JILL S. SCHWARTZ

FOUNDER & MANAGING PARTNER, JILL S. SCHWARTZ & ASSOCIATES, WINTER PARK

Schwartz founded Jill S. Schwartz & Associates in 1992, and today it has 15 employees. The firm specializes in employment law, representing both employees and employers. It litigates employment cases and other workplace-related matters in both state and federal courts. The firm supports more than a dozen charitable and nonprofit organizations, earning it the Orlando Sentinel's community service and corporate champion awards. Schwartz herself organized and chaired a series of annual fundraising galas entitled “Life, Art, Music,” raising millions of dollars that were used to build Hospice House, Central Florida's first inpatient facility for end-of-life care.

EDUCATION: Rutgers University (BA), University of Maryland (JD)

INDUSTRY INNOVATION: The pandemic has created the need for a more flexible work schedule, including depositions, consultations, hearings and remote mediations. In addition, it has magnified the importance of less time commuting. These trends have persisted, with the continued advantages of decreased stress, higher productivity and increased client satisfaction.

IN MY DOWNTIME
“I have a great interest in Eastern culture, philosophy and thought. I am a daily practitioner of transcendental meditation as well as Japanese Shotokan karate and Qi Gong.”