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Joyce Ackerbaum Cox

Joyce Ackerbaum Cox focuses her practice on advising and representing employers in a wide variety of employment issues. She litigates all types of matters involving discrimination, harassment and wage and hour claims. Additionally, she handles cases and provides consultation on accessibility compliance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) for both public and private employers.  She is a frequent speaker on employment law topics and often trains employers on proper hiring, disciplining and termination methods, sexual harassment, the ADA, the Family and Medical Leave Act and wage and hour issues.

Ms. Ackerbaum Cox serves as a core member of the firm’s national Noncompete and Trade Secrets Team, providing guidance on employee movement issues, including those arising from transactions and business acquisitions or sales. She represents employers in affirmative and defensive litigation regarding claims for violation of noncompetition and employment agreements, misappropriation of trade secrets and other unfair competition tactics. In addition, she works with organizations on a proactive basis, providing strategies designed to protect competitive elements.

Ms. Ackerbaum Cox has trial and arbitration experience and has argued successfully before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Additionally, she was listed in Florida Trend’s Legal Elite as one of the “Best Up-and-Coming Attorneys” in 2004. Ms. Ackerbaum Cox is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2011 editions, and has been named a Florida Super Lawyer since 2008. She has also been ranked as one of the nation’s leading employment and labor lawyers by Chambers USA since 2006, and maintains an AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Some of Ms. Ackerbaum Cox’s more notable client works include:

• Represented Siemens Energy in a case against four former employees and their new employer, a competitor, for trade secret misappropriation, tortious interference and breach of contract. Following intensive discovery, including significant electronic discovery issues, a stipulated permanent injunction was obtained by Siemens against all defendants.
• Successfully defended the City of Orlando in a reverse discrimination case brought by a white firefighter challenging the City’s affirmative action plan and the validity of certain promotions under the City’s plan. The City won the case at trial and it was subsequently upheld on all counts at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Represented a major financial institution in a case against three former employees and their new employer, a competitor, for breach of non-competition agreements, tortious interference and defamation, and obtained an extremely favorable settlement including permanent injunctive relief against all defendants and significant monetary payment to the financial institution.
• Defended Ocean Spray in a 35-plaintiff race discrimination and sexual harassment case. Summary judgments or voluntary dismissals were obtained by Ocean Spray against a great majority of the plaintiffs and the remainder of the case was resolved on very favorable terms for the company.
• Successfully defeated class certification in FLSA cases for two different pari-mutuel facilities sued for alleged violations of the FLSA’s tip-pooling requirements. These victories quickly resulted in extremely favorable settlements for the clients.

Ms. Ackerbaum Cox is a board member of the Jewish Community Center, a member of the Orange County and American Bar Associations (Labor & Employment Law Section), Florida and Federal Bar Associations. She is also a member of the Academy of Florida Management Attorneys (AFMA) and previously served on the Grievance Committee for the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division.