Bethany L. Schonsheck became Halifax Law Group’s owner and managing attorney in January, 2015. She focuses her practice on business and employment law providing a broad range of litigation, transactional and consulting services to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. Her services range from initial corporate formation, and drafting of bylaws, handbooks, and employment agreements, to litigating all aspects of wage claims, ADA violations, non‐compete agreements, contract issues, and shareholder disputes. The comprehensive nature of Ms. Schonsheck’s practice provides valuable perspective to her clients, regardless of their relationship to the specific legal issue. Whether drafting documents that govern the employment relationship, enforcing them on behalf of the employers, defending employers against the enforcement of unfair or insufficient non‐compete agreements, or helping employees understand their rights, her experience provides unique insight into the perspectives of all parties, thus benefitting her clients regardless of their role in the business relationship.
In addition to providing business and employment law services, Ms. Schonsheck also handles general civil litigation matters in both state and federal courts. Although based in Volusia County and particularly attuned to the local community, Ms. Schonsheck serves clients in Orlando, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Sarasota and Gainesville, as well as several others which are based out‐of‐state. In addition to practicing law and managing the Firm, Ms. Schonsheck has also been qualified in courts throughout Florida as an expert witness on attorneys’ fees.
Prior to joining Halifax Law Group in an “Of Counsel” capacity in September, 2014, Ms. Schonsheck was a career‐long litigator practicing throughout the State of Florida in nearly every state jurisdiction as well as in the 2nd and 5th District Courts of Appeal. She began her career as an Assistant State Attorney for the 7th Judicial Circuit during the John Tanner Administration where she worked as a Juvenile and Misdemeanor prosecutor before being promoted to the Felony Trial Division. She also worked briefly in the specialized drug unit before leaving the Office of the State Attorney to further advance her career as an insurance coverage and defense attorney. Between 2000 and 2006 Ms. Schonsheck served as lead attorney in over 100 jury and non‐jury trials, and second chaired several others. She also worked closely with law enforcement as a guest speaker in both Basic Law Enforcement training, and continuing education for officers on search and seizure issues and report writing skills.
Between 2006 and 2012, Ms. Schonsheck practiced primarily personal injury defense and insurance law. She began her career as a civil litigator with Hassell‐Legal in Daytona Beach, Florida where she handled cases in the areas of insurance coverage and defense, and represented major insurance companies including State Farm and USAA, as well as individuals and businesses primarily in the defense of automobile negligence claims. Later, she practiced throughout central Florida with the Orlando based Fulmer, LeRoy, Albee, Baumann where she handled cases involving premises liability, automobile negligence, and commercial general liability. During that time, Ms. Schonsheck represented hundreds of individuals and businesses, and worked extensively with various medical professionals and forensic experts throughout the country to defend cases arising from those involving minor collisions to those resulting in catastrophic injury and wrongful death.
In 2012, Ms. Schonsheck joined the practice of Cohen Battisti where she practiced until leaving to operate her own small business at Halifax Law Group. While there, she continued to expand her areas of insurance expertise, but limited her practice to the representation of Plaintiffs, primarily in the areas of first party homeowners’ insurance claims and personal injury.
Ms. Schonsheck attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree, Summa Cum Laude, in Business Administration from Flagler College. At the age of 23, she earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Originally from the Detroit, Michigan area, Ms. Schonsheck grew up in Ormond Beach. She was raised working in her family’s small business in the hotel and hospitality industry in Daytona Beach.