Chris Shulman has extensive experience mediating and arbitrating disputes involving labor, employment, and civil rights claims under federal and Florida laws, including, without limitation:

• Fair Labor Standards Act (requiring payment of overtime and a minimum wage)
• Florida minimum wage laws
• Equal Employment Opportunity laws (such as Title VII, ADEA, ADA, GINA, Fla. Civil Rights Act which, between them, prohibit discrimination based on: race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, retaliation for protected EEO conduct – also genetic information (federal) and marital status (Florida))
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (requiring most employers to provide up to 12 weeks’ unpaid leave per year to employees who’ve worked for the employer at least one year (and at least 1250 hours in the twelve months preceding leave) based on certain qualifying conditions; prohibiting interference with an employee’s FMLA rights or retaliation against an employee for engaging in protected FMLA conduct)
• Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) (requiring most employers to protect the jobs of deployed service members in most cases)
• Florida Worker’s Compensation Act (especially the provisions prohibit retaliation for making a claim for compensation or benefits)
• Individual Employment Contract disputes (discharge or bonus/commission claims)
• Union/Management Collective Bargaining disputes (grievance arbitration)
• ADA Title II Public Accommodation claims
• Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) claims

Chris Shulman has extensive experience mediating or arbitrating disputes involving residential and commercial mortgage foreclosure actions, residential and commercial construction defect and warranty claims, Homeowner Association or Condominium Association disputes, title insurance claims, and real estate sales escrow disbursements.

Chris Shulman has substantial experience mediating or arbitrating disputes involving breach of contract and warranty claims, commercial loans and collections, and dissolution of partnerships, LLCs and closely-held corporations.

Chris Shulman has substantial experience mediating and arbitrating disputes involving the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act, and other federal and state laws prohibiting unfair and deceptive acts or practices.

Chris Shulman has substantial experience mediating and arbitrating disputes involving the following types of insurance claims: sinkhole and other casualty; personal injury.

Chris Shulman is certified as a Family Mediator, and mediates pre- and post-judgment divorce matters as well as domestic partner dissolutions.  He assists divorcing spouses or dissolving partners resolve disputes over: parental timesharing (what used to be known as “child custody”); equitable distribution of joint property and debts; arrangement for alimony, child support, or other support obligations; and any other matters the parties wish to address.  In the mediation process, you, the parties, are empowered to make these important decisions, decisions which will literally affect the rest of your lives, rather than having a judge, who may know nothing about what matters to you, make such decisions. If you and your spouse/partner are not represented by attorneys because you are trying to limit the expense of your divorce or dissolution, pro se mediation – i.e., divorce mediation without lawyers – may be the option for you.  As a member of the afriendlydivorce.com network, Chris mediates pro se divorces.  Please note, if you reach an agreement at mediation, Chris recommends you still consult an attorney about the terms of the agreement before signing; many attorneys are willing to consult with you, without you having to retain them to represent you in court.  Once you’ve signed a mediated marital settlement agreement, Chris can also help you prepare the court-approved documents required to file an uncontested divorce for an additional fee.

Collaborative law is an alternative to traditional, adversarial litigation, where both parties, and their lawyers, commit to working together over the course of several meetings to reach a negotiated resolution of their dispute.  With their respective counsel working together, the parties explore resolution through interest-based bargaining, rather than positional, win-lose negotiation.  The process is characterized by the parties sharing information transparently and hiring a single professional in any area(s) needed (such as finances, mental health, etc.) to render opinions and assistance to them both, rather than each of them hiring their own professional in these areas.   As a trained Collaborative Lawyer, Chris Shulman serves as the neutral facilitator in collaborative law processes.