Jennifer B. Compton

Chair, Management Committee and Sarasota Managing Partner

Shumaker Professionals Jennifer B. Compton
Jennifer B. Compton
Jennifer B. Compton

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Education
  • J.D., with honors, Cumberland School of Law of Samford University, 1997
  • B.A., University of Florida, 1994
Service Lines
Business Sectors

With over 20 years practicing employment law counseling and litigation, Jennifer has a wealth of experience which she attributes to the variety of clients she guides through the changes in law, the economy, and the world.

Known for her client-focused legal advice, Jennifer makes a point to understand business aspects in addition to the legal issues, thus enabling her to work shoulder-to-shoulder with her clients. She primarily represents employers and provides assistance in preventative counseling and the defense of litigation brought by current and former employees. Regularly practicing in federal and state courts, as well as in arbitration, areas of defense recently handled by Jennifer include claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Florida Whistleblower Act, Florida Civil Rights Act, and Florida Trade Secret Act. She also frequently litigates to enforce non-competition and non-solicitation agreements against former employees, as well as defending claims for enforcement on behalf of employers who have hired new employees subject to such covenants. Additionally, Jennifer works with executives separating out from local, regional, and national employers, including the areas of severance and restrictive covenants. Jennifer frequently is commissioned by employers and governing bodies as an independent investigator for employment claims and violation of policies at public and private companies, as well as in government and quasi-governmental entities. She is a frequent lecturer on employment law and litigation issues for employers.

When not practicing law, Jennifer enjoys raising her family and supporting Sarasota, the community where she grew up, met, and married her high school sweetheart. She is particularly proud of her involvement as secretary, executive committee member, and board member for The Bay Park Conservancy, which is developing a master plan for 54 acres of city-owned land on the Sarasota Bayfront and seen by many as the single largest undertaking to impact Sarasota for the next 50-100 years.

Media Mentions:

  • $59 million trade secret judgment against a former employee who misappropriated trade secrets and set up manufacturing out of the country.
  • Defense judgment in a racial discrimination claim by a terminated employee of a large manufacturer.
  • Enforcement of non-competes by way of injunction and damages against former sales representatives.
  • Resolution and compliance under an EEOC Consent Decree for alleged disability discrimination against a large health care facility.
  • Successful defense of gender discrimination and pay disparity claim against a multi-state employer.

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  • Business Sectors
  • Service Lines
  • Education
    • J.D., with honors, Cumberland School of Law of Samford University, 1997
    • B.A., University of Florida, 1994
  • Bar and Court Admissions
    • Alabama, 1999
    • Florida, 1997
    • All Federal District Courts, Florida
  • Professional and community affiliations
    • The Bay Park Conservancy (The Bay), Chair of the Board of Directors
    • Sarasota County Bar Association
    • City of Sarasota, Hearing Officer
    • Diversity Law Institute, Member
    • Gulfside Bank, Founding Board Member and Vice-Chair 
    • International Women's Forum, Florida Suncoast 
    • Leadership Sarasota, Class of 2011
    • Girls Inc., past Board member and past President
    • Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, past Board of Directors, past Executive Committee Member
  • Honors
    • AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
    • Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
    • Sarasota Magazine's Women of Influence, 2023
    • Legal Elite Notable Managing Partners, Florida Trend magazine, 2023
    • SRQ Magazine: Elite Top Attorneys, Labor and Employment, 2020 - 2022
    • Florida Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine, 2013 - 2023
    • Florida Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine, 2011 - 2012

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