DRML - Key Persons
An Orlando native, Alyssa attended Stetson University, where she received a Bachelor of Business Administration and minors in Russian Language and Business Law. Alyssa attended law school at Florida State University College of Law. While at Florida State, Alyssa attended a summer semester abroad at Oxford University, and she clerked at Dean, Ringers, Morgan, and Lawton. Alyssa was also actively involved in the Student Bar Association and volunteered as a student ambassador and student mentor.
Prior to joining Dean, Ringers, Morgan and Lawton, Alyssa focused her practice on criminal defense and mass tort litigation. Alyssa earned the designation as a Top 40 Under 40 criminal defense attorney by the National Trial Lawyers Association. Alyssa is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, the OCBA's Young Lawyers Division, and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, and she currently serves as the Chair of the District Paralegal Committee for Orlando.
Alyssa is admitted to practice in all Florida State courts, the United States District Court for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Alyssa currently concentrates her practice in the areas of governmental liability and general liability defense.
Mr. Acevedo is a native Floridian, born and raised in the heart of Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration - Finance. After spending several years serving as the Director of Operations & Transitions for an Independent Investment Advisor, he began attending Florida A&M University College of Law where he would go on to graduate magna cum laude in the top 5% of his class. While in law school, Mr. Acevedo served as a Law Clerk at Dean, Ringers, Morgan and Lawton, P.A.
Throughout his career, Mr. Acevedo has represented numerous individuals, business entities, municipalities, and governmental entities. He concentrates his practice in the defense of personal injury cases and general liability insurance defense. He has also presented seminars on the topics of Liability Case Law Updates, the First Amendment, Workplace Drug Testing, and Motion Practice.
He is admitted to the United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Acevedo is a member of the Florida Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association, and the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar.
In his spare time, Mr. Acevedo is an active member of the community, and can often be seen volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and the Coalition for the Homeless.
Mr. Lowe, a Winter Park native, received his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida College of Law. While in Law School, Mr. Lowe was awarded the Trial Practice Book Award as the Most Outstanding Trial Practice Student in spring 2003. He concentrates his practice in workers compensation. Mr. Lowe has been invited to lecture on the subjects of employment law, workers compensation, risk management, and trial strategy.
He is a member of The Florida Bar Workers' Compensation Section and is admitted to practice in all Florida Trial and Appellate Courts. Mr. Lowe is actively involved in many religious and charitable organizations and has spent considerable time in South America on church missions where he has become fluent in Spanish.
Mr. Morgan received his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law in 1971, having graduated second in his class. In 1976, he formed the firm of Dean, Ringers, Morgan & Lawton, P.A. He is board certified as a civil trial lawyer and is rated AV in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. Mr. Morgan has been the featured speaker at many state and national trial advocacy seminars. He is a member of numerous bar and legal societies and associations, including the International Association of Defense Counsel, the American Judicature Society, the Florida Defense Lawyers' Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Florida Bar and the Orange County Bar Association. He is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Noah was born in Clearwater, Florida and has always lived in the Central Florida area. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1990. While at Stetson Mr. Noah was a member of the prestigious Stetson Trial Team and won two national trial competitions and a state trial competition. He was an Editorial Board member of the Stetson Law Review, is a national member of the Order of Barristers, and is author of "Florida's New Poison Pill Statute - A Framework of Analysis for Director's Refusal to Redeem" published in the Stetson Law Review.
Mr. Noah primarily dedicates his practice to representing public and private employers who are involved in labor and employment litigation. He also consults with employers to assist them in achieving their business and strategic goals while ensuring compliance with labor and employment statutes and regulations. Additionally, his practice includes defending governmental and private entities who have been sued under the Fair Housing Act and other civil rights statutes and constitutional amendments.
Mr. Noah has provided training to and spoken before a number of civic groups, businesses, and municipalities, on the issues of employment-related matters during pandemics, employers' obligations to prevent hostile workplaces, religious accommodation, ADA and FMLA compliance, Drug Free workplace rules, and many other employment topics. He is a member of the Florida Bar, the United States District Courts for the Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and past president of the Board of Directors for the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Counsel
- Member of the Moot Court Board
- of Counsel
Mr. Pendley was born on January 4, 1956 in Daytona Beach and grew up in Gainesville. After graduating from high school in 1974, he attended the University of Florida as a scholarship athlete playing football his first two years.
