Bar Fellowship
1982-1983. Judicial Clerk to The Honorable Wm. Terrell Hodges, Chief Judge, Middle District of Florida, 1983-1985. Listed in: Who's Who Among Rising Young Americans; International Who's Who of Professionals; Leading Florida Attorneys; Outstanding Young Men of America; Leading American Attorneys. Recipient, Hillsborough County Bar Association's 2004 Michael A. Fogarty "In the Trenches" Award, Florida's Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012; Leading Florida Attorney in the areas of personal injury law and commercial litigation, Leading American Attorney, Florida Super Lawyer, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012; The Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury, Commercial Litigation and Medical Malpractice, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012; listed in Top 100 Super Lawyers in Florida 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012; named a "Leading Plaintiff Attorney in America" by Lawdragon.com, January 2007. Certified Contract Advisor/Player Agent, National Football League Players Association, 2008-2010. Co-Author, "Damages in Medical Negligence Cases," The Florida Medical Malpractice Handbook published by the Florida Bar, Trial Lawyers Section, 2006 and 2011; Editorial Advisory Board, "Florida Pretrial Practice," published by Jones Publishing, 2004; "No Rest for the Weary: The Trial Lawyer and the Recovery of Appellate Costs," Hillsborough County Bar Association Lawyer, February 1997. Author: "Liability Caps Panacea for Savings," The Tampa Bay Business Journal, July 2003; "Another Medical Malpractice 'Crisis'? You Decide," Hillsborough County Bar Association, December 2002; Letter to the Editor, The Tampa Bay Business Journal, July 2002; "You May Not Know What You've Been Missing," Hillsborough County Bar Association Lawyer, June 1997. Speaker: "Discovery and Motion Practice in the Middle District of Florida," Hillsborough County Bar Association Seminar, March 20, 1989; "Techniques, Tactics and Rules of Discovery," Hillsborough County Bar Association Seminar, September 19, 1988; "The Ultimate Trial Notebook Seminar," Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, September 13, 1991; "An Address to the Admiralty Law Committee," Admiralty Law Committee, June 23, 1994; "The Preparation and Trial of Cases in the Post-Fabre Era," Hillsborough County Bar Association and the Trial Lawyers' Section, December 2, 1994; "Recreational Boating and Environmental Considerations in Admiralty Matters," Seminar, The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Committee, Trial Lawyers' Section and Admiralty Law Committee, February 9, 1995; "Premises Liability," National Business Institute Seminar, March 14 and 15, 1995; "Back to the Future: The Latest Developments in Recurring Issues of Trial Practice," Hillsborough County Bar Association and Trial Lawyers' Section Seminar, May 9, 1997; "Premises Liability: Preparation and Trial of a Difficult Case in Florida," National Business Institute, December 11, 12, 1997; "Effective Expert Witness Discovery," in the Basic Discovery Practice Seminar, The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Committee and Young Lawyers Division, February 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002; "Civil Litigation in the 90's," sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Trial Lawyers Section on May 15, 1998; "Federal Discovery Practice," sponsored by the Stetson University College of Law on October 2, 1998; "Top Ten Ways to Improve Your Trial Practice," sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association on October 16, 1998; "Basic Discovery Practice," sponsored by The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Young Lawyers Division on February 4 and 5, 1999; "Anatomy of a Soft Tissue Case," sponsored by The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers on March 18, 1999; "Direct Examination of Witnesses at the State Court Trial Seminar sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division of the Hillsborough County Bar Association on June 11, 1999; "Jury Selection in the Commercial Torts Case," sponsored by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, August 26 and 27, 1999; numerous panels of judges and lawyers addressing the Third and Fourth Annual Bench Bar Conferences sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, 1999, 2000, 2001; "Preparation for Trial," trial practice seminar, sponsored by Florida Bar, October, 2000; "So You Want to be a Medical Malpractice Lawyer?" sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, September 21, 2000; "Medical Malpractice with a Motive," sponsored by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, June 27, 2001; "What Lawyers and Mediators Hate About Each Other," Sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, May 31, 2002; "Developing and Delivering an Opening Statement