Ms. Silva is an attorney at Sass Law Firm with over 25 years of experience
in labor and employment law matters, representing employees suffering
discrimination and harassment based on age, disability, family status,
gender/sex, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, and
sexual orientation. She has extensive experience representing students and
employees in Title IX claims against high schools, vocational schools, and
universities, regarding a variety of issues including claims of pregnancy
discrimination, access to athletics, equal pay, harassment, and retaliation.
She currently serves as a Board Member of the National Employment Lawyers
Association and is the NELA Vice
President of Affiliate Relations. In 2025, Ms. Silva was elected to the College
of Labor and Employment Lawyers and is serving on the Executive Council of the
Florida Bar Labor and Employment Section.
In addition to her employment and Title IX practice, Ms. Silva has
represented homeowners and tenants under the Fair Housing Act and
customers and patrons in cases of discrimination in places of public
accommodation.
Before joining Sass Law Firm, Ms. Silva spent years in her own private
practice representing students and employees in discrimination, retaliation and
harassment cases. She began her legal career with Florida Rural Legal Services,
Inc. in Immokalee, Florida, representing migrant farmworkers in employment
discrimination cases and cases brought under the Migrant and Seasonal
Agricultural Worker Protection Act (AWPA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA). Most recently, she worked at another employee rights law firm for two
years. She is bilingual in English and Spanish, and Ms. Silva has
dedicated her career to advocating for individuals affected by discrimination,
harassment or retaliation.
Ms. Silva graduated from the University of California at
Berkeley and the University of Miami School of Law. Ms. Silva is
licensed to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the State of
Florida, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit Court of
Appeals, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida,
the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and the
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Ms. Silva previously
served on the executive board of the Florida Chapter of the National Employment
Lawyers Association (Florida NELA) for seven years and served as the President
in 2009-2010. Ms. Silva was the 2012-2013 President of the Thomas S. Biggs
American Inn of Court (now Michael R. N. McDonnell American Inn of Court)
and is currently serving on the Inn executive board. Ms. Silva often speaks on
various topics in employment and Title IX law and contributed to a book,
The Pregnancy
Discrimination Act: A Guide for the Plaintiff’s Employment Lawyer
,
on pregnancy discrimination regarding
Title IX and
pregnancy.
For a full list of Adria’s awards, publications, speaking engagements, associations and committees, check out her Resume CV at www.employmentlawtampa.com.