The Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation

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Titans of Trial - Stuart Grossman Jul 26, 2019

Show notes

As a young man growing up in Coral Gables, Stuart Grossman was upset at the social injustices shown on television news every night and wanted to change that if he could. He could and did. His victories include the largest verdict of its time for the death of a child and a more than one billion dollar settlement in a bank overdraft class action. His mentors include his first boss, the legendary J. B. Spence. Among Stuart’s many honors, is the Perry Nichols Award - the FJA’s most prestigious. It’s given to an attorney whose perseverance, commitment, and unmatched dedication to the civil justice system is at the forefront of his or her life. Stuart Grossman sat down with Florida Justice Association Radio host Harvey Bennett in May of 2019 to discuss the importance of self-reflection, the key advice he has to share with younger attorneys, and the personal medical tragedy that struck his life. Show Notes: Stuart Grossman is with the Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen law firm in Coral Gables, Florida – www.grossmanroth.com Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Visit the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation Podcast Webpage for full details and extras on this podcast. The Titans of Trial podcast, sponsored by the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation, features Florida’s legendary trial attorneys revealing their keys to success – in law practice and in personal life – in their own words. Behind the sometimes tough courtroom veneer lies the heart of a champion advocate. Sometimes whimsical, often inspirational, but always with practical advice and lessons, Titans of Trial shares the personal stories of the men and women who’ve made a demonstrated difference to the practice of trial law in Florida.

Titans of Trial - James "Booty" Nance Jun 28, 2019

Show notes

It was his older sister’s mispronunciation of the word “beauty” that, as just an infant, gave James Nance the nickname that would stick with him for life: “Booty”. With a name like that, he had to be a good trial lawyer – and he was – and still is today as he goes into the office at nearly 88 years old. Booty Nance, of Melbourne, was one of the nine Florida trial lawyers who took on Big Tobacco in the 1990’s, eventually settling for the landmark $13 plus billion from the tobacco industry to the state of Florida for Medicaid recoupment costs of sick smokers. While he has top professional honors – he’s a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates – he’s also known as an avid hunter and a prankster. These skills have helped him innovate creative approaches to collecting late judgments and surviving cancer. Booty Nance sat down with Florida Justice Association Radio host Harvey Bennett in July 2018 for an interview that reflects the recurring theme in his law practice and his life: He’s had fun! Show Notes: Booty Nance is with the Nance Cacciatore law firm in Melbourne, Florida – www.nancelaw.com Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Visit the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation Podcast Webpage for full details and extras on this podcast. The Titans of Trial podcast, sponsored by the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation, features Florida’s legendary trial attorneys revealing their keys to success – in law practice and in personal life – in their own words. Behind the sometimes tough courtroom veneer lies the heart of a champion advocate. Sometimes whimsical, often inspirational, but always with practical advice and lessons, Titans of Trial shares the personal stories of the men and women who’ve made a demonstrated difference to the practice of trial law in Florida.

Titans of Trial - W.C. Gentry May 31, 2019

Show notes

His mother was a smoker who died of lung cancer at the age of 54. So when W.C. Gentry of Jacksonville got the call to join a team of lawyers fighting Big Tobacco to recover state Medicaid dollars spent on those smokers’ care, his was an easy answer. Their $13 billion plus settlement, the largest recovery in the history of jurisprudence at the time, led to an eventual multistate settlement. As a past president of this organization, W.C. Gentry became a veteran of the tort reform wars of the mid-1980’s, that are still being fought today. Among his many honors, is the Perry Nichols Award - the Florida Justice Association’s most prestigious. It’s given to a person whose perseverance, commitment, and unmatched dedication to the civil justice system is at the forefront of his or her life. W.C. Gentry sat down with Florida Justice Association Radio host Harvey Bennett in February 2018 to discuss his expansive career, the role he’s played along the way in changing child abuse reporting laws, and his special interest as a civic leader in promoting children’s literacy. Show Notes: W.C. Gentry is with the Law Office of W.C. Gentry in Jacksonville, Florida – www.gentrylaw.net Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Visit the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation Podcast Webpage for full details and extras on this podcast. The Titans of Trial podcast, sponsored by the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation, features Florida’s legendary trial attorneys revealing their keys to success – in law practice and in personal life – in their own words. Behind the sometimes tough courtroom veneer lies the heart of a champion advocate. Sometimes whimsical, often inspirational, but always with practical advice and lessons, Titans of Trial shares the personal stories of the men and women who’ve made a demonstrated difference to the practice of trial law in Florida.

