Aaron Behar is a Partner with the firm and practices in the Miami, Florida office, specializing in complex commercial litigation in both state and federal courts representing local and international clients throughout the United States, Brazil, Mexico, London, France, Germany, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Behar’s representative clients include foreign tobacco manufacturers and companies involved in international trade and transportation. Mr. Behar has negotiated distribution and trade agreements for manufacturers and purchasers of commodities and products heavily regulated by U.S. and international law, and successfully effectuated the sale and trade of products between South America and Africa, Mexico and throughout Europe.
Mr. Behar also represents restaurant franchisees in negotiating franchise agreements, buy-sell agreements and financing matters; several international reinsurers and reinsurance brokers in contractual disputes and unfair competition matters; an international marketing and advertising firm and publisher with over 270,000 subscribers and 5.6 million impacts per month; defense of the sheriff and individual officers to one of the State’s larges sheriff’s offices in matters arising out of strip search policies, inmate clearance following DNA testing, and alleged Title VII and ADA violations; defense of various school boards throughout the State in large-scale and inter-county personnel investigations, disciplinary matters and final hearings before the Division of Administrative Hearings, and development of comprehensive litigation avoidance techniques, policies, and staff training.
Mr. Behar has represented numerous private and public sector employers and agencies in labor and employment matters during both the administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or local agencies, as well as in any resulting arbitration and litigation through trial concerning federal contract compliance, discrimination and reverse discrimination, wage-hour standards, day-to-day employee management and disciplinary issues, due process and name clearing hearings, qualified immunity, unionization, and grievance proceedings.
Mr. Behar has also completed intensive training and received authorization by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to conduct EEO investigations, pursuant to the Federal Standards set forth in the EEOC, EEO Management Directive 110, Chapter 6. Mr. Behar’s investigative techniques and methodologies comply with all Federal guidelines that define discrimination claims based on allegations of disparate treatment or impact based on race, color, national origin, sex (pregnancy), age, mental or physical disability, religion and retaliation.
Mr. Behar also counsels his clients in litigation avoidance strategies, and providing guidance on all aspects of employer-employee relations designed to avoid potential litigation, including handling federal and state drug testing regulations; employment application / interview procedures; development and application of hiring, discipline, and termination procedures; conducting personnel investigations; the Americans With Disabilities Act, Title VII and related state laws across the country; COBRA; the planning for mergers, sales, and acquisitions as such affect employment and contractual relationships, reductions in force, downsizing, and restructuring, formulating personnel policies, grievance, and arbitration (alternative dispute resolution) procedures; preparation of employee handbooks; preparation of various employment-related contractual agreements, including non-competition agreements, vendor and sales agreements, separation agreements, and employment / human resource forms.
Mr. Behar is also responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the firm’s General Liability practice group, and regularly litigates in Florida and throughout the United States defending insureds, insurance companies and self-insured entities. The General Liability practice area includes such diverse types of defense litigation as owners and contractors protective liability; owners, landlords and tenants coverage; bailor/bailee; premises liability; assault and battery; security; commercial liability; advertising injuries; defamation; privacy; elevator incidents; false arrest and malicious prosecution cases; first-party and third-party property damage cases; and fire legal liability litigation.
Mr. Behar is admitted to practice in Florida as well as the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and in the United States District Court of Florida. He is also fluent in Spanish.
Mr. Behar earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida College of Law. During his legal education, Mr. Behar served as Assistant Research Editor for the Florida Journal of International Law, served on the Journal of Technology Law and Policy, and as Assistant at the University of Florida Student Legal Services and Advisor to the Honor Committee.
ab@lydeckerlaw.com
