Eduardo Suarez-Solar, MMS, MPA, JD, DBA has represented and advised small, medium and large organizations regarding all aspects of their labor and employment relations, as well as provided strategic business development counsel to hundreds of companies, not-for-profits, government entities and individuals over the past decades. Ed’s experience includes advising employers regarding employment law, human resource management and compliance, traditional labor law matters and executive and organizational coaching. Ed has represented clients for over 25 years in both mediations and arbitrations. He is also a Florida Supreme Court Circuit Court Mediator and a Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator.

Ed continuously strives to understand his client’s challenges, frustrations, threats and opportunities. His experience spans the spectrum of the business life cycle, ranging from labor counsel pertaining to the acquisition of a near bankruptcy manufacturing facility and addressing the inherent obstacles of such an endeavor; to helping grow the business into a thriving company with more than 150 employees and $30 million in sales. He has served in such roles as interim plant director for a mid-sized business in the northeast, as well as interim vice president of human resources for a national restaurant chain with over 1500 employees.

A former union member himself, Ed knows first-hand the impact that unions can have on an organization. He has advised hundreds of clients regarding how to manage their businesses to improve employee relations and increase productivity through the design of employee motivation programs, streamlined systems and well-defined processes, policies and procedures. Ed is committed to incorporating his vast experience as a past production worker, manager and owner when advising his clients.

In addition, Ed is dedicated to coaching executives at all levels to develop their leadership and management practices, with a focus on enhancing both individual and overall organizational performance. Ed focuses on partnering with his clients’ executives to encourage self-discovery and accountability that not only achieves short-term objectives, but also establishes the foundation for sustained personal and professional development. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Ed also assists executives in foreign countries looking to expand to the U.S., or companies looking to expand from the U.S., with their business, legal and cultural transition.

Ed served as a federal attorney with the National Labor Relations Board in Denver, Colorado, as well as worked with the Bibb City District Attorney in Macon, Georgia. He is a member of the State Bar of Florida and Hillsborough County Bar Association, as well as admitted to practice before the U.S. District for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

An invited speaker at national, state and local events, Ed has authored numerous articles pertaining to labor law and human resource management for various publications. Before joining Gunster, Ed practiced with two nationally prominent labor and employment boutique firms before purchasing the West Coast Employers Association, known as Integrated Employer Resources.

• The Best Lawyers in America®, Employment Law – Management, 2023-24
• Pewter Partner, awarded by Bank of America and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2002
• The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Small Business of the Year, Nominee, 2009

• “Strategically Overseeing Your Business During COVID: A Financial, Operational, and Legal Outlook,” presenter, Financial Executives International Tampa Bay Chapter Webinar, July 24, 2020
• “Culture, Compensation and Governance: Critical Components to Every Company’s DNA, Whether Public, Private, or Nonprofit,” speaker, Gunster, April 26, 2017
• “Bank Executive Compensation and Employee Retention: Get It Right or Forget Doing a Bank Merger,” Florida Bankers’ Association annual meeting, Miami Beach, FL, June 2016
• HR Florida State Conference and Expo- repeat presenter annually, 2004-present
• Trial Advocacy Institute (Name of presentation)
• Labor Law Training Conference- NLRB
• FLSA – Wage and Hour Master Class – M. Lee Smith 2006, 2007
• Union Avoidance Master Class – 2008
• Americans with Disability Master Class – M. Lee Smith 2007, 2008
• Title V-Air Permitting Certification, Instructor
• Professional Human Resource Certification, Instructor
• Senior Professional of Human Resource Certification, Instructor
• Primary contributor to “THE ADVISOR”, a human resources compliance newsletter, with monthly distribution to over 1000 recipients over a period of 15 years

• HBA Labor and Employment
• Bay Area Manufacturers Association (BAMA), Environmental Committee
• St. Louis “Counts” Association (philanthropic B2B)
• Ybor City Chamber of Commerce
• Tampa Port Authority Advisory Committee
• Hispanic Business Initiative Fund
• Society of Human Resources, 2006-Present
• Small Business of the Year-Finalist Judge
• Florida Bar, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
• Hillsborough Bar Association
• American Society of Human Resources Management, Environmental Section
• American Compensation Association
• Greater Tampa Bay Latin Chamber of Commerce
• Hispanic Business Institute
• Labor and Industrial Relations Association
• Marion County Manufacturer Association

• Catholic Charities, Board of Directors
• Incarnation Catholic Church and School, Advisory Board
• Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, Advisory Board
• Pro bono work:
  • St. Vincent de Paul
  • Catholic Charities