Titans of Trial - Chris Searcy May 08, 2019

Show notes

Chris Searcy grew up in trial practice in Miami, hanging around legendary lawyers such as Bill Frates, Larry Stewart, Bill Coleson, Bill Hicks, and J.B Spence, to name but a few. As a young law student at Stetson University in 1972, he became involved with the predecessor of the Florida Justice Association, the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, at an early age, attending seminars and getting early career guidance. And boy what a career he’s had, becoming one of today’s legendary trial lawyers. Chris Searcy is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group of 100 lawyers. He has been honored with the Al J. Cone Award for lifetime achievement and the Perry Nichols Award, this association’s highest honor. He is a past president of the Florida Justice Association, and the association’s seminar on Voir Dire bears his name. But it was the two terrible personal tragedies in his life that caused him to gravitate to representing clients in death cases and is ultimately the passion that fuels his great success as a champion advocate. Chris Searcy sat down with Florida Justice Association Radio host Harvey Bennett in July 2018 to talk about his special connection to personal injury law, his advice to rising lawyers seeking lead trial time, and the fine line between hating to lose and being afraid to lose a case. Show Notes: Chris Searcy is with the Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley law firm in West Palm Beach, Florida – www.searcylaw.com Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Visit the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation Podcast Webpage for full details and extras on this podcast. The Titans of Trial podcast, sponsored by the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation, features Florida’s legendary trial attorneys revealing their keys to success – in law practice and in personal life – in their own words. Behind the sometimes tough courtroom veneer lies the heart of a champion advocate. Sometimes whimsical, often inspirational, but always with practical advice and lessons, Titans of Trial shares the personal stories of the men and women who’ve made a demonstrated difference to the practice of trial law in Florida.

Titans of Trial - Troy Rafferty Mar 27, 2019

Show notes

Working in a sausage factory while attending college taught Troy Rafferty the value of hard work and sacrifice. Which helped him become what he is today: one of the top trial lawyers nationally who police the pharmaceutical industry by trying and winning complex mass tort cases. But as the old adage goes about sausages and laws – that you should never see them being made – Troy’s early experience also provided the fortitude for an important future battle with the Florida Legislature. Before, during and after Troy's time as President of the Florida Justice Association, he worked tirelessly to prevent and ultimately help overturn the legislature’s decision to adopt the Daubert Standard on expert witness testimony. Troy Rafferty sat down with Florida Justice Association Radio host Harvey Bennett in January 2019 to share some of his winning strategies… and his twin concerns that legal practice has become too contentious and is run too much like a business. Show Notes: Troy Rafferty is with the Levin Papantonio law firm in Pensacola, Florida – www.levinlaw.com Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Visit the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation Podcast Webpage for full details and extras on this podcast. The Titans of Trial podcast, sponsored by the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation, features Florida’s legendary trial attorneys revealing their keys to success – in law practice and in personal life – in their own words. Behind the sometimes tough courtroom veneer lies the heart of a champion advocate. Sometimes whimsical, often inspirational, but always with practical advice and lessons, Titans of Trial shares the personal stories of the men and women who’ve made a demonstrated difference to the practice of trial law in Florida.