In 1978, he graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor's Degree. He obtained his law degree in 1981 from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, where he served on the Moot Court Team. He was admitted to practice law in the State of Georgia on June 15, 1981 and was admitted to practice law in the State of Florida on May 21, 1982.
Upon graduating from Mercer University, Mr. Pendley practiced law for one year in Albany, Georgia. In June of 1982, he returned to Florida where he began practicing at the law firm of Dean, Ringers, Morgan & Lawton, P.A. in Orlando. He has worked with the firm as an Associate, Partner and Lead Trial Attorney.
Mr. Pendley became Board Certified in Civil Trial Law on June 1, 1992 and that certification was renewed in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, and is currently pending for 2017. He was awarded the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory's high accolade of an AV rating in October of 1996. The majority of his practice is in the area of tort and civil rights litigation in both State and Federal Courts.
Through representation of the Florida League of Cities, Mr. Pendley has served as counsel for numerous cities and municipalities including the Cities of Melbourne, Titusville, Casselberry, Sanford, Eatonville, Apopka, Oakland, Indialantic, DeBary, Indian Harbour Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Clermont, Ocoee, Port Orange, Altamonte Springs, and Edgewood.
Mr. Morris is a board certified civil trial lawyer. Just over one percent of all attorneys in Florida are Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Civil Trial Practice and Clay Morris is among this distinguished group. In Florida, board certified lawyers are legal experts dedicated to professional excellence who have met rigorous standards for experience and professionalism set by the Florida Supreme Court and administered by The Florida Bar Legal Specialization and Education Department.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee and having grown up in Florida, Mr. Morris has lifelong ties to both states. He received his Bachelor of Science from Florida State University in 1982 and his Juris Doctor from Memphis State University in 1987. Not one to fit into any particular box, Mr. Morris was part of the Flying High Circus at Florida State University. He returned to his roots in Memphis to attend law school near family. Upon graduation, he made his way back to Florida to serve as an assistant state attorney in Seminole County where he prosecuted sex crimes and child abuse cases.
Mr. Morris has been honored with the prestigious "AV rating" by Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent national publication in the legal field. This rating is based upon evaluations by other lawyers in our state, and is the highest ranking attainable by an attorney for ability and ethics in the practice of law. It is a distinction reserved for a select few in the legal community.
He joined Dean, Ringers, Morgan & Lawton in 1996, where he specializes in personal injury, wrongful death, automobile negligence, and insurance defense litigation. He is admitted to practice in all Florida State Courts, as well as the United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle, and Northern District of Florida and the Supreme Court of the United States.
A man of faith and service, Mr. Morris dedicates his time outside of work to causes such as the Coalition for the Homeless (15+ years), the Guardian ad Litem program (25+ years), and the KAIROS prison ministry. He is also an active member of the legal community, serving as a member of the Florida Bar Association, the George C. Young Inns of Court, the Seminole County Inns of Court, the Seminole County Bar Association, and the Orange County Bar Association.
Ms. Bradford received her Juris Doctor degree from Roger Williams University School of Law in 1998. While attending law school, she worked as a Law Intern for the United States Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorney; and served as a Law Clerk for a private civil litigation firm in Boston, Massachusetts. Before attending law school, she attended Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1991, earning both General Honors and Honors in her major of Communication. She went on to earn her Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 1995 from the University of Baltimore. She was admitted to practice in Massachusetts in 1998 and in Georgia and Florida in 2000. She is currently a member of the United States Supreme Court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts of the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida, and the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia.
Ms. Bradford has significant local governmental experience, having worked as an attorney for the City of Atlanta, Georgia, where she became involved in both administrative duties and litigation on behalf of the City of Atlanta. As both an Associate and Assistant City Attorney, she represented the City of Atlanta and City employees in civil litigation proceedings in federal, state, and administrative venues and transactional proceedings. Ms. Bradford regularly attended City Council meetings to advise the City Council regarding procedural and other matters that arose during public meetings. She also counseled the City Department of Corrections in Internal Affairs investigations regarding employee misconduct and represented the Department in administrative employee disciplinary hearings before City boards. She has extensive experience researching and writing legal memoranda, briefs, motions, and other legal documents, and as part of her City Attorney duties researched and wrote legal opinions in response to Mayor's and Councilmembers' concerns and questions. Ms. Bradford drafted municipal legislation and executive orders, particularly regarding municipal employee ethics and standards of conduct and assisted in formulation of City of Atlanta Board of Ethics in accordance with City ordinances.
