Caren S. Marlowe

Caren’s experience includes, but is not limited to the following:

Litigation – Unfair Competition and Protection of Clients’ Business Interests

Caren has obtained several injunctions enforcing restrictive covenants against clients’ former employees, including obtaining an injunction for a national technology company against its top competitor and a group of former sales executives. Caren has also defended motions for injunctive relief to protect clients’ business investments in their employees and ability to compete in the market.

Litigation – Employment

Caren has successfully defended companies in court and in front of state and federal agencies against claims of discrimination and harassment, retaliation, whistleblowing, including claims brought under the FMLA, ADA, Title VII, and state laws.

Wage and Hour

Caren has represented clients in single plaintiff and collective actions arising out of the Fair Labor Standards Act and similar state laws, achieving favorable settlements on behalf of the companies.

Advice and Counseling

On a daily basis, Caren provides advice to employers addressing workplace and human resource issues including termination, application of company policy, discipline, hiring, ADA compliance, wages and other matters. Caren works with clients to avoid litigation and to protect the employers’ interests should litigation later arise. Caren has prepared and revised employee handbooks for small and multi-state employers, drafted and revised employment agreements and restrictive covenants, and assisted with internal investigations and audits. Caren regularly provides on-site training to supervisors, management and employees regarding all areas of employment law and compliance.

Education

• J.D., University of Florida Levin College of Law, 2001
• Certificate in International and Comparative Law, University of Florida, 2001
• B.A., University of Florida, 1997

Admission to Practice

• Florida
• U.S. District Court, Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida

• Florida Bar Association
• Hillsborough County Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section)
• American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section)
• Ocala Human Resources Management Association

• Ogletree Deakins Podcast – “Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2024: Effective Collaboration Between HR and Other Business Leaders” – May 21, 2024
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Tales From the Trenches: Document Disasters … and How to Prevent Them” – San Diego – May 12, 2023
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Give Your Restrictive Covenants a Little Love: Recent State Law Changes and the FTC’s Proposed Noncompete Rule ” – February 14, 2023
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Top Multistate Compliance Issues, Part I: Employee Handbooks and Nondisclosure and Noncompetition Agreements in the Age of Remote Work” – September 13, 2022
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Negotiating Executive Compensation Arrangements—Employer Best Practices” – Phoenix – May 5, 2022
• Ogletree Deakins Podcast – “In The Breakroom With Bill, Episode 2: Restrictive Covenants” – September 9, 2021
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Reopening Florida: An Update for Florida Employers” – May 15, 2020
• Managing a Workforce in 2020 – “Avoiding Documentation Drama: Strategies for Managing and Improving Documentation” – Tampa – October 2, 2019
• VACO Employment Law Seminar – “What Florida Human Resource Professionals Need to Know for 2017” – Tampa – February 2017
• Ogletree Deakins Seminar – “Winning Employment Lawsuits” – Tampa – November 2016
• VACO Employment Law Seminar – “What to Expect When Your Employee is Expecting” – Tampa – July 2016
• HR Tampa – “Preparing for the New Overtime Regulations” – Tampa – June 2016
• Ogletree Deakins Seminar – “Maximizing Employee Success Through Effective Onboarding” – Tampa – October 2015
• VACO Employment Law Seminar – “Terminations, Layoffs and Reductions in Force” – Tampa – October 2015
• VACO Employment Law Seminar – “Are You Sure You Want to Put That in Writing” – Tampa – June 2015
• VACO Employment Law Seminar – “Restrictive Covenants 101” – Tampa – March 2015
• Ogletree Deakins Seminar – “Can’t You Hear The Whistle Blowing? Ethics Compliance Programs, Best Practices, And Managing Investigations” – Tampa – September 2014
• Ogletree Deakins Seminar – “Wage and Hour Madness: Complying with the FLSA in the Modern World” – Tampa – September 2014
• OHRMA Seminar – “Are You Afraid of Your Employees? Why You Should Get Beyond the Fear of Firing” – Ocala – July 2014
• SHRM Jacksonville Conference – “C’Mon Man! Outrageous Employment Lawsuits and What HR Can Learn From Them” – Jacksonville – April 11, 2014
• Ogletree Deakins Briefing – “Minimizing Liability Under the FLSA” – Tampa – April 8, 2014
• WON/WLN Combined Leadership Meeting – “Employment Law Update” – Tampa – March 5, 2014
• Ogletree Deakins Briefing – “Auditing Your Employee Handbook and Workplace Policies (Bring them with you!)” – Tampa – January 14, 2014
• Ogletree Deakins Seminar – “Real World FMLA Season Two” – Tampa – October 2013
• Employment Law Seminar – “Deal or No Deal, Dealing with Difficult Accommodation Issues” – Tampa – February 2013
• Employment Law Seminar – “Whining & Dining: Avoiding Whistleblower & Retaliation Claims” – Tampa – February 2012
• Employment Law Seminar – “Tabloid Headlines: Dealing with Off-Duty Conduct” – Tampa – March 2011
• Labor and Employment Law Workshop – “Building the Dream Team – Hiring & Pre-Employment Issues” – April 2010

• August 1, 2016 – ACC West Central Florida – “‘Convincing Mosaic’ Is Not A Legal Test, Say The Creators Of The Test”
• March/April 2016 – Hillsborough County Bar Association Lawyer Magazine – “EEOC Advances Its Interpretation of Title VII’s Protection Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination”

• Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2024)
• Best Lawyers in America (2019-present)
• Florida Super Lawyers (2020-2024)
• Florida Super Lawyers ‘Rising Star’ (2010-2015)
• Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite (2008)