Titans of Trial - Bruce Kaster Mar 15, 2019

Show notes

He describes himself as a trial lawyer, cowboy, hog hunter, and red fisherman. And not always in that order. But then Bruce Kaster is not your typical trial lawyer. His niche practice of suing tire manufacturers over tread defects is an esoteric and technical field of law. He’s folksy and full of funny stories, as you’ll soon hear – but dead serious when it comes to tire and auto safety. Some of his corporate opponents dismissed him as a country bumpkin from Ocala, but they did so at their own peril. His tenacious consumer advocacy led to an enormous recall of millions of Firestone tires and convinced carmaker Ford to change its product. He’s earned a national reputation including testimony before Congress, fighting for more open records. Bruce Kaster sat down with Florida Justice Association Radio host Harvey Bennett in July 2018 to share his incredible tale of corporate lies, deceit and cover-ups and how his optimism about the practice of law keeps him going. Show Notes: Bruce Kaster is with the Kaster & Lynch law firm in Ocala, Florida – www.kasterandlynch.com Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Visit the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation Podcast Webpage for full details and extras on this podcast. The Titans of Trial podcast, sponsored by the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation, features Florida’s legendary trial attorneys revealing their keys to success – in law practice and in personal life – in their own words. Behind the sometimes tough courtroom veneer lies the heart of a champion advocate. Sometimes whimsical, often inspirational, but always with practical advice and lessons, Titans of Trial shares the personal stories of the men and women who’ve made a demonstrated difference to the practice of trial law in Florida.

Titans of Trial - Mike Eidson Mar 01, 2019

Show notes

The Coral Gables firm of Colson, Hicks, Eidson was instrumental in the development of personal injury law in Florida, with its roots in firms with legendary founders such as Perry Nichols, Bill Colson, Bill Hicks, J.B. Spence, and others. So it should come as no surprise that Mike Eidson has had the success he’s had and continued the momentum of the firm’s founders – his mentors. Mike was one of the first practitioners of the law of strict liability in tort. He helped change the standard used in product design and liability cases in Florida – and eventually many other states – and literally wrote the textbook on it for other lawyers. Cars are much safer today, thanks to Mike Eidson and those who followed him. His achievements earned him the Florida Justice Association’s Al J. Cone Lifetime achievement award in 2013. Mike Eidson sat down with Florida Justice Association Radio host Harvey Bennett in July 2018 to share his mentors’ lessons - and his own on personal injury law, the importance of empathy, and the special influence his wife has had in his career. Show Notes: Mike Eidson is with the Colson Hicks Eidson law firm in Coral Gables, Florida – www.colson.com Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Visit the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation Podcast Webpage for full details and extras on this podcast. The Titans of Trial podcast, sponsored by the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation, features Florida’s legendary trial attorneys revealing their keys to success – in law practice and in personal life – in their own words. Behind the sometimes tough courtroom veneer lies the heart of a champion advocate. Sometimes whimsical, often inspirational, but always with practical advice and lessons, Titans of Trial shares the personal stories of the men and women who’ve made a demonstrated difference to the practice of trial law in Florida.

Titans of Trial - Mike Papantonio Jan 28, 2019

Show notes

Growing up as a kid, one of Mike Papantonio’s favorite books was To Kill a Mockingbird, with its sympathetic lawyer hero Atticus Finch. Today, he’s a champion of the abused and victimized. Mike has become known as the “King of Mass Torts” for his innovative approach to maximizing his cases and client recoveries. It’s earned him the Defender of Justice award by the American Association for Justice, among many other awards. Mike Papantonio sat down with FJA Radio host Harvey Bennett in late August 2017 to discuss the keys to his success, his keen concern about fellow lawyers - both plaintiff and defense, and the connection between personal innovation and your quality of life. Show Notes: Mike Papantonio is with the Levin Papantonio Law Firm in Pensacola, Florida – www.levinlaw.com Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Visit the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation Podcast Webpage for full details and extras on this podcast. The Titans of Trial podcast, sponsored by the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation, features Florida’s legendary trial attorneys revealing their keys to success – in law practice and in personal life – in their own words. Behind the sometimes tough courtroom veneer lies the heart of a champion advocate. Sometimes whimsical, often inspirational, but always with practical advice and lessons, Titans of Trial shares the personal stories of the men and women who’ve made a demonstrated difference to the practice of trial law in Florida.