Ms. Bradford entered private practice in 2002, but has continued to represent and advise governmental employers since that time. She has significant experience in labor and employment matters and her practice concentrates on employment law, primarily on behalf of employers, civil rights litigation, and municipal and governmental liability, primarily with regard to public safety matters. She has defended clients in administrative hearings and state and federal civil litigation, including employee discipline and termination hearings and claims alleged under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) claims. She regularly counsels and advises clients regarding their obligations in addressing Charges of Discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR), and prepares detailed responses to such Charges. She also regularly counsels clients regarding specific workplace matters to avoid claims and litigation and drafts memoranda of law regarding that research and advice. Along those same lines, she assists clients in development and application of employment policies and practices to avoid or limit claims and exposure. She represents the firm's clients at all stages of litigation, from pre-suit claim analysis, to trial, and through appeal in administrative, state, and federal venues. In addition, Ms. Bradford conducts workplace investigations regarding employee complaints and concerns.
Ms. Bradford regularly conducts training and seminar presentations. She presented regarding ADA Compliance at the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers Summer Conference in June 2015, at the request of the office of the Orange County Clerk. She also has experience teaching continuing legal education courses. Ms. Bradford also served as an Adjunct Professor in the Paralegal Studies program at Valencia Community College. Personally, she serves as volunteer Legal Counsel and has served as a Foster Parent for Florida Dachshund Rescue.
Mr. Wheeler is a native of Washington, D.C. He graduated from Wake Forest University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication, after which he spent a decade as a high school history teacher and basketball coach. Mr. Wheeler relocated to Florida in 2007, and established roots in Central Florida. His last 6 years of teaching were with Orange County Public Schools at Freedom High School and Apopka High School. In 2019, he obtained his Juris Doctor degree, with Honors, from Florida A & M University College of Law.
Mr. Wheeler joined the law firm of Dean, Ringers, Morgan & Lawton, P. A. in 2019. He is a member of The Florida Bar, the American Bar Association, and the Orange County Bar Association. He concentrates his practice in Workers' Compensation defense, general liability insurance defense, and civil litigation. He is admitted to practice in all trial and appellate courts in the State of Florida.
Mr. Wheeler serves his community through various civil and volunteer organizations and continues to coach youth basketball. He was awarded the Florida Athletic Coaches Association "Coach of the Year" award in Orange County in 2014.
Ms. Carr, a Florida native, graduated with honors from Bethune-Cookman University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech Communication in 1984 and earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of South Florida in 1993. In 2001, she received her Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law, where she served on the school's award-wining Moot Court Board and elected Chief Justice of the Stetson Honor Court.
Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Carr served as an Assistant State Attorney in both the 5th and 13th Judicial Circuits of Florida. Ms. Carr tried jury cases in both County and Circuit Courts.
Ms. Carr is admitted to practice in all Florida Trial and Appellate Courts. She is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. She is a member of The Florida Bar, American Bar Association, National Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association, Paul C. Perkins Bar Association, Florida Association of Women Lawyers, and the Florida Defense Lawyers Association.
Ms. Carr is a Florida Supreme Court Circuit Civil Mediator. She has been certified to serve as a mediator for circuit court cases throughout the State of Florida
Ms. Carr concentrates her practice on general liability insurance defense, governmental liability defense and commercial litigation, premises liability, insurance disputes, personal injury and employment litigation. She serves as defense counsel to corporate, non-profit, governmental and private clients. She continues to serve her community through various church, civic and volunteer organizations.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Member of the Florida Bar
A central Florida native, Ms. Holt completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida ("UCF") where she graduated with honors and earned a Bachelor of Science of Legal Studies and a minor in Criminal Justice. While attending UCF, Ms. Holt interned at a local plaintiff firm focusing on worker's compensation, personal injury, and premises liability cases.
