Eduardo Suarez-Solar, MMS, MPA, JD, SPHR has represented and advised small, medium and large organizations regarding all aspects of their labor and employment relations, as well as provided strategic business development counsel to hundreds of companies, not-for-profits, government entities and individuals over the past decades. Ed’s experience includes advising employers regarding employment law, human resource management and compliance, traditional labor law matters and executive and organizational coaching. Ed has represented clients for over 25 years in both mediations and arbitrations. He is also a Florida Supreme Court Circuit Court Mediator and a Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator.
Ed continuously strives to understand his client’s challenges, frustrations, threats and opportunities. His experience spans the spectrum of the business life cycle, ranging from labor counsel pertaining to the acquisition of a near bankruptcy manufacturing facility and addressing the inherent obstacles of such an endeavor; to helping grow the business into a thriving company with more than 150 employees and $30 million in sales. He has served in such roles as interim plant director for a mid-sized business in the northeast, as well as interim vice president of human resources for a national restaurant chain with over 1500 employees.
A former union member himself, Ed knows first-hand the impact that unions can have on an organization. He has advised hundreds of clients regarding how to manage their businesses to improve employee relations and increase productivity through the design of employee motivation programs, streamlined systems and well-defined processes, policies and procedures. Ed is committed to incorporating his vast experience as a past production worker, manager and owner when advising his clients.
In addition, Ed is dedicated to coaching executives at all levels to develop their leadership and management practices, with a focus on enhancing both individual and overall organizational performance. Ed focuses on partnering with his clients’ executives to encourage self-discovery and accountability that not only achieves short-term objectives, but also establishes the foundation for sustained personal and professional development. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Ed also assists executives in foreign countries looking to expand to the U.S., or companies looking to expand from the U.S., with their business, legal and cultural transition.
Ed served as a federal attorney with the National Labor Relations Board in Denver, Colorado, as well as worked with the Bibb City District Attorney in Macon, Georgia. He is a member of the State Bar of Florida and Hillsborough County Bar Association, as well as admitted to practice before the U.S. District for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.
An invited speaker at national, state and local events, Ed has authored numerous articles pertaining to labor law and human resource management for various publications. Before joining Gunster, Ed practiced with two nationally prominent labor and employment boutique firms before purchasing the West Coast Employers Association, known as Integrated Employer Resources.