Titans of Trial - Mike Maher Jan 10, 2019

Show notes

Imagine working on a big case with your team and then leaving town – without them – to try to settle the case before the trial starts. Well that’s the situation that Mike Maher of Orlando found himself in back in 1997. As Chairman of the so-called “Group of Nine” Dream Team of Florida trial lawyers, Mike negotiated the $13 plus billion settlement from Big Tobacco to the state of Florida for Medicaid recoupment costs on sick smokers. In just a few minutes, you’ll hear his story of what happened behind the scenes with Governor Chiles and those Big Tobacco lawyers. But if not for his father’s untimely death, Mike would have most likely become an engineer. Instead, he headed to Stetson Law School and became one of Florida’s top trial lawyers, by engineering innovative solutions for his clients. Mike is a former President of The American Association for Justice, as well as a former President of the Florida Justice Association. An EAGLE founder, Mike has been honored with the Al J. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award and the B.J. Masterson Award. On the eve of his 50th anniversary practicing law, Mike Maher sat down with Florida Justice Association Radio host Harvey Bennett in February 2018 to talk about his remarkable career, his view of the legal profession, and his surprising advice on the best way to get new clients. Show Notes: Mike Maher is with the Maher Law Firm in Winter Park, Florida - www.maherlawfirm.com Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Visit the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation Podcast Webpage for full details and extras on this podcast. The Titans of Trial podcast, sponsored by the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation, features Florida’s legendary trial attorneys revealing their keys to success – in law practice and in personal life – in their own words. Behind the sometimes tough courtroom veneer lies the heart of a champion advocate. Sometimes whimsical, often inspirational, but always with practical advice and lessons, Titans of Trial shares the personal stories of the men and women who’ve made a demonstrated difference to the practice of trial law in Florida.

Titans of Trial - Bob Spohrer Oct 19, 2018

Show notes

Admittedly, his practice of law seems like one disaster after another. But that’s okay for Bob Spohrer of Jacksonville who specializes in aviation and maritime law. Disaster has become his specialty. He and the firm he founded have recovered more than $1 billion for victims and their families, and achieved safety improvements that benefit all of us. His notable cases include the sinking of the El Faro cargo ship with all 33 souls aboard during a tropical storm in 2015. Bob Spohrer is also a motorcycle-riding, airplane piloting attorney who knows about risks. He has a reputation for taking on tough cases against major opponents with long odds – and winning. He’s a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only organization of the top 100 trial lawyers in the country, as well as the International Association of Barristers. Bob has been honored with the Florida Justice Association’s B.J. Masterson Award, for high ethical standards and professionalism. He’s also a Crystal Eagle Award winner. Bob Spohrer sat down with Florida Justice Association Radio host Harvey Bennett in December 2017 to discuss his trial focus on mastery of the facts, the keys to success that he shares with others, and how he’s kept his 1960’s idealism in changing times. Show Notes: Bob Spohrer is with the Spohrer Dodd law firm in Jacksonville, Florida - www.sdlitigation.com Resources Mentioned in this Podcast: Visit the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation Podcast Webpage for full details and extras on this podcast. The Titans of Trial podcast, sponsored by the Florida Justice Association Research and Education Foundation, features Florida’s legendary trial attorneys revealing their keys to success – in law practice and in personal life – in their own words. Behind the sometimes tough courtroom veneer lies the heart of a champion advocate. Sometimes whimsical, often inspirational, but always with practical advice and lessons, Titans of Trial shares the personal stories of the men and women who’ve made a demonstrated difference to the practice of trial law in Florida.

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