The Daily Business Review has named Michael Elkins, Esq., founder and partner of Fort Lauderdale-based MLE Law, to its 15th annual list of Most Effective Lawyers in the Employment category. The designation recognizes lawyers for their achievements for clients in the past year. The awards include 20 categories.
Elkins and the other award winners will be featured in a Daily Business Review special report to be published Dec. 9, 2019.
Elkins was nominated for his work in 2019 on the case Alex Carulo v. City of Miami Beach, in which he represented the City of Miami Beach during the appeal in 2019. Prior to 2019, Elkins personally handled the entire arbitration and circuit court lawsuit, achieving success for the City of Miami Beach on each level.
Carulo was a captain in the City of Miami Beach’s Police Department. The City discovered that Carulo had sent an inordinate amount of pornographic material via the City’s email system. After a completed Internal Affairs investigation, the City terminated Carulo’s employment.
The 2019 Third District Court of Appeals decision was significant in a number of ways. First, it effectively upheld the City’s termination of Carulo. Second, it upheld the decision of the arbitrator, effectively confirming the finality of binding labor arbitration decisions. Third, it upheld the idea that a party cannot undo a binding arbitration award by filing an action for declaratory judgment on an issue decided in the binding arbitration.
Elkins, who focuses on labor and employment law, assists clients with their day-to-day legal needs, administrative claims, matters pending in courts at any level, and employer/employee specific issues. Having spent the majority of his career working in large to mid-size Florida law firms, Elkins founded MLE Law to among other things, modernize the business of law by providing alternative fee structures wherein clients are not charge for phoning, emailing or texting about their matters. The firm allows for modern, efficient and global representation while only charging clients for actual legal work produced.
“I’m very pleased to have been designated by the Daily Business Review as one of its Most Effective Lawyers for 2019,” said Elkins. “The Alex Carulo v. City of Miami Beach was unique in many ways, and I am proud to have represented and achieved success for the City of Miami Beach.”
About MLE Law
MLE Law is a full-service labor and employment law firm that uses modern technology to give businesses, individuals and municipalities a legal experience that is efficient, transparent and price-predictable. It is located at 633 S. Andrews Ave. Suite 500, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. For more information, visit mlelawfirm.com or call (954) 401-2608.
