Profile

Dana Panza Macdonald

Managing Partner

Dana Panza Macdonald

About Dana

Dana Panza Macdonald practices primarily in the areas of labor and employment, litigation, and education matters in state and federal courts. Dana is Board Certified in Education Law by the Florida Bar.

Education Law

Dana specializes in advising universities, colleges, and academic institutions on regulatory compliance, student rights, faculty/staff issues, and institutional governance. She has represented clients in Title IX, accreditation, student conduct, and employment law matters. She has moderated and spoken at seminars hosted by the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) regarding workplace discrimination and social media issues.

Labor & Employment Law

Dana advises employers on wage and hour compliance, employee classification, and overtime regulations. She resolves disputes involving wrongful termination, discrimination, and harassment. She represents employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR), and in unemployment compensation hearings, Office for Civil Rights complaints, and workplace investigations.

Community Leadership

Dana has been recognized as "Florida Trend's Legal Elite NOTABLE – Women Leaders in Law" (2025) and "Florida Trend's Legal Elite NOTABLE – Managing Partners" (2024). She is a member of Leadership Florida Cornerstone Class 42 and previously served on the Broward County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board from 2014 to 2019. Dana has also served with Gilda's Club South Florida, the Broward County Library Foundation, and the Christ Church School Board.

Education and Background

Dana earned her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law, cum laude, in 2001, where she was a Senior Associate Member of the Stetson Law Review and a member of Phi Delta Phi legal honorary fraternity. She interned for Hon. Thomas G. Wilson, U.S. Magistrate Judge. She received her B.S. from Florida State University in 1998.

Credentials

Education

  • J.D. from Stetson University College of Law, cum laude (2001)
  • B.S. from Florida State University (1998)

Bar Admissions

  • Florida
  • New York

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

Professional Memberships and Associations

  • Administrative Law Section of The Florida Bar
  • Labor and Employment Law Section of The Florida Bar
  • Broward County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Broward County Women Lawyers' Association
  • Italian American Bar Association
  • National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)