Skip to Content

Rachael comes to Johnson Pope with diverse experience in employment law and trial litigation.   While a student at Stetson College of Law, Rachael was a member of Stetson’s nationally recognized trial team and a member of the Stetson Law Review. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2008, Rachael has represented clients in federal, state, and appellate courts on a variety of employment related matters. Rachael is an active member of the St. Petersburg Bar Association where she co-chairs the Employment and Labor Law Section. She was recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2016 and 2017.

Experience

  • Stetson College of Law Edward D. Foreman Most Distinguished Student Award Recipient
  • Stetson Law Review, Digest Writer, Summer 2006 – Spring 2007
  • Trial Team, 1st Place: American Bar Association Law Student Division, Regional Arbitration Competition; 1st Place, Florida Bar Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition
  • Co-Chair of the St. Petersburg Bar Association Employment Section, 2016 – Present
  • President of the Clearwater Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, 2013-2014
  • Board Member of the Clearwater Bar, 2012-2014
  • Admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida
  • Named as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2016 and 2017
  • The Best Lawyers in America© since 2019 – Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • The Best Lawyers in America© 2022 Litigation – Labor and Employment “Lawyer of the Year”

Education 

  • Stetson University College of Law, Juris Doctor, cum laude, Honors Program Graduate, December 2007
  • University of South Florida, Masters of Arts, Criminology December 2004
  • University of Texas at Arlington, Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, University Scholar Criminology/Criminal Justice December 2002

Articles

By Joan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. Wood September 2021

  We know that the announcement of The White House: Path out of the Pandemic: President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan (the “Action Plan”) has left many of us with more questions than answers.  We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide a more detailed summary when the applicable Occupational Safety […]

Categories: Articles, Blogs, COVID-19 task force, Labor & Employment

By Joan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. Wood July 2021

With the rise in vaccination rates and the increased return of workers to the workplace, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) have issued updated guidance for employers and employees relating to safety standards and vaccine policies.  Specifically, on May 28, 2021, the […]

Categories: Articles, Blogs, COVID-19 task force, Labor & Employment

By Joan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. Wood May 2021

The past few weeks have seen a flurry of activity at both the federal and state level relating to COVID-19.  Most recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) issued updated guidance concerning the use of masks for fully vaccinated individuals.  This article will provide you a brief overview […]

Categories: Articles, Blogs, COVID-19 task force, Labor & Employment

By Joan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. Wood March 2020

At the end of January 2020, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners made significant amendments to the Wage Theft and Recovery Ordinance, which applies to any entity or person who employs a person (even just one person) within Pinellas County.  These amendments became effective in February 2020.   With […]

Categories: Articles, Blogs, Labor & Employment

By Joan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. Wood September 2019

Joan M. Vecchioli, Esq., Colleen M. Fynn, Esq., Rachael L. Wood, Esq. invite you to attend their seminar series Best Employment Practices Topics will include Animals in the Workplace Department of Labor Developments Common Employer Mistakes Wednesday, October 23, 2019 8:30 a.m. – Noon Continental Breakfast served Ruth Eckerd Hall […]

Categories: Articles, Blogs, Labor & Employment

By Joan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. Wood September 2019

Many of our clients have been inquiring about their obligations regarding animals in the workplace. For employers, these obligations may vary depending on whether the person wanting to bring an animal into the workplace is a customer or an employee.  Customers If the person is a customer and the business […]

Categories: Articles, Blogs, Labor & Employment

By Joan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodColleen M. Flynn, Joan M. Vecchioli & Rachael L. Wood April 2019

We have seen rapid developments in wage and hour laws over the past several months that will affect a wide range of industries and professions. These developments under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) include Opinion Letters issued by the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) and proposed rules by […]

Categories: Articles, Blogs, Labor & Employment

By Joan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodColleen M. Flynn, Joan M. Vecchioli & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. Wood October 2018

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has long required that its resources be targeted to ensure the strongest possible impact in its efforts to stop unlawful employment discrimination. In 2017, the EEOC revised its Strategic Enforcement Plan (“SEP”) for Fiscal Years 2017-2021 to identify six (6) substantive area priorities and […]

Categories: Blogs, Labor & Employment

By Joan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodColleen M. Flynn, Joan M. Vecchioli & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. WoodJoan M. Vecchioli, Colleen M. Flynn & Rachael L. Wood August 2018

Welcome to our Labor and Employment Group blog where we will discuss legal issues and address questions that frequently arise in our practice and provide updates and analyses of statutory and case law developments in the area of Labor and Employment Law.  Our Labor & Employment Group regularly represents employers […]

Categories: Blogs, Labor & Employment

View More Results