Best Lawyers in Florida, United States for Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
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Dale Hightower was born and raised in Lakeland, Florida, a town between Tampa and Orlando. He grew up loving adventures on the water, paddling a canoe and fishing alone in nearby lakes. His leadership skills became apparent in his youth as he was an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts, Senior Class President at Lakeland High School, and Student Body President at Florida Southern College. He also was elected Student Body President at Cumberland Law School in Alabama. After law school, he began worki...
Michael Brand is a partner in the firm’s Miami and Key West offices. He practices across all fields of litigation, including medical malpractice, personal injury claims and professional liability claims, premises liability, negligent security, legal malpractice, automobile and trucking claims, bad faith/extra-contractual liability and others. He has tried approximately 300 jury trials to verdict in his career. Mr. Brand received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in English at...
John W. Bocchino is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. John W., who practices law in Maitland, Florida, has been recognized since 2012. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Sherry Schwartz is a partner in the firm’s West Palm Beach Office. She received her Bachelors of Science, with Highest Honors from the University of Florida, followed by her Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Miami in 2001. Both in law school and in her early years as an attorney, Ms. Schwartz has successfully tried cases for her clients in criminal, civil, family, and probate matters. She joined Cole, Scott, and Kissane with experience in more than 30 jury trials, following her...
Michelle Bartels is a partner in Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A.’s Tampa office and a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney. Ms. Bartels' practice focuses in the areas of catastrophic and personal injury, general civil litigation, premises liability, trucking defense, professional malpractice, security negligence, vehicle negligence, significant wrongful death, defective products, foster care lead agency and community based care defense. Ms. Bartels earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, magn...
Michael J. Corso is chair for the Tort and Insurance Litigation practice area. His current civil trial practice area is heavily involved in the defense of non-medical professionals, including lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers and surveyors, copyright/trademark infringement, product liability and also more general tort defense matters in litigation. Mike frequently writes and speaks on issues regarding the defense of non-medical professionals and law office risk management issues to ...
Chris N. Kolos focuses his practice on the defense of environmental contamination suits, CERCLA litigation, toxic substance exposure cases, and pharmaceutical, products liability, nursing home, assisted living facility, and many other types of personal injury cases. He has substantial experience defending cases involving industrial chemicals and asbestos. He also defends insurers in bad faith and insurance coverage cases. He has served as national coordinating counsel and regional trial couns...
Alison H. Sausaman is a shareholder in Carr Allison’s Jacksonville (FL) office where she practices in the areas of premises liability, retail and hospitality and labor and employment. Alison is admitted to practice in Florida and before the US District Court for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida. Alison received her Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University, graduating with honors and earned her Juris Doctor from Florida State University College of La...
Michael is a litigation attorney handling catastrophic and personal injury, premises liability, and general civil litigation. Raised in Tampa, Michael graduated from Alonso High School and attended the University of South Florida. There, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and graduated cum laude. After graduation, Michael received his Juris Doctor from Barry University School of Law. After graduating from law school, Michael accepted a position as an Assistant Public Defende...
Cody Frank is a versatile trial and appellate litigator handling complex, high-stakes lawsuits in federal and state courts throughout the United States. Mr. Frank focuses his practice primarily on state and federal appeals and provides support to trial counsel on dispositive or significant motions. He has substantial experience representing and counseling corporations and individuals across a diverse range of industries on domestic and international matters involving admiralty, insurance cove...
N. Rivver Cox is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. N. Rivver, who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which N. Rivver is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Samantha Blatz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Samantha, who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Samantha is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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.