Professional Resume VIEW IN PDF
Professional Licenses
Member of the Bar of the following States in good standing:
Tennessee – 1985 to Present
Florida – 1991 to Present
New York – 2007 to Present
Illinois – 2018 to Present
Admitted to Practice by following Federal Courts:
United States Supreme Court – 2006
11th Circuit Court of Appeals – 1994
5th Circuit Court of Appeals – 1987
USDC WD Tenn – 1985
USDC ND Miss – 1991
USDC ND Fla – 1991
USDC MD Fla – 1994
USDC SD Fla – 1996
USDC ED Ark – 1986
USDC WD Ark – 1986
USDC EDNY – 2008
USDC SDNY – 2008
Board Certified Specialist by Florida Bar
Business Litigation Law 2011-2021
Labor & Employment Law 2011-2021
ADR Experience
Arbitration
American Arbitration Association Panel Member for Employment
Disputes Panel, Commercial Disputes Panel, and Consumer Disputes Panel
NAM – National Arbitration & Mediation Panel Member
Arbitration experience includes serving as sole arbitrator on over 80 Arbitrations since 2012. Employment Cases involved disputes of all types, including discrimination and retaliation (sex, age, race, national origin), workplace harassment (sex, age, race, national origin), disability discrimination and harassment, FLSA cases (both single and collective actions), whistleblower cases, and covenants not to compete. Commercial Cases involved contract disputes and related business torts. Consumer Cases involved disputes between customers and a variety of business entities.
Mediation
Circuit Civil Mediator – Fla. Supreme Ct. – 2013 to Present
Approved mediator with the US EEOC and the American Arbitration Association
Served as a mediator on civil litigation cases since approximately 1999, involving between 75-100 separate cases, in jurisdictions across the United States. Cases mediated primarily involve Employment
Disputes, including discrimination and retaliation of all types (sex, age, race, national origin, disability, primarily); whistleblower claims; FLSA, both single plaintiff and collective actions; non-compete agreements; and related tort claims. A substantially smaller subset of Mediations involved traditional business disputes, including land use, and consumer disputes.
Professional Litigation Experience
Practice concentrated in civil litigation in a variety of specialty areas, in courts across the United States. Cases have been in the United States Supreme Court, the 11th, 5th, 6th and 2nd US Circuits, and District Courts in at least 8 states, the Florida Supreme Court and the 1st, and 5th DCA, and in the country of Canada.
The subject matters have included:
Real Estate and Land Use, Eminent Domain, Inverse Condemnation Regulatory Takings, Land Use, Sale and Purchase Contracts, Commercial Foreclosure, Construction Defects, Title Defect and Coverage, Statutory and Constitutional Protection of Property Rights, Environmental Claims, notable cases include Regulatory Taking of DRI case, and Land Use DRI ownership and amendment case Antitrust, Civil Price-Fixing and Bid Rigging, notable cases include Bid-Rigging in road building Contract in the State of Tennessee, and automotive dealer claims against manufacturer for Price Fixing and Unfair Competition Securities Broker-Dealer Fraud and Suitability claims
Civil Rights
§ 1983 Wrongful Death claims against law enforcement, prosecution of claims by individuals and businesses against government entities for arbitrary overnment action, including notable cases of successful defense of Governor and Cabinet in trial of sex discrimination claim and successful defense of Sheriff in wrongful death claim and award of sanctions for frivolous claim
Trusts & Estates
Will Contests, Testamentary Capacity and Undue Influence Claims, claims for failure to honor marital dissolution agreement in testamentary plan
Banking & Finance
Lender Liability, UCC, Breach of Contract Claims, representing primarily lenders
Personal Injury
Representing both Plaintiffs and Defendants in personal injury claims
Labor & Employment
Representing both Plaintiffs and Defendants in Wage & Hour, Discrimination, Labor disputes, OSHA investigations and claims, NLRB investigations and claims, non-compete claims
Election Law
Representing National Parties and Candidates in disputed election results Claims, including the 2004 Presidential Election in Florida in the case of Reform
Party v. Black before Florida Supreme Court
Administrative
Bid Protests, License Revocation Proceedings, including notable case of bid protest over $500,000,000 contract for State of Florida Medicaid
Computer System
Professional Negligence: Legal Malpractice, Medical Malpractice
Business Litigation: Breach of Contract and Fraud disputes
Intellectual Property: Trademark and Tradename litigation, Unfair Trade practices and Lanham Act claims
Insurance: Coverage litigation
Taxation: Tax Litigation, including notable case of Constitutional Standing before United States Supreme Court with National Tax Implications for Private Schools
Education
University of Memphis BBA Finance, magna cum laude, 1982
Golden Key National Honor Society 1981
Beta Gamma Sigma, National Honor
Business Fraternity 1981
Congressional Intern, Tenn. 6th Congressional District 1982
Vanderbilt University School of Law JD 1985
National Institute for Trial Advocacy, New Orleans, Louisiana 1987
Circuit Civil Mediation 2013
Training
American Arbitration 2012
Association Arbitrator
Training
Professional Memberships, Honors, and Certifications
Dade County Bar Association, Group IV Director 2013-2014
Spellman-Hoeveler Inns of Court 2013-14; 2014-2015
Wm. Reece Smith, Jr., Litigation American Inn of Court – Master Member 2016 – 2017
US Small Business Administration, Region IV – Jacksonville District Advisory Counsel, 1993-1997
Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubble