I have been representing employees and employers in work related issues for more than 20 years. I have litigated cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as before numerous administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, the Florida Department of Administrative Hearings, the National Labor Relations Board and civil service boards in numerous cities, counties and law enforcement agencies in Florida. I am licensed to practice before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U. S. Supreme Court, as well as federal trial courts in Florida. I have handled a wide variety of employment law cases, including those involving discrimination based on age, race, disability, gender, national origin, sexual harassment, retaliation, medical leave disputes, minimum wage and overtime issues, and non-compete agreements. I have drafted employee handbooks, employment agreements, and have litigated non-compete cases. I have counseled both employees and employers on all types of workplace disputes, including those involving discipline and termination. I served as the Legislative Chair for the Volusia chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, and have lobbied for work related legislation in Tallahassee. I have represented large corporations and small businesses, as well as individual employees. I have represented employees and employers for various government agencies, including local school districts, cities and counties, and universities. My goal is to provide the highest quality representation at a reasonable cost.

Philésha is a founding partner of the firm, where she is dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate life’s most important legal matters with confidence and compassion. Her practice focuses on Family Law, Estate Planning, and Employment Law, where she provides thoughtful, strategic counsel tailored to each client’s unique needs. A native of Daytona Beach, Florida, Philésha returned to her hometown to serve the community that shaped her. She is committed to guiding families through divorce, child custody, support matters, and other family law issues while helping clients protect their futures through comprehensive estate planning, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and probate administration. Before founding her firm, Philésha gained extensive experience advocating for individuals and underserved communities in matters involving probate, property rights, foreclosure prevention, and employment law. She is also a credentialed mediator who has successfully mediated cases for the Harris County Justice Courts and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, bringing a practical, solutions-oriented approach to resolving disputes. Philésha earned her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, with a minor in Psychology, from the University of Central Florida and received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where she was actively involved in the Board of Advocates and the Journal on Gender, Race, and Justice. Whether guiding clients through family transitions, planning for the future, or protecting their legal rights, Philésha is dedicated to providing trusted counsel, personalized attention, and strong advocacy every step of the way.

Darren Coleman has been practicing workers’ compensation and personal injury law in Central Florida for over two decades. Mr. Coleman has personal experience with the devastation that an on-the-job accident can cause a family. Mr. Coleman’s grandfather had to drop out of school at a very young age and go to work in factories to support his mother and younger sisters following a crippling work-related accident to his father while working for a railroad company. Mr. Coleman has empathy for all Florida’s injured workers. Originally from Virginia Beach, he received his Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. After his undergraduate studies, Mr. Coleman worked as an insurance adjuster in Columbus, Ohio, representing many large insurance companies in automobile and slip and fall accident claims. Before attending law school, he also worked as a teacher in several developing countries. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Mr. Coleman traveled to the Republic of Latvia (his mother’s homeland), where he helped start the nation’s first charitable organization for the aid of orphaned or abandoned children. Mr. Coleman took his law school entrance exam while teaching in Seoul, Korea, and thereafter obtained his law degree from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He began his legal career defending insurance companies and employers in workers’ compensation claims. Seeking greater job fulfillment, Mr. Coleman joined Rue & Ziffra in 2004 and was named a partner in 2014. He now uses his first-hand knowledge of the insurance industry to fight for the rights of Florida’s injured workers. Mr. Coleman is also accredited through the Veterans’ Administration to represent veterans with their disability claims. For more than a decade, Mr. Coleman has supported a disadvantaged African child through the Children’s Fund and a chimpanzee rescued from a research lab through Help Save the Chimps. For enjoyment, Mr. Coleman played rugby for many years and now engages in the much safer sport of running. He likes to run in Central Florida 5K’s, several of which have been for charitable organizations sponsored by Rue & Ziffra. He is also the very proud owner of a very handsome but rambunctious Irish Setter named Riley. If you ever pass by someone in Port Orange running with a big red dog, it will be Mr. Coleman and Riley.