Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP, a leading nationwide litigation law firm, is pleased to announce that Jessica Farrelly has joined the Firm as a partner in the Tampa office.

Ms. Farrelly concentrates her practice in labor and employment law and also has substantial experience in complex and catastrophic litigation. Her extensive employment litigation experience includes representing employers in the defense of all types of employment law claims at the administrative, trial, and appellate levels. In the state and federal courts in Florida and Massachusetts, Ms. Farrelly has litigated claims of race, national origin, sex, pregnancy, religious discrimination, and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act; age

discrimination claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; disability discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act; and wage and hour claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Ms. Farrelly has defended similar discrimination and harassment claims under state law, as well as retaliation claims under Florida’s workers’ compensation retaliation statute and the public and private sector Whistleblower Acts.

Ms. Farrelly also represents management before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Florida Commission on Human Relations. She has conducted workplace investigations involving allegations of employee misconduct, sexual and other harassment, discrimination, and bullying.

Ms. Farrelly regularly provides practical counseling and risk management guidance to management and assists with developing proactive measures to minimize future risk and liability. She assists employers with a broad range of employment issues, such as analyzing staffing arrangements, drafting employment and independent contractor agreements, and guiding management and human resources personnel through potential pitfalls related to interviewing, hiring, performance evaluations, discipline, accommodations, and terminations. Ms. Farrelly also collaborates with employers regarding the review and drafting of handbooks and policy manuals. She provides tailored in-house training regarding discrimination, harassment, discipline, and other employment law issues.

Ms. Farrelly also has broad-based litigation experience handling cases for private companies, professional services, public entities, and non-profits in an array of civil matters. Her clients also include community associations and HOAs. She has successfully litigated claims involving wrongful death, negligence, premises liability, over-service or dram shop allegations, professional liability, construction, and other complex commercial liability matters. Throughout her career, Ms. Farrelly has won jury trials in state and federal courts in both the State of Florida, as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Ms. Farrelly also has significant appellate experience. She has successfully handled appeals and argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the Appeals Court of Massachusetts, and the District Court of Appeals in Florida, First and Fifth Districts.

Outside of work, Ms. Farrelly is an avid runner who completed the Boston Marathon. She was also a Division I tennis

player while at the University of Dayton. She currently enjoys watching her son play basketball, and her daughter performs on stage.

Ben Mathis, Managing Partner at Freeman Mathis & Gary, said, "Jessica brings us a wealth of employment law experience and also a broad-based litigation background that will be of great value to our clients. She is a terrific trial lawyer with a proven record of success. We look forward to Jessica’s leadership in continuing to build our Tampa office and growing FMG’s team throughout the State of Florida.