A major emphasis within the firm’s general tort practice is aviation litigation. The firm is recognized as one of the premier plaintiffs’ aviation law firms in the world.
We believe that the firm has handled more plaintiffs’ aviation cases than any other firm in the southeastern United States. The firm has represented multiple victims of over 40 major air disasters over the past four decades. In addition, the firm has handled in excess of 100 small or light plane crashes involving private, non-commercial airplanes.
Members of this firm have chaired the Aviation and Space Committee of the Tort & Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association; the Aviation Committee of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; the Aviation Committee of The Florida Bar; and the Aviation Advisory Committee of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
We have been guest lecturers at more than 100 aviation law seminars, including the American Bar Association’s National Institutes on Aviation and Lloyds of London’s international meetings; at Florida Bar, the Florida Justice Association, and American Association for Justice seminars. Firm members have been court appointed as lead counsel in federal aviation multidistrict litigation proceedings; and have successfully tried or settled numerous aviation accident cases.
Two of our partners are licensed pilots. One served as a naval aviator in the United States Navy from 1965 to 1971, and flew 150 combat missions in Southeast Asia in carrier-based A-7 aircraft. He also worked as an aircraft systems safety engineer and accident investigator for the Vought Aeronautics Division of LTV Aerospace Corporation between his service in the Navy and attendance at law school.
This firm is proud to have played a prominent role in the development of aviation jurisprudence over the past thirty-five years. It has acquired in this context specialized expertise on such complex questions as jurisdiction, venue, forum non conveniens, and choice of law. Members of this firm have appeared before every local federal and state court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Florida and U.S. Supreme Courts, the Panel on Multi-District Litigation and the U.S. Congress on behalf of aviation plaintiffs.