After graduating from UCF, Ms. Holt went on to attend Florida A&M University College of Law ("FAMU") where she received her Juris Doctor degree. During her time in law school, Ms. Holt joined the firm full-time as a paralegal gaining tremendous legal experience with both premises liability and first-party property cases. After graduation, Ms. Holt was admitted to the Florida Bar and joined the firm as an associate attorney practicing civil litigation.
During the course of her distinguishable legal career, Ms. Holt has vigorously defended insurers, businesses, governmental entities, and individuals. She concentrates her practice in the defense of general liability and first party property claims. She has obtained numerous successful results at every stage of litigation, from early settlement, summary judgment, mediation, to defense verdicts at trial and at the appellate level. Ms. Holt has also volunteered and served as a Guardian Ad Litem advocating and protecting the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in dependency court proceedings.
Ms. Holt is a member of the Florida Bar, Orange County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, and the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida. She is admitted to practice in all Florida trial and appellate courts.
Mr. Branham is a life-long Floridian, having been born and raised in Miami. He completed his undergraduate studies at Florida State University earning a degree in Finance in 1978. Thereafter, he also attended Florida State University for law school receiving his Juris Doctor with Honors in 1982. While in law school, Mr. Branham was a legislative aide for the Criminal Justice Committee at the Florida House of Representatives.
Mr. Branham moved to Orlando after law school and served as an Assistant State Attorney for four years. He has been practicing with the law firm of Dean, Ringers, Morgan, & Lawton in Orlando, Florida since 1986 and became a partner in 1991. He is Florida Bar Board Certified in Workers' Compensation and his practice deals exclusively in the defense of workers' compensation claims. Martindale-Hubbell has given him the highest rating of AV. He was also selected as a Super Lawyer in Florida.
Mr. Branham has represented numerous municipalities, governmental entities, carriers and large employers over the past thirty plus years including the City of Sanford, Orange County, Orange County Public Schools, Lake County Public Schools, and Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Governor Chiles honored Mr. Branham when he appointed him Judge of Compensation Claims Pro Hac Vice in 1992. Mr. Branham is the recipient of the Jake Stone Distinguished Service Award, Legal Aid Society's Award of Excellence and the President's Award for Pro Bono work representing abused and neglected children. Mr. Branham is a founding member of the legal committee of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church and is involved in various ministries. He is a member of the Florida Defense Lawyers Association, The Florida Bar, Workers' Compensation Section, and the Orange County Bar Association
Recently named Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers, Ms. Winchester is a successful trial attorney with significant experience and education that prepared her to handle complex claims from presuit through appeal. She previously clerked for the Honorable Roy B. Dalton, Jr. with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and has been a crucial part of the DRML Liability and Business Litigation teams for nearly a decade. Ms. Winchester can handle a variety of civil liability matters, but has specialized her litigation practice in the areas of negligent security and business torts. In her years of private practice, she has tried nearly a dozen cases, obtaining defense verdicts in three of the cases in which she served first-chair, and routinely obtains summary judgment and favorable resolutions for her clients.
Additionally, Ms. Winchester spearheads her own practice counseling and providing legal guidance to residential property owners and managers on all sorts of legal matters they encounter, including but not limited to incorporation of entities, contract drafting and review, releases, fair housing and discrimination matters, evictions, general legal duties and responsibilities under Florida and Federal laws, and other matters raised by tenants and residents.
Ms. Winchester earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida, graduating with highest honors,, and her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law, graduating magna cum laude in the top 10% of her class. While in law school, she served as the Student Bar Association President, a member of the University of Miami Law Review, a member of the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board, and an intern for the Honorable Alan S. Gold of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She also earned the book award for her Legal Research & Writing course. Ms. Winchester's experience on the Law Review and Moot Court Board prepared her to excel in both writing and oral advocacy, and her experience with the Federal Judiciary prepared her to handle a vast array of legal issues that arise in litigation.
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Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Board Certified Appellate Specialist
Jessica Conner is a Board Certified Appellate Specialist. She earned her undergraduate and law degrees with honors from the University of Florida. During law school, Ms. Conner served on the Executive Board of the Florida Moot Court Team where she developed her passion for appellate advocacy. She earned Book Awards in Appellate Advocacy, Legal Research & Writing, and Trial Practice. She also served as an extern for Florida Supreme Court Justice James E.C. Perry.
