April Boyer

Practice Areas

April Boyer is a partner in the firm's Labor, Employment, and Workplace Safety practice. She focuses her practice on employment law and complex commercial litigation where she serves as lead trial counsel for companies involved in disputes in state and federal courts, arbitrations, and before administrative agencies. She handles all aspects of litigation including preliminary and permanent injunction hearings, evidentiary hearings, bench trials, arbitrations, and jury trials. As described in more detail in the Achievements section, April has been recognized by her peers for her accomplishments, including being listed in Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Labor Law-Management and Employment Litigation. She also is an AV-rated lawyer — the highest available rating given by Martindale Hubbell for legal ability and professional ethics.

In the area of complex commercial litigation, April helps companies resolve their business disputes with competitors, customers, vendors, and others with whom they conduct business. Much of her experience relates to disputes between competitors, including misappropriation of trade secret claims, breaches of nonsolicitation and nondisclosure provisions contained in business contracts (such as letters of intent, purchase agreements, and joint venture agreements), and tortious interference with contracts and business relationships. She also prosecutes and defends other business dispute claims including breach of contract claims, violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, consumer fraud, slander/defamation, and other civil disputes.

In the area of employment law, April defends employers faced with employment law disputes such as wage and hour claims, discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation lawsuits, whistleblower actions, and ERISA fiduciary duty claims. She also has significant experience litigating misappropriation of trade secrets claims and breaches of restrictive covenants (e.g., noncompete, nonsolicit, and nondisclosure agreements). As lead counsel, April has handled a myriad of restrictive covenant/trade secret injunction proceedings. While most of these cases resolve at the injunction phase, she served as lead counsel for the plaintiff/competitor in a jury trial where the plaintiff was awarded compensatory and punitive damages for breach of its restrictive covenants and tortious interference by competitor with those contracts.

In addition to resolving employment disputes when they occur, April counsels her clients on employment issues before they become disputes. In the area of restrictive covenants and trade secrets, she drafts and interprets the enforceability of contracts containing these provisions. April trains and counsels employers on making day-to-day employment decisions to ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations. She also assists employers in conducting internal audits to ensure legal compliance, represents employers when being audited by state and federal regulatory agencies, and advises companies and their Officers and Directors in company investigations (including ethics concerns and harassment/discrimination claims) and in corporate governance disputes. April also drafts and prepares handbooks and related policies for employers, conducts trainings on those policies, and counsels and trains company personnel on ethics and code of conduct compliance, diversity training, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Professional Memberships

Board Member of the South Florida Manufacturing Association (SFMA), 2020-present

Adjunct Professor for Employment Law for the Florida International University, Master of Science in Human Resource Management Program, 2019 -present

National Association for Women Lawyers (NAWL)

Board Member, July 2020-present

Assistant Secretary, August 2023 – Present

Chair, Strategic Programming Committee, Present

Executive Committee Member

Member, 2007–present

Planning Committee for NAWL Annual Meeting

Co-Chair, Program Subcommittee, 2016

Co-Chair, Program Book Subcommittee, 2015

Co-Chair, Sponsorship Subcommittee, 2013

Committee Member, Sponsorship Subcommittee, 2011, 2012, 2014

Planning Committee for NAWL Regional General Counsel Institute

Committee Member, Marketing Subcommittee, 2016

Committee Member, Program Subcommittee, 2016

Planning Committee for NAWL Mid-Year Meeting

Co-Chair, Mid-Year Planning Meeting, 2018

Co-Chair, Sponsorship Subcommittee, 2014

Co-Chair, Marketing Subcommittee, 2013

Committee Member, Sponsorship Subcommittee, 2011

Committee Member, Logistics Subcommittee, 2011

Planning Committee for NAWL Miami Night of Giving Charity Event

Committee Chair, 2010

Committee Member, 2009

Planning Committee for NAWL Austin Program

Committee Member, Sponsorship Subcommittee, 2016

NAWL Challenge Club, member 2015-present

Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade

Board of Directors, 2011-2020

Co-Chair “Raise the Bar” Charity Event, 2006-present

Co-Chair, Nominations Committee, 2013-2016

Co-Chair, Ad Hoc Governance Committee, 2015-2016

Committee Member, Development Committee, 2013-present

Committee Member, Governance Committee, 2016-present

Women of Distinction Award Selection Committee, Federal Judge Award Selection Committee, 2019

Litigation Counsel of America

Member, Labor and Employment Law Section, The Florida Bar Member

Member, Florida Association for Women Lawyers Miami-Dade Chapter

President, Florida Tower Condominium Association, 2004-2008

Member, Dade County Bar Association’s Black History Month Award Selection Committee, 2017

Publications

“Help Wanted: What Employers Need to Know About Pay Transparency Requirements in Job Postings,” Employee Benefit Plan Review, January 2023

“Help Wanted: What Employers Need to Know About Pay Transparency Requirements in Job Postings," The National Law Review, 1 November 2022

“Employers Can Use COVID Models To Address Monkeypox,” Law360, 2 August 2022

"Pandemic Pandemonium: Navigating Employment Considerations in the Face of COVID-19," Benefits Law Journal, Summer 2020

Co-author, “Employment Arbitration Agreements Can Contain Class Action Waivers,” Daily Business Review, 19 June 2018

Co-author, “Ruling on overtime exemption for dealership service advisors may have broader consequences,” Miami Herald, 11 June 2018

Co-author, “What About Confidentiality Clauses in Sexual Harassment Settlements,” South Florida Legal Guide insert for the Miami Herald, 20 November 2017

“Hollywood Has Shined a Spotlight on Sexual Harassment: Now What?” Daily Business Review, 13 November 2017

Co-author, “Many Employers Will Need to Raise Salaries to Qualify for Overtime Exemption,” Daily Business Review, 21 June 2016

“Supreme Court Charts Narrow Course for Stats in Class Certification,” Daily Business Review, 30 March 2016

Co-author, “Independent Contractor Classification Under Scrutiny in New DOL Guidance,” Daily Business Review, 13 August 2015

“The new approach to managing a global workforce,” Miami Herald, 25 July 2015

Co-author, "Discrimination Protection Extends to Transgender Employees," Daily Business Review, 30 January 2015

Co-author, “Non-Competes in Employment Contracts,” Hot Topics in Business Litigation, 2002

Co-author, “Responding to Military Leave Requests,” Bank Employment Law Report, October 2001

Education