David Sockol - Mediating Conflicts
David Sockol is a prominent St. Petersburg attorney who has been practicing law in Florida since 1989. He received his law degree from the Stetson University College of Law and a Bachelor's degree from Emory University. He is the founder and Senior attorney at Sockol and Associates.
As a lawyer, he specializes in several areas of the law, including business transactions, employment litigation, and real estate. He has also served as a mediator, one who serves as a neutral third party in conflict resolutions in many different types of legal disputes.
Legally speaking, a conflict is an issue that is causing distress between two parties. Mediation is a way to resolve legal disputes, and are often favored because it is a cheaper, faster, and even more pleasant means of resolving the issue than litigation is. Mediation is not for all cases, though. It is not suitable in a criminal case, although there are sometimes exceptions made in nonviolent criminal matters, such as harassment. But mediation most often involves civil cases like business disputes, small claims disputes, divorce and child custody disputes, and contract disputes.
Because mediation is usually a cooperative and collaborative process, it is often a good choice in cases that involve business partners, neighbors, or co-parents – people who want to continue a relationship once the matter has been resolved. As David Sockol knows, mediation does not require either side to be represented by a lawyer, although it is common for one or both parties in mediation to hire a lawyer as a consultant. A lawyer can provide valuable legal advice at a cost that is a lot less than is litigation.
David Sockol - Gender Bias Case
David Sockol has been practicing law in Florida since 1989. He is the founder and Senior attorney at Sockol and Associates in St. Petersburg.
He represents a broad range of clients in the areas of general business transactions, banking, and real estate. In the area of employment litigation he won a 466,000 dollar award for a Tampa woman who sued GTE Florida, Inc. on the grounds that three years earlier, the company denied her a promotion on the basis of gender. A Federal jury agreed with his arguments that the plaintiff, who had been working for GTE Florida since 1970, was passed over for a real estate management job in favor of a younger man, solely on the basis of her gender.
As David Sockol successfully argued, gender bias involves treating someone less favorably because of his or her gender.
Under federal law, it is illegal to discriminate when it comes to any aspect of employment, including promotions, as in the case of the Tampa woman denied a promotion by GTE Florida. It is also illegal to discriminate in hiring, firing, layoffs, fringe benefits, pay rate, training, job assignments, and in any other term or condition of employment. To prove sex discrimination, it must be demonstrated that a person was treated differently due to gender, and that the treatment had a negative affect on the persons' employment.
David Sockol received his law degree from the Stetson University College of Law in 1989, and was admitted to the Florida bar later on that same year.
David Sockol - Serving since 1989
Founding in 1996 by David Sockol, the law firm Sockol & Associates, P.A. has established itself in downtown St. Petersburg. This firm and its attorneys have a cast amount of experience within all the finer details of employment, real estate and business. Their successful litigation includes that of employment, real estate, and complex commercial jury and non-jury cases in both the federal and state courts. David Sockol and his team of associates have been in a variety of federal practice areas including: Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, breach of contract, copyright, trademark infringement, and employment litigation.
David Sockol and his team of attorneys have represented lenders, buyers, and sellers in the financing, purchasing, and selling or commercial and residential real estate. This team of professionals has represented both mobile home parks and shopping centers alike. It does not matter to them who the client is, they provide their best in legal services in a professional, efficient, and timely manner.
At Sockol & Associates, David Sockol provides a lengthy list of legal services. Their service of general business practice include: corporate and partnership disputes, trade secret protection, non-compete agreements, agreements for the sale or purchase of a business, asset and stock purchase agreements, employment termination and severance agreements, employment agreements, contract preparation and litigation, collections, and other areas. Proud to be able to serve the community that he works and lives, David Sockol has been proudly serving the community of Florida since he was admitted into the Florida Bar in 1989.
David Sockol - Defending Religious Beliefs
There are all different types of cases that David Sockol is well versed in representation for his client. Many of these cases include employment litigation. In the case of Wade Hampton Jr., as a former employee of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, he requested the services of David Sockol to represent him in a situation where he was denied rights under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by the Pasco County Sheriff. Hampton Jr. called upon the right man, David Sockol, to represent him and take the case to court.
Hampton Jr. is a believer of Jehovah’s Witness who wanted to continue his work with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office without a gun because he did not want to compromise his belief system if ever placed in a position where he is influenced to use deadly force. On the topic David Sockol said, “The employer is supposed to show that it would be an undue hardship to accommodate Hampton’s religious request. The judge made the determination without requiring the state to put forth any evidence of undue hardship caused by allowing Hampton to keep his job without carrying a gun. The only accommodation the county provided Hampton with was a clerical position that resulted in a fifty percent pay cut.”
Although the claim was unjustly thrown out, David Sockol showed his tenacity in court and brought up an appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He believes in helping clients who are simply trying to do that right thing according to their belief system.
David Sockol - About Attorney Sockol
David Sockol practices in a variety of areas in law. Some of those areas include general business transactions, banking, employment litigation, and real estate. The owner and founder of Sockol & Associates first attended Emory University before enrolling at the Stetson University College of Law. He graduated from these universities in 1986 and 1989 respectively. At the universities, David Sockol laid a foundation of a hard work ethic for himself, one that he continues to use for his clients today.
David Sockol worked hard, not only in school, but as well as in his career. In 1989, after graduating from the Stetson University College of Law, Sockol was pleased to be admitted into the Florida Bar. David Sockol is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court, Middle District and Southern District of Florida, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Born in Manhattan, New York, David Sockol today resides in St. Petersburg with his two children. Sockol graduated from the Leadership program of St. Petersburg. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Sunshine City Jaycees as well as the Suncoast Epilepsy Association. Proudly, David Sockol is a member of the St. Petersburg Bar Association, the Clearwater Bar Association, Pinellas County Trial Lawyers Association, and the Contractors and Builders Association. On top of those memberships, David Sockol also served as a Hearing Officer for the city of St. Petersburg Code Enforcement Division. David Sockol has served the fine community of Florida well for over twenty-five years.
