chambers USA 2023
June 2023
Firm Announcements:
28 Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers in 12 Practice Areas Ranked In Chambers USA 2022
June 2022
Events, Firm Announcements, In the Media, Labor & Employment News Update, Publications:
Breaking Through the Noise: Labor & Employment Issues Post-Pandemic
Stearns Weaver Miller News Program Special|June 2021
In the Media:
Hear from Marlins, Fisher Island and EEOC leaders about post-COVID labor issues
Miami Herald|June 2021
Firm Announcements:
29 Stearns Weaver Miller Lawyers in 12 Practice Areas Ranked In Chambers USA 2021
May 2021