Ms. Conner concentrates her practice on civil appeals and insurance coverage. She has an extensive background in defending businesses, governmental entities, and insurance companies in all types of disputes. Her broad experience has allowed her to successfully handle appeals in state and federal court involving insurance coverage disputes, torts, contractual disputes, constitutional claims, administrative proceedings, and worker's compensation claims.
Ms. Conner assists trial counsel will complex pre-trial motions and research. She also advises trial teams regarding preservation of error and assists with drafting and arguing post-trial motions with a focus on positioning the case for appellate review. Ms. Conner has handled appeals in the Florida Supreme Court, all five state district courts of appeal, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Ms. Conner also assists insurers with coverage opinions, reservation of rights letters, declaratory relief actions, and responses to Civil Remedy Notices of Insurer Violations.
An Orlando native, Mr. Robinson graduated with honors from the University of Central Florida in 1978 and received his Juris Doctor from Mercer University in 1982. He is a civil trial lawyer with extensive trial experience (over 25 trials) and is rated AV by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. His emphasis is on insurance defense and personal injury, as well as corporate and probate law. He has handled civil litigation in all 20 circuits across Florida. He is a member of the Florida Bar Association (including the Trial Lawyers section), the American Bar Association (including the Tort and Insurance Practice section), the Florida Defense Lawyers Association, the Orange County Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is also admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Mr. Joyce is an Orlando native who has spent the majority of his life in Central Florida. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1982. He then returned to Orlando and became active in the investigation and prosecution of suspected child abuse and neglect cases. For two and a half years, he worked for the Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services as a child abuse investigator. For a year and a half, he worked for the Child Protection Team at Orlando Regional Medical Center investigating and documenting suspected child abuse and neglect and coordinating abuse investigations. Thereafter, he attended the Florida State University Law School receiving his Juris Doctor Magna Cum Laude in 1991. While in law school, Mr. Joyce was a legislative aide for the Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services Committee at the Florida House of Representatives.
Mr. Joyce joined the firm in 1995 and since that time has concentrated his practice in the area of First Party Property defense, workers' compensation defense, third party liability defense, commercial litigation and construction law. He has many years of trial experience in both the County and Circuit Courts as well as before the Judge of Compensation Claims. He has represented numerous municipalities and governmental entities, including the cities of Maitland, Casselberry, Rockledge, Jacksonville Beach, and St. Augustine. Mr. Joyce has lectured extensively on workers' compensation, as well as on civil liability law and practice.
Mr. Joyce is admitted to practice before the Florida Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, the Florida Bar, the Florida Defense Lawyers Association, and the Defense Research Institute. Mr. Joyce volunteers his time as a Guardian Ad Litem representing abused and neglected children. He is active in his church community and has been involved as a soccer coach for many years.
Mr. Conner, a central Florida Native, received his Bachelor degree from the University of Florida in 1995 and a Masters degree from the University of Central Florida in 1999. In 2003, he became a proud double-Gator after receiving his Juris Doctor with Honors from the University of Florida College of Law, where he served as a Senior Editor of the Florida Law Review. Mr. Conner is admitted to practice in all Florida Trial and Appellate Courts, the United States District Courts of the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, and the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Florida Bar Association, American Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association, Florida Municipal Attorneys Association and the Florida Defense Lawyers Association.
Mr. Conner concentrates his practice in amusement park and FEC defense, representation of major automotive tire and repair companies, land use litigation, governmental and law enforcement liability defense, and general liability insurance defense. He has defended major theme parks in central Florida and major auto-repair companies throughout Florid for well over a decade. He has also handled land use claims against governmental entities including Orange County, Hernando County, the Central Florida Expressway Authority, as well as the Cities of Apopka, Altamonte Springs, Clermont, New Smyrna Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Dunnellon, DeBary, Mascotte and the Towns of Windermere, Oakland, Howey-in-the-Hills and Malabar.
Mr. Flood was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on January 29, 1955, and moved to the Central Florida area in 1983. Mr. Flood received his Bachelor of Science degree Cum Laude in 1979 and Juris Doctor degree in 1982 from Florida State University, where he was a member of the Law Review. He served the State of Florida and Seminole County as an Assistant State Attorney for three years.
