Allison Oasis Kahn

Allison Kahn is board certified in Labor and Employment Law by The Florida Bar. Board certification means she has been evaluated for professionalism and tested for special expertise, knowledge, and skill. She is one of only approximately 200 lawyers in Florida to hold this distinction in her practice area.

Allison represents entities of all sizes across sectors including health care, hospitality, banking, telecommunications, and education. She regularly appears before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, county fair employment practice agencies, and in state and federal court.

She tries employee claims of discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation based on race, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability and other protected characteristics under the Florida Civil Rights Act, Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Her management clients look to her for advice and defense under the Whistleblower Protection Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Allison has investigated and defended against employee claims of workplace sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination and retaliation. She regularly writes and speaks on workplace issues that affect her clients, such as LGBTQ non-discrimination and gender transition workplace policies.

Allison has completed more than 300 employee pay classification audits (exempt/nonexempt from overtime), which enriches her practice of defending employers against misclassification claims, and in collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. She also litigates joint employment, employee and independent contractor classifications, and structures internship programs to comply with wage and hour laws.

Allison prosecutes violations of non-competition agreements.  She defends schools in sex-based discrimination in education claims (Title IX).  And, she defends businesses, public accommodations, against claims of access discrimination, including website accessibility. 

She tries grievances pursuant to collective bargaining agreements in many arbitration forums. And, on behalf of her brokerage firm clients, Allison litigates employment disputes before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Allison was drawn to the practice of labor and employment law because it involves complex workplace relationships, and stories with a human component. Beyond her practice, she does pro bono work and recently completed a three-year term investigating attorney misconduct as an appointed member of The Florida Bar Grievance Committee, ultimately serving as chair in 2018.

Early in her career, she clerked for the Honorable Gary Farmer of Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal. This experience broadened her understanding of the practical considerations that shape court decisions, and informs her practice today.

• Represented hospital in four-day jury trial, and obtained complete defense verdict, in case where employee sought $2 million for alleged whistleblower retaliation and disability discrimination
• Represented hospital at arbitration hearing, and prevailed, in union’s claim that hospital’s termination of employee for conflict of interest was not ‘just cause’ under the collective bargaining agreement
• Represented medical providers in Fair Labor Standards Act minimum wage and overtime collective action brought by student interns and prevailed on summary judgment
• Represented medical center, and prevailed, at two-day evidentiary hearing before Florida’s Division of Administrative Hearings after employee appealed Florida Commission on Human Relations’ decision finding “no cause” to believe sex, age, race, or national origin discrimination occurred 
• Represented hospital in Florida Private Sector Whistleblower Act case brought by employee fired for violating ethical code of conduct and obtained summary judgment and affirmance on appeal   
• Represented hospital at arbitration hearing, and prevailed, in union’s claim that hospital’s termination of employee for clinical errors was not ‘just cause’ under the collective bargaining agreement   
• Represented hospital and obtained complete defense verdict at six-day jury trial on employee’s claims of Family & Medical Leave Act interference and retaliation, and disability discrimination and retaliation
• Represented inmate pro bono through the Volunteer Lawyers Project for the Southern District of Florida at two-day federal jury trial on inmate’s claim of civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983
• Testified as an expert on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act regarding number and nature of parking spaces required in parking lot shared by condominium and place of public accommodation
• Represented a securities company at arbitration before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority in employee’s claims of race, national origin, and disability discrimination and obtained dismissal for employee misconduct, along with subsequent order of dismissal from federal district court finding employee’s misconduct made the agreed-upon arbitration tribunal unavailable and foreclosed employee’s claims in court  
• Represented college accused of wage discrimination based on employee’s race and color and obtained dismissal of Title VII claims for employee’s discovery misconduct and summary judgment on Florida Civil Rights Act counts and 42. U.S.C. § 1981 claim

• Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by The Florida Bar
• Florida Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine (2020–2022)
• Top Lawyers, Palm Beach Illustrated (2021-2022)

• Academy of Florida Management Attorneys
• The Florida Bar
  • Chair (2018); Member (2016–2017), Fifteenth Circuit Grievance Committee "A"
• Craig S. Barnard American Inn of Court (2005–2008)
• Federal Bar Association, Palm Beach County
• Women’s Foundation of Florida
  • Women on Board Leadership Academy (2020)
• Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Palm Beach County
• Palm Beach County Bar Association
  • Labor and Employment Committee (2005)
  • Committee for Diversity and Inclusion (2011–2012)
  • Co-Chair, Gender Equities Subcommittee (2011–2012)
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Attorney Admissions, Peer Review, and Attorney Grievance

• "Board Certification Lunch and Learn," Palm Beach County Chapter, Florida Association for Women Lawyers (April 13, 2023)
• "Performance Feedback in the Age of Cancel Culture," Core Triangle Consulting and The Norfus Firm (September 20, 2021)  
• “Rights and Obligations of Employers and Public Accommodations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act During COVID-19,” 2020 Academy of Florida Management Attorneys Annual Meeting (October 9, 2020) 
• "Back to School: Distance Learning, Contracts, and Other Pandemic Challenges" (April 22, 2020)
• "Let's Talk About 'Sex': Embracing Nondiscrimination of LGBT Employees," 2019 HR Florida Conference & Expo, Orlando, FL (August 28, 2019)
• "Wage and Hour Workshop," Carlton Fields, Miami, FL (October 26, 2016)
• "Wage and Hour Workshop," Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL (October 25, 2016)
• "New Wage and Hour Laws and How They Will Impact Law Firms," Palm Beach County Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (August 9, 2016)
• “Women in the Law,” Palm Beach County Bar Association Diversity Luncheon (October 2012)
• “Flex What? – Flex Time: What Is It, How It Works, and the Benefits to Both Attorneys and Firms," Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (April 2011)
• “Workplace Issues in Employee Relations,” Employment Law for Accountants Seminar, West Palm Beach, FL (November 12, 2009)