Christopher M. Bentley

Biography

Christopher M. Bentley is a Shareholder in the firm. He is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Florida Bar. Since 2008, Chris has counseled both public and private-sector employers across the country in all matters relating to employment law and labor relations. He has handled a wide range of litigation matters in federal and state court and has defended employers in a variety of matters including discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, breach of contract, wage and hour, retaliation, and state law torts. Chris enjoys working with clients to solve tough issues and vigorously defends them when necessary. Chris received his undergraduate degree from Stetson University and his law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2007. He has been recognized as one of Florida’s “Legal Elite Up and Coming” by Florida Trend, and as a Super Lawyers Rising Star. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky.

Professional and Community Involvement

• 2024 Chair Elect for the Advisory Board of the First Tee of Tampa Bay
• 2022 Chair of the 13^th Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee
• 2021 Chair of the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce
• Labor and Employment Wage and Hour Administration Committee, Florida Bar
• Labor and Employment Law NLRB and PERC Liaison Committee, Florida Bar
• Labor and Employment Law Special Projects Committee, Florida Bar
• Volunteer for Special Olympics

Publications and Speeches

• Florida Public Human Resources Association
  • (Speaker, Pitfalls that Public Employers Face under the FLSA, 2022)
• The Florida Bar
  • (Speaker, Public Sector Liability, 2020)
• South Tampa Chamber of Commerce
  • (Speaker, Assessing Risk Before and During Litigation, 2020)
• Hillsborough County Bar Association
  • (Author, Managing the Crisis: Challenges Employers Face as the Begin
  • Re-opening their Doors, 2020)
• Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
  • (Speaker, EEO-1: Are you ready for pay equity reporting, 2019)
  • (Speaker, Avoiding the Harassment Spotlight: Practical Solutions for Eliminating
  • Harassment for the Hospitality-Industry, 2018)
  • (Speaker, Effectively Litigating Employment Law Cases from Inception through End, 2017)
• Labor & Employment Law Section Certification Exam Review Course
  • (Speaker, Worker Place Privacy Issues, 2017)
• Grievance Handling & Arbitration
  • (Speaker, 2016)
• City, County & Local Government
  • (Speaker, 2015)