Mr. Flood specializes in civil rights law, governmental liability, and products liability and has lectured in the areas of governmental civil rights, state tort liability, and insurance bad faith. He is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the United States Claims Court, and all Florida trial and appellate courts. Mr. Flood has also litigated claims specific to the Department of Corrections. He has been trial counsel for high-ranking correctional officials, as well has handled numerous FPLRA (Federal Prison Litigation Reform Act) claims. Mr. Flood's representation of governmental entities has had special emphasis on Section 1983 constitutional claims. Additionally, he has handled numerous corrections claims involving excessive force, First Amendment/religious freedom claims, denial of medical needs, sexual abuse and other areas. Mr. Flood has extensive experience litigating governmental and correctional facilities' claims in both state and federal court.
Finally, Mr. Flood is proud of the fact that cases which have been tried by others were referred to him for representation before Legislative committees with respect to plaintiffs seeking claims bills following verdict. In addition to advising on issues of strategy, Mr. Flood traveled to Tallahassee to conduct lobbying efforts opposing requests for claims bills.
Mr. Flood has also lectured in the areas of governmental civil rights, state tort liability, and insurance bad faith. Mr. Flood is a member of the American Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Florida Defense Lawyers' Association and the Seminole and Orange County Bar Associations.
Mr. Oxford was born in 1949 in Bethesda, Maryland. His family moved to Sanford in 1955, and he has resided in Central Florida ever since.
Mr. Oxford graduated from Princeton University in 1971. He came back home and taught in Seminole County from 1972 through 1974. Mr. Oxford graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1976 with honors. He is admitted to the Florida Bar, the United States District Courts of Florida, the United States Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Mr. Oxford previously headed the firm's Appellate Practice Division and has handled nearly 100 appeals in the past five years, in State and Federal Courts at every level. He is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as an Appellate Law Specialist and has handled nearly 400 appeals in his 39 years of practice, many of those involving employment discrimination issues, constitutional challenges to local ordinances, insurance coverage disputes, as well as general liability and workers' compensation issues.
Mr. Oxford is a civil trial lawyer with an emphasis on insurance defense, personal injury, products liability, and appellate issues. He has received the highest rating, AV, in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Association, the Seminole County Bar Association, the American Arbitration Association, the Defense Research Institute and the Princeton University Alumni Schools' Committee.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Member of the Florida Bar Association
Ms. McAvoy graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and a minor in art history. She received a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law where she served as editor and member of the executive board of the Journal of Law and Public Policy. While in law school, Ms. McAvoy served as a judicial extern for the Honorable John E. Steele at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Ms. McAvoy is a member of the Florida Bar Association and admitted to practice in all Florida trial and appellate courts. She concentrates her practice in the area of workers' compensation, and she also practices general civil litigation, representing various clients in personal injury and premises liability actions throughout the state of Florida. Ms. McAvoy is a member of The Judge William Wieland Inn of Court and has served on committees within the Young Lawyers Section of the Orange County Bar Association.
Mr. Lowe graduated from Brigham Young University with bachelor degrees in International Relations and Business Management in 1996. He joined Dean, Ringers, Morgan & Lawton after receiving a Juris Doctor in 1999 from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Since that time, he has represented employer/carriers in every jurisdiction throughout Florida and tried cases as principal counsel in 15 of the 18 judicial districts. Mr. Lowe became a Florida Bar board-certified workers' compensation attorney in 2008 and became a shareholder in the firm later that year. In his statewide practice, he has represented companies large and small, including large corporations with diverse operations such as trucking, farming, transportation, and retail, in addition to numerous religious organizations. Mr. Lowe also concentrates his practice in first-party property litigation.
Mr. Lowe speaks Spanish fluently and is an active volunteer in the Boy Scouts of America. He is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and is a member of the Florida Bar, the American Bar Association, and the Orange County Bar Association.
Parker Watts is a born and raised Orlando, FL native. He graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies and a minor in Communication Studies, and he received his Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. While in law school, Mr. Watts served as an articles editor and was published by the Florida Law Review. Prior to becoming an Associate at DRML, Mr. Watts also served as a Law Clerk at the firm.
Mr. Watts concentrates his practice in areas of labor and employment law, workers' compensation, and general civil litigation. He is a member of the Florida Bar Association and admitted to practice in all Florida trial and appellate courts.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Member of the Florida Bar
An Orlando native, Mrs. Chapman graduated with Honors from the University of Florida, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. She then obtained her Juris Doctor degree, with Honors, from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. While in law school, Mrs. Chapman served as an Executive Editor on the Journal of Law and Public Policy.
Mrs. Chapman's practice concentrates on civil rights litigation and municipal liability in both state and federal courts. Specifically, she concentrates her practice in employment law, working with governmental entities, as well as with private companies. Her practice involves all aspects of legal practice in labor and employment, including consultation, training, investigations of employment related complaints, state agency practice, and providing representation during grievance proceedings, arbitrations, administrative hearings, and through litigation, up through appeals.
Mrs. Chapman's experience includes representing employers in the major areas of employment litigation, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Florida Civil Rights Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the public and private Whistleblowers Acts, drug free workplace, USERRA, avoidance of unfair labor practice claims, and other contractual and tort claims.
Mrs. Chapman routinely represents clients during administrative investigations done by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Florida Commission on Human Relations, and other state agencies across the United States. Through this representation, Mrs. Chapman advises employers on the scope of investigations, how to conduct internal investigations when needed, analyzes potential exposure to isolate claims suitable for early resolution, and drafts position statements for the investigating agency's consideration. Mrs. Chapman has also consulted and assisted employers in drafting personnel policies and procedures, as well as has provided training sessions for employees, in both Spanish and English, on employment topics like avoiding sexual harassment claims in the workplace and how to defend against Charges of Discrimination.
In addition to focusing her practice on labor and employment, Mrs. Chapman also practices general civil defense litigation in areas including, but not limited to, Auto Negligence, Federal Civil Rights Claims, Products Liability, Professional Liability, and Premises Liability. Mrs. Chapman is admitted to practice in all Florida Trial and Appellate Courts, as well as in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She has tried claims in both the Middle and Southern District Courts of Florida, as well as in numerous Florida state courts. She has also handled appeals before appellate courts in Florida, as well as before the Eleventh Circuit. In handling various claims through trial and appeal, Mrs. Chapman has successfully defeated multiple claims on Motions to Dismiss, Motions for Summary Judgment, Directed Verdicts, and Defense Verdicts.
Mrs. Chapman is a member of The Florida Bar, the Orange County Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida. She speaks Spanish fluently and is a dual citizen of the United States and Spain.
Job Titles:
- University School of Law ( Juris Doctor, 1998 )
Mrs. Lundy is a native Floridian, born on July 26, 1962 and raised in Montverde. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1982. During college, she served as the representative of the College of Liberal Arts and Science in the Student Senate. She attended the University of Florida Law School and received her Juris Doctor degree in 1985. While in law school, Mrs. Lundy was a member of the Moot Court Board and Trial Competition Team.
After law school, Mrs. Lundy served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Monterey Campbell at the Second District Court of Appeals. She joined Dean, Ringers, Morgan & Lawton, P.A. in 1989.
Throughout her career, Mrs. Lundy has represented numerous municipalities and governmental entities including the Cities of Sanford, New Smyrna Beach, Fort Pierce, Melbourne, Oakland, Fellsmere, Apopka, Daytona Beach Shores, Clermont, Rockledge, Lake Helen, DeLand and Hernando County. She concentrates her practice in the defense of personal injury cases, false arrest/false imprisonment claims, ADA, Civil Rights, and other employer/employee related issues. She has also assisted in seminars with regard to investigation of claims, the Tort Reform Act and HIPAA. While Mrs. Lundy has been successful in obtaining summary judgments on behalf of her clients obviating the need for trial in many cases, she also has extensive trial experience, having obtained countless defense verdicts throughout her career.
She is admitted to the United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mrs. Lundy is a member of the Florida Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association, American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute and Florida Defense Lawyers Association. Mrs. Lundy has served as Guardian Ad Litem in numerous cases for over 20 years.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Florida Bar
Ursula Remy graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She returned to UCF and earned a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a certificate in Crime Analysis. She then obtained her Juris Doctor degree, with Honors, from the Florