A former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida, Deborah Stephens Minnis advises and represents management-side clients in a variety of labor and employment law matters.
Deborah Stephens Minnis is a shareholder with the firm where she focuses her practice on labor and employment law. She also represents various local government bodies.
Deborah regularly represents and advises management clients in employment discrimination matters including the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Pregnancy Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, Title VII, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and other civil rights acts, as well as, state law employment tort claims.
Additionally, Deborah has practice experience as a management consultant and as a litigator in judicial, administrative, and appellate forums. Prior to joining Ausley McMullen, she worked as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida.
- Martin v. Department of Economic Opportunity – Defense Summary Judgment granted in a multi-count discrimination case.
- Mullings v. Leon County School Board -Zero Jury Verdict in student injury case.
- Presha v. Leon County School Board – Litigated and managed resolution of district-wide class action suit relating to suit for minimum wage and overtime
- Working with employers in drafting and revising employment handbooks, policies and procedures
- Training of and consulting with employers on properly classifying employees under the exemptions to overtime and other provisions under the Fair Labor Standards Act
- Providing training and consultation for employer on the Family and Medical Leave Act
- Consulting with employers on employee discipline and terminations
Education
- Florida State University, J.D., 1983
- University of Georgia, B.S, 1985
Bar Admissions
- State of Florida (1985)
- United States District Court for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida
- Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
- Tallahassee Bar Association
- Board of Directors, Legal Aid Foundation, past treasurer, secretary and vice president
- Former member, Civil Justice Reform Act Committee
- Second Judicial Circuit Gender Bias Study Commission
- Tallahassee Women Lawyers Association, past president, board of directors
- Adjunct Professor, Florida State University College of Law, 2003
- Tallahassee Memorial Foundation Board of Directors (Chair 2020-2022)
- Tallahassee Memorial Health Care Board of Directors (Ex-Officio)
- Florida Board of Bar Examiners (2015-2020)
- Northern District Examination Committee
- Leadership Tallahassee Board of Governors (1996-1997)
- Leadership Tallahassee Class X
- Coordinator and host for the Northern District Court Naturalization Ceremony (1993-2003)
- Florida Trend, Legal Elite , 2012
- AV Preeminent – Martindale Hubbell
- Florida Dental Association Convention, June 2021 – Presenter – “Contracts-What am I signing”
- Florida Dental Association Convention, June 2021 – Presenter “I’m in Charge of What?"
- Florida Dental Association – Presenter - "Harassment in the Workplace" – April 2016
- CCBG – “Isn’t Florida an Employment At-Will State” – Presenter – July 2017
- Florida Veteran’s Preference 2017
- Today’s FDA-Avoiding Hiring Pitfalls – April 2020
- Today’s FDA-Bringing Balance to HR Management – September 2019
- Today’s FDA-Restrictive Covenants – February 2019
- Today’s FDA-Is Diversity That Important – August 2021
- Today’s FDA-Job References – August 2020
- Today’s FDA-Service Animals – June 2018
- Today’s FDA-Non-employee Harassment – August 2019
- Today’s FDA-Co-worker On Drugs – June 2019