Managing Shareholder - Destin

Mark Bonfanti is a labor and employment attorney and the Managing Partner of the firm’s Destin, Florida office. Our Emerald Coast location conveniently serves all of Northwest Florida, including Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Crestview, Niceville, Panama City, Marianna, and Tallahassee. The Destin office also serves clients throughout Georgia, including Atlanta, Albany, and Thomasville.

As a labor and employment attorney, Mark‘s legal practice focuses on labor and employment law, including litigation of race discrimination, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, religious discrimination, disability discrimination, age discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, hostile work environment, national origin discrimination, gender identify discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblower complaints. Mark also routinely litigates restrictive covenant cases and drafts employment contracts, including restrictive covenants (non-compete, non-solicitation, non-recruitment, and non-disclosure agreements). He also provides employment law guidance in trade secret cases, employment-related torts, wage and hour disputes (FLSA), and general business contract and legal disputes.

Mark serves as the labor and employment attorney to employers of all sizes, including public entities (cities, counties, universities, and colleges) and private employers. Private clients include a broad range of industries including hospitality (hotels and restaurants), manufacturing, retail, transportation, and construction. This labor and employment law experience includes all labor and employment law matters, education law, hospitality law, and litigation of employment discrimination and non-compete agreement claims in state and federal court. He also handles traditional labor law issues, serving as chief negotiator and labor counsel during collective bargaining, arbitrations, and grievance hearings. Mark also provides clients with a wide range of corporate services, including management training, employee handbooks, and policies, and hosts employment law seminars.

Florida Trend Magazine recognized Mark as one of Florida’s Legal Elite Labor and Employment law attorneys, and he was recognized in 2020 Best Lawyers for labor and employment law. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Home Society of Florida, and as a Trustee for the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation.

• Florida
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

• Florida State University College of Law (J.D., 2003)
• University of New Hampshire, cum laude (B.A., 2001)
• United States Air Force Academy, Honorable Discharge (1997)

• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rated
• Florida Trend, Legal Elite: Up and Coming Attorney (2007, 2008)

• “Hospitality vs. Hostility”, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Magazine (2016)
• “NLRB Keeping an Eye on Social Media”, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Magazine (2013)
• “Sanctions and Mediation”, Conflict Management Newsletter (2008)
• “Drawing the Line: Punitive Damages and Arbitration”, Conflict Management Newsletter (2007)

• The Florida Bar
  • Member, Labor and Employment Section
• American Bar Association
  • Co-Chair, Section of Litigation, Labor and Employment Subcommittee, (2006 – 2012)
  • Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Employment Subcommittee
• Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM)
  • Chairman, Legislative Affairs Committee, Emerald Coast Chapter (2006 – 2009)

• Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation ~ Trustee (2017 – 2018)
• Board of Directors, Children’s Home Society of Florida (2017 – 2019)
• Board of Directors, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tallahassee (2013 – 2014)