Anastasia Protopapadakis Attorney At Law

Relationship-driven litigator defending public and private sector clients in complex commercial and personal injury disputes and employment law concerns. Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator.

Anastasia Protopapadakis represents public and private sector clients in commercial and personal injury disputes, education law, and employment litigation. She has defended numerous employment litigation matters under Title VII, Title II, and the Florida Civil Rights Act, as well as cases involving assault and battery, defamation, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), sections 1981 and 1983, personal injury, and general torts. Known for her shrewd management-side expertise and pragmatic approach to controversial issues, she collaborates with clients operating across a range of dynamic sectors, including education, government, retail, hospitality, health care, and financial services, among others.

Informed by a rich background in municipal defense, Anastasia’s portfolio has expanded to include long-time corporate and public sector clients who rely on her to manage complicated matters with an eye toward controlling outcomes and costs. She defends clients in both federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels in cases involving employment law, civil rights law, education law, the ADA, personal injury defense, and funeral and cemetery law. A versatile and creative counselor, Anastasia also serves clients as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator, regularly appointed by circuit civil courts, and referred by fellow attorneys, to mediate personal injury, employment, education, and complex commercial disputes, reflecting the trust and credibility she has earned among her peers. Her active mediation practice enhances her effectiveness as trial counsel, providing valuable insight into risk assessment, negotiation dynamics, and practical resolution strategies.

Anastasia’s practice includes extensive experience counseling school districts on issues involving Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Section 504 plans, and the provision of Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). She regularly represents educational institutions in due process proceedings before the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) and advises clients on compliance with federal and state education mandates.

Anastasia's employment law experience comprises the full range of claims defense, including race, sex, gender and gender identity, national origin, disability, religion, pregnancy, and other protected categories, as well as wage and hour, collective actions, and retaliation. She counsels and represents employers throughout the administrative process before the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and litigates employment matters before DOAH. Anastasia has developed a particular niche in defending ADA cases under both Title II and Title III, involving physical access and newly emerging accessibility standards stemming from websites and mobile applications. She is frequently sought out as a thought leader by national media outlets for her analysis of accessibility and compliance issues and is the firm’s go-to authority on the topic.
 

• Notable Work
  • A.A. by and through Adar v. School Board of Broward County, Florida, 2021 WL 5119416 (S.D. Fla. October 15, 2021).
  • S.V.S. by and through Varner v. Broward County Public Schools, 2019 WL 10092979 (S.D. Fla. September 30, 2019) - order granting motion for independent medical examination in favor of defendants.
  • Zinn v. SCI Funeral Services of Florida, Inc., 568 Fed.Appx. 841 (11th Cir. 2014) - affirming district court’s dismissal of a $200 million class action lawsuit for lack of standing under Article III.
  • Schwartz v. SCI Funeral Services of Florida, Inc., 554 Fed.Appx. 823 (11th Cir. 2014) - affirming district court’s dismissal of a $200 million class action lawsuit for lack of standing under the Class Action Fairness Act; 931 F.Supp.2d 1191 (S.D. Fla. 2013).
  • McDaniel v. Sheriff of Palm Beach County, Fla., 491 Fed.Appx. 981 (11th Cir. 2012) - affirming summary judgment to defendants and the district court’s imposition of procedural and monetary sanctions on plaintiff; Case No.: 10–81082–CIV, 2011 WL 6372788 (S.D. Fla., Dec. 20, 2011).
  • Harrington v. City of Key West, Florida, 2009 WL 1788406 (S.D. Fla. June 23, 2009) - order granting summary judgment in favor of defendant in section 1983 case.
  • Abella v. Simon, 49 So. 3d 1276 (3d DCA 2010) - per curiam affirmation of summary judgment in favor of defendant in defamation case.
  • Kessler v. Monroe County, 995 So. 2d 505 (3d DCA 2008) - per curiam affirmation of summary judgment in favor of defendant in employment case.

  
  
• Recognition
  • Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2024-2026
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2016-2018
• Insights
  • “Website Accessibility and ADA Compliance,” Independent Beauty Association, February 3, 2022
  • “New Website Accessibility Guidance Creates More Confusion Than Answers,” Daily Business Review, March 31, 2022
  • “Proposed Online Accessibility Law Could Curb ADA Litigation,” Law360, November 2020
  • “Phased Re-Opening of Hospitality In Florida,” Southern Beverage Journal, Florida Edition, June 2020
  • “Have You Googled It? Website Accessibility under Title II and Title III of the ADA,” The Florida Bar, Labor and Employment Section, CLE Webcast, November 20, 2019
  • Florida Festivals and Events Association (FFEA) 25th Annual Convention and Tradeshow, August 21, 2019
  • “A New Variation of the ADA Accessibility Lawsuit That Specifically Targets Hotels and Other Places of Lodging,” Employment Law Alliance Newsletter, March 2018
• Media
  • “How to protect your business website from ADA-compliancy lawsuit,” WFLA.com, May 20, 2025
  • "School Board won’t rehire teacher cleared of sex abuse charges," Yahoo! News, July 27, 2023
  • “11th Circuit’s ADA Reversal Curbed Florida Litigation in 2021, but Digital Accessibility Suits Are ‘Here to Stay’,” Daily Business Review, January 14, 2022
  • “Lawsuits Surge Over Websites’ Access for the Blind,” The Wall Street Journal, February 2019
  • “Businesses ‘Sitting Ducks’ for Lawsuits Because Websites Aren’t ADA Compliant,” WFLA-TV, February 2019
  • “ADA Lawsuits Targeting Hotels’ Websites For Not Disclosing How Accessible They Are,” Miami Herald, January 2019
  • “Got Access for People with Disabilities Covered? Don’t Forget your Website,” The Guardian, November 2018
  • “Florida’s Serial ADA Lawsuits: Long Overdue or ‘Legal Extortion’,” Daily Business Review, November 2018
  • “Are Floridians Wasting Billions on Litigation? A New Report Says Yes.,” Daily Business Review, October 2018
  • “Most Business Websites are Sitting Ducks for ADA Suits, Experts Say,” South Florida Sun-Sentinel, July 2018
• Affiliations
  • Broward County Bar Association
  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellow, 2018
  • University of Florida Levin College of Law
    • Law Alumni Council
    • Alumni Mentorship Matching Program
• Credentials
  • J.D., University of Florida College of Law, 2007
  • B.S., University of Florida, 2004, summa cum laude
  • Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator
• Admissions
  • Florida
  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida
• Languages
  • Greek
  • Spanish