Ruth Vafek

Ruth Vafek represents clients in employment law compliance and litigation, intellectual property counseling, prosecution, licensing and infringement claims. Ruth is also a certified civil mediator.

Ruth Vafek is a shareholder at Ausley McMullen and focuses her practice on Employment Law, Intellectual Property, and Mediation.

Ruth’s experience in Intellectual Property law includes trademark and copyright registration and portfolio counseling, negotiation and drafting of licensing and development agreements, and litigating all types of infringement and licensing dispute claims.

In the area of Employment law, Ruth advises clients on compliance with state and federal laws, trains managers to avoid employer liability, and defends clients in court against claims of discrimination.

Ruth handles litigation, including torts, in both state and federal courts, and has served as first chair for multiple jury trials. She also counsels companies with the goal of preventing expensive litigation.

Among other experience, while in law school, Ruth consulted for a closely-held technology company in Silicon Valley. She reported directly to the CEO and acted as liaison to the company's outside law firms. She assisted with a wide range of matters encountered at many companies, including employment law disputes and employee grievances, negotiating contracts, corporate governance issues, stock splits, independent financial audits, working with the board of directors and outside investors, and obtaining protection for and policing intellectual property rights. In that position she learned first-hand, from the client's perspective, what clients need and expect from their lawyers.

In her free time, Ruth enjoys spending time with her husband Oskar (a physics professor at FSU and the Mag Lab), reading, and traveling, as well as training for and competing in equine sports, especially eventing.

Credentials

Bar Admissions

• State of Florida
• United States Supreme Court
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• All state courts in Florida

Education

• J.D., cum laude, Santa Clara University School of Law, 2006
• B.A., with honors, Goucher College, 2001
  
  • Order of the Coif

Practices

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Employment Law
• Intellectual Property
• Litigation

Community Involvement

• American Bar Association – member of the Section of Litigation, Section of Intellectual Property Law and Section of Employment Law
• The Florida Bar – since 2007
• Tallahassee Bar Association
• Tallahassee Women Lawyers/ Florida Association of Women Lawyers
• Former member of the Board of Directors, Housing Leadership Council
• Former member and Chair of the Board of Directors, Urban League of Tallahassee

Presentations/Events

• Presenter on “Intellectual Property for Entrepreneurs” at Domi Station, December 2021