Lara Peppard advises and defends private and public-sector employers in labor and employment-related matters, including discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wage and hour issues, whistleblowing, reductions in force, and restrictive covenants. Lara also regularly conducts workplace investigations.
Lara litigates a wide range of cases in federal and state courts in Florida and has defended a variety of lawsuits arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII, the Florida Civil Rights Act, the Florida Whistleblower Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, as well as other federal and state laws. She regularly handles class action and collective action cases involving wage and hour issues. Additionally, Lara handles disability access issues under Titles II and III of the ADA.
Additionally, Lara frequently represents employers before governmental administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, and the Department of Labor. Lara also handles fair housing complaints before the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Florida Commission on Human Relations. Lara regularly advises and counsels clients regarding a variety of fair housing issues, including assistance animals.
After obtaining her degree in English and American Literature, Lara lived for an extended time in Chiapas, Mexico, where she taught English and became fluent in Spanish. Upon her return to the United States, prior to attending law school, she successfully oversaw a local branch of a national test preparation company, where she gained practical human resources and management experience.
