Sean Estes is a founding member of Hoyer Law Group, PLLC, and serves as the managing partner in the firm's Tampa office. Sean represents business owners, employees, and whistleblowers in high-stakes matters -- whether that involves a business dispute, an employment conflict, or a situation where someone spoke up and faced retaliation.
Before joining Hoyer Law Group, Sean spent more than a decade at James Hoyer, P.A., where he handled a wide range of consumer, business, and employment disputes, as well as whistleblower matters and consumer class actions. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in employment law -- an honor awarded to only the top 2.5% of attorneys under 40 in Florida.
Over the course of his career, Sean has worked on cases with national impact. He helped represent one of the largest consumer class actions ever, involving more than 200 million individuals and a settlement that changed the way data aggregators use and disclose information protected by the Drivers' Privacy Protection Act. In addition, he was appointed Class Counsel in class actions that resulted in settlements totaling more than $4 million for victims of payday loan rollover schemes. Sean was also a key member of the trial team in a whistleblower retaliation case that resulted in a verdict for his client after a two-week trial against one of the nation's largest financial institutions.
Sean is a proud University of Florida "Double Gator," graduating cum laude with majors in Economics and Political Science (B.A., 2005) and cum laude from the University of Florida Levin College of Law (J.D., 2008). While cheering on Gator football and basketball to four national championships, Sean interned for the Honorable Peter K. Sieg of the Eighth Judicial Circuit and the Office of the State Attorney in Levy County.
Sean is deeply involved in the legal community and the profession's commitment to integrity. Since 2010, he has been a member of the Ferguson-White Inn of Court, where he will join the board of directors in the fall of 2026, and he has taught accredited CLE courses on the ethics of cloud computing and related issues. He also serves on The Florida Bar's Annual Convention Committee and is Vice Chair of a Grievance Committee, where he helps uphold professionalism and ethical standards in the practice of law. Sean is also the editing attorney for Thomson Reuters' Practical Law Labor & Employment on the topic of Hiring Requirements in Florida.
Outside the office, Sean is a dad to a 15-year-old and a 12-year-old, which means he spends a lot of time trying to stay cool in front of his kids -- with mixed results. Sean has served as treasurer and executive board member of Keystone Little League since 2018. You'll often find them following Tampa sports (especially the Rays and Bucs), playing (or at least attempting) Fortnite, and sampling their way through local steakhouses and sushi spots. Sean is also a fan of prestige TV, an avid baseball card collector, and someone who still believes his fantasy football lineup is one good decision away from greatness. He has completed three marathons, multiple Ragnar relays, and more than 900 Orangetheory classes.
Sean is licensed to practice in Florida state and federal courts and the Western District of Wisconsin.
Education
University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida — J.D., 2008, Cum Laude
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida — B.A., 2005, Cum Laude — Majors: Economics & Political Science
Practice Areas
Employment Law
Business Law
Whistleblower Law
Bar Admission
Florida, 2008
U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 2009
U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, 2018
U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 2018
Past Positions
James Hoyer, P.A., Partner, 2008 to 2019
Fraternities or Sororities
Delta Tau Delta
Phi Beta Kappa
Classes & Seminars
Cloud Computing Ethics, New York Bar Association, 2013
Professional Associations
Ferguson-White American Inn of Court, Barrister, 2010 to Present; Board of Directors, 2026
Representative Cases
United States ex rel. Albright v. Regency, Inc., et al., 8:19-cv-686, M.D. Fla.
United States of America, et al. v. SAVN Administrative Services, Inc., et al., 2:16-cv-622-SPC-MRM, M.D. Fla.
United States ex rel. Jeffrey Hawk v. CWD Holdings, LLC, et al., 17-12225, E.D. MI
United States ex rel. Boyce v. Ed4Mil, LLC and Caldwell College, Inc., 17-cv-12597, D. N.J.
Sayers v. Dep't of Veterans Affairs, 954 F.3d 1370, 2020, Fed. Cir.