that Captures the Audience," sponsored by the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, June 12, 2002; "Federal Civil Litigation: Discovery Abuses and Sanctions," sponsored by Lorman, December 11, 2002; "Pain Assessment: A Legal Perspective," Tampa General Hospital, July 18, 2003; "Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance Now a Crisis?" Hillsborough County Bar Association, January 21, 2003; "Law of Jury Selection," Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, November 20, 2003; "Law of Jury Selection," Hillsborough County Bar Association, April 16, 2004; "The Law of Jury Selection," November 6, 2004, sponsored by the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division; "The Ten Commandments for the Corporate Defendant," Southeastern Electrical Exchange Conference, April 2005; "The Discovery of Experts: Dealing With Yours and Theirs" at the Advanced Depositions in Florida seminar sponsored by Lorman Education Services, December 9, 2005; "Effective Advocacy in Jury Trials," at the Effective Advocacy in Civil Litigation seminar sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, February 15, 2006; "The Effective Taking and Use of Lay and Expert Depositions, Expert Depositions, and Use of Depositions at Trial," at the Taking and Defending Depositions in Florida seminar sponsored by Lorman Education Services, April 21, 2006; "Examination of Witnesses," at the State Court Trial Seminar sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, June 9, 2006; "Diffusing and Minimizing the Effect of the Defense Rehabilitation Expert in Cross-Examination, Deposition and at Trial" at the 2007 Workhorse Seminar sponsored by the Florida Justice Association, February 22, 2007; "Planning and Delivering the Powerful Closing Argument" at the State Court Trial Seminar sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, June 22, 2007; "Effective Expert Depositions," at the Discovery Strategies for Trial Lawyers Seminar sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, December 6, 2007; "Trial Preparation: Effective Advocacy in Jury Trials," at the State Court Trial Seminar sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, June 13, 2008; "Ethical Considerations and Practical Tips for Dealing with Witnesses" at the Federal Bar Association, Tampa Bay Chapter, 2008 Federal Civil Seminar, September 19, 2008; "Planning and Delivering the Powerful Closing Argument" at the State Court Trial Seminar sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, June 12, 2009; "Developing and Delivering An Opening Statement That Captures the Audience" at the Basic Trial Practice Seminar sponsored by The Florida Bar, October 9, 2009; "The Law on Experts for the State and Federal Practitioner" at the Topics in Evidence 2010 Seminar sponsored by The Florida Bar; "Effective Preparation for Trial" at the State Court Trial Seminar sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, June 11, 2010; "Key Evidentiary Issues You Need to Know for a Negligence Trial" at the 13th Annual FLABOTA Annual Convention, July 23, 2010; "Key Evidentiary Issues Judges and Lawyers Need to Know for Negligence Trials" at the 14th Annual FLABOTA Annual Convention, July 22, 2011; "Key Evidentiary Issues for Trial Lawyers and Judges" at the Topics in Evidence Seminar sponsored by The Florida Bar, March 2, 2012; "The Law of Jury Selection" at the Basic Trial Practice 2012 Seminar sponsored by The Florida Bar, March 15, 2012; and "Effective Preparation for Trial" at the State Court Trial Seminar sponsored by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, June 15, 2012. Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Member, Merit Selection Panel, U.S. Magistrates, 2001. Member, Judicial Rotation Committee, 2001. Member, U.S. Middle District of Florida Grievance Committee (2005-). Member, Leadership Florida (Class XVIII). President, The Warrick Dunn Foundation Board of Directors, 2005-2010.
Member: Hillsborough County (Past Chair: Publication Committee, 2009-; Liberty Bell Award Committee, 2006-2008; Program Committee, 2005-2006; Past Chair, Trial Lawyers Section, 2000-2001; Director, 1993-2001; Past Co-Chair, Mock Trial Committee, 1991-1993); Federal Bar Association (President, Tampa Bay Chapter, 2002-2003) and American Bar Association (Member, Litigation, Torts, and Insurance Practice, Section) Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member, 2002-, Vice-Chair, 2005, and Chair, 2006, Board of Legal Specialization and Education; Chair, Civil Trial Certification Committee, 2001-2002; Executive Council, Trial Lawyers Section, 2004-2010); Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (Member, Board of Directors, 1999-2001; EAGLE Benefactor); The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; American Board of Trial Advocates, Tampa Bay Chapter (President, 2011); Ferguson-White American Inn of Court (Master Emeritus).
