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Our
attorneys have litigated in nationally recognized impact cases. In July 2003,
the NAACP presented its Foot Soldiers’ Award to Charles Burr and Sam Smith in
tribute to their “enduring pursuit of justice,” their “advocacy on behalf of
many who are without means of redress” and for “leaving footprints on the sands
of time that others can follow.” In June 2000 the Washington Lawyers
Committee for Civil and Urban Rights gave its Outstanding Achievement in Public
Accommodations Law award to the lawyers of Burr & Smith, L.L.P. for their
representation of African American plaintiffs who experienced discriminatory treatment
at the Adam's Mark
Hotel when they
participated in their Black College Reunion. The Adam's Mark Hotels
paid $2.1 million dollars to settle plaintiffs' claims. Out of this fund,
$600,000 was awarded to four historically black colleges in Florida for scholarships or business
management programs.
Charles Burr and Sam Smith,
along with co-counsel, obtained certification for more than 160,000 female
current and former employees of Publix Super Markets who sued as a class to
oppose discrimination in various job benefits, including promotions, allocation
of hours, job assignments, job advancement, pay and employment opportunities.
In 1997, the court approved settlement for $81.5 million in monetary relief and
extensive injunctive relief.
In April 1999, Burr &
Smith, L.L.P. successfully obtained an injunction enabling the Florida
Conference of NAACP Branches and three individual plaintiffs to block a traffic
management plan proposed by the City of Daytona
Beach which would have prohibited vehicles from
crossing the bridges leading to the Beach during an annual event known as the
Black College Reunion. The attorneys of Burr & Smith, L.L.P. successfully
argued on behalf of the plaintiffs that the proposed plan violated several
provisions of the U.S. Constitution, including the dormant commerce clause, the
Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment.
In
2006, Marguerite Longoria became a partner in Burr
& Smith. Marguerite is specialty board certified
in Labor and Employment Law by the Florida Bar’s
Board of Legal Specialization and Education. She
specializes in class and collective action litigation
involving overtime and minimum wage, executive compensation
issues and employment discrimination. In 2006 and
2007, Marguerite was named by her peers as a SuperLawyer
in Florida Monthly/ Law and Politics Magazine. Marguerite
serves on the executive board of the National Employment
Lawyer’s Association (“NELA”) and the Executive
Council of the Labor and Employment Section of the
Florida Bar.
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