Thomas C. Raine

Associate

Miami
305-789-3309
traine@stearnsweaver.com
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Practice & Industry Groups

Overview

Thomas Raine represents employers in a broad spectrum of labor and employment disputes before the EEOC and state and local EEO agencies and litigates these disputes when necessary. He also has experience in commercial transaction dispute litigation, advising clients in contract disputes and business conflicts.

Areas of Concentration

Employment Litigation

Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Claims
Reasonable accommodation
Wrongful termination
Restrictive covenants (non-compete, trade secret, and employment contract litigation)
Whistleblower litigation defense

Employment Counseling

Discrimination
Reasonable accommodation
Risk assessment related to employment actions
Draft and review employment policies and handbooks, separation agreements, employee and independent contractor agreements, and restrictive covenant agreements

Notable Experience

Secured summary judgment in favor of a prominent operator in the medical cannabis industry in a whistleblower retaliation claim brought by a former senior health and safety employee. Successfully demonstrated that the employee’s termination was based on legitimate business reasons—specifically, crashing and abandoning a company vehicle after hours—rather than any alleged whistleblowing activities. Additionally, obtained a favorable ruling on the employer’s entitlement to statutory attorneys’ fees.
Negotiated a favorable settlement in an FMLA retaliation case where the employee alleged termination due to their use of FMLA leave for COVID-19 related symptoms. Developed strategy around the key issue of whether COVID-19 symptoms qualified as a “serious health condition” under the FMLA and its regulatory framework.
Achieved a favorable settlement in a non-compete dispute within the event production industry, securing a resolution that protected the employer’s business interests and prevented unfair competition.
Reached a favorable settlement in defending a local restaurant against a celebrity chef who alleged the restaurant improperly used the chef’s name, image, and likeness and retaliated against him for submitting a workers’ compensation claim.

Credentials

Education

J.D., cum laude, University of Miami School of Law, 2020
- Dean’s Full Merit Scholarship
- Dean’s List
M.B.A., University of Miami Herbert Business School, 2020
B.A., magna cum laude, Florida International University, 2016
- Honors College
- Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society