Patricia M. Rego Chapman

An Orlando native, Mrs. Chapman graduated with Honors from the University of Florida, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. She then obtained her Juris Doctor degree, with Honors, from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. While in law school, Mrs. Chapman served as an Executive Editor on the Journal of Law and Public Policy.

Mrs. Chapman’s practice concentrates on civil rights litigation and municipal liability in both state and federal courts. Specifically, she concentrates her practice in employment law, working with governmental entities, as well as with private companies. Her practice involves all aspects of legal practice in labor and employment, including consultation, training, investigations of employment related complaints, state agency practice, and providing representation during grievance proceedings, arbitrations, administrative hearings, and through litigation, up through appeals.

Mrs. Chapman’s experience includes representing employers in the major areas of employment litigation, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Florida Civil Rights Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the public and private Whistleblowers Acts, drug free workplace, USERRA, avoidance of unfair labor practice claims, and other contractual and tort claims.

Mrs. Chapman routinely represents clients during administrative investigations done by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, and other state agencies across the United States. Through this representation, Mrs. Chapman advises employers on the scope of investigations, how to conduct internal investigations when needed, analyzes potential exposure to isolate claims suitable for early resolution, and drafts position statements for the investigating agency’s consideration. Mrs. Chapman has also consulted and assisted employers in drafting personnel policies and procedures, as well as has provided training sessions for employees, in both Spanish and English, on employment topics like avoiding sexual harassment claims in the workplace and how to defend against Charges of Discrimination.

In addition to focusing her practice on labor and employment, Mrs. Chapman also practices general civil defense litigation in areas including, but not limited to, Auto Negligence, Federal Civil Rights Claims, Products Liability, Professional Liability, and Premises Liability. Mrs. Chapman is admitted to practice in all Florida Trial and Appellate Courts, as well as in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She has tried claims in both the Middle and Southern District Courts of Florida, as well as in numerous Florida state courts. She has also handled appeals before appellate courts in Florida, as well as before the Eleventh Circuit. In handling various claims through trial and appeal, Mrs. Chapman has successfully defeated multiple claims on Motions to Dismiss, Motions for Summary Judgment, Directed Verdicts, and Defense Verdicts.

Mrs. Chapman is a member of The Florida Bar, the Orange County Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida. She speaks Spanish fluently and is a dual citizen of the United States and Spain.