Best Lawyers in Florida, United States for Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
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Cities
E. Blake Paul is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. E. Blake, who practices law in Lakeland, Florida, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which E. Blake is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Ken Hazouri was raised in Gainesville, Florida, and has lived in Orlando since 1994. He received his Juris Doctor, with honors, from the University of Florida where he was a member of The Florida Law Review. While also an experienced trial attorney, Ken is certified in Appellate Practice by The Florida Bar and has numerous reported appellate decisions establishing important precedents in Florida law. He holds the highest ranking possible from the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory for legal ski...
Richard Alvarez is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Richard, who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Richard is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kristen Van der Linde devotes her practice exclusively to the defense of cases and appeals involving trucking liability, automobile liability, premises liability, wrongful death, bad faith, negligent security, and coverage issues. She is admitted to practice law in Georgia as well as Florida. Ms. Van der Linde is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar, which means that she is an expert in civil litigation before state and federal courts, administrative agencies and arbitrators....
Benjamin S. Jilek is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Benjamin S., who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Benjamin S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Christopher E. Varner is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Christopher E., who practices law in Pensacola, Florida, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christopher E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael McCoy is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Michael, who practices law in Jacksonville, Florida, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Gregory J. Willis practices in the firm’s Fort Lauderdale West office where he concentrates on civil litigation but has a diverse practice that includes all areas of insurance defense litigation including construction litigation, bad faith/extra-contractual liability, liquor liability defense, environmental/toxic spills and trucking accident defense. Mr. Willis is also experienced in transactional law and health law matters. He has lectured extensively on many areas of law. Previously, ...
David Banker is an experienced civil trial lawyer who has tried a broad range of cases in federal and state courts involving products liability, employment discrimination, medical negligence, personal injury, commercial disputes and consumer disputes. Mr. Banker has also litigated mass tort and class action cases involving prescription drugs, medical devices and consumer products.
Brian J. Aull is a partner in the Jacksonville office. He practices in all phases of civil litigation, including personal injury litigation, construction litigation, employment and labor, insurance coverage and carrier representation, trucking/transportation and professional liability litigation. Prior to joining Cole, Scott & Kissane, Mr. Aull practiced as an Assistant State Attorney, in the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida, where he was a member of the Homicide/Major Crimes Division a...
Joseph J. Goldberg is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Joseph J., who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joseph J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael has been practicing law for over 35 years, of which the last 20 have been devoted to insurance defense litigation. He tries significant product liability cases where there is catastrophic damage and/or serious injury or death. Michael also defends doctors, dentists, hospitals, and their employees, as well as other professionals such as lawyers, in malpractice suits and claims brought against them. To date, Michael has tried over 300 cases to verdict. Michael has also handled matters i...
Mr. Eglinton is a partner in our Miami office. He practices in general liability litigation, personal injury defense and SIU/fraud defense. He graduated cum laude from the University of Connecticut in 2001 with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. While at the University of Connecticut, Mr. Eglinton won the New England Scholar Award in 2000. He attended and graduated from Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2004, and was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. Prior to joining CSK, M...
Out of well over 1000 civil trial attorneys in North Florida, Michael Fox Orr was recognized by Attorney-at-Law Magazine as one of the “top 8 civil litigators.” Michael tries civil jury and bench trials primarily in the area of complex commercial and civil litigation with significant damages at issue. Most of his cases involving situations where the company could be bankrupted or an individual stands to lose their net worth. His experience and success as a civil trial lawyer has l...
Antwon M. Emery is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale West office of Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A. Mr. Emery practices in the areas of hospitality defense, first party insurance litigation, property damage claims, wrongful death, negligent security, trucking accident defense and personal injury litigation. Mr. Emery is a native of Flint, Michigan and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 2006 and his Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University in 2002...
Richard D. Rusak is a partner in the Miami office of Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A and Board Certified in Marine/Admiralty Law by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Education and Specialization since 2010. He is an accomplished trial lawyer with two decades of litigation and appellate experience in federal and state courts and primarily represents major insurance companies, ship owners and marinas in marine/admiralty defense cases. Mr. Rusak also practices in the areas of hospitality defense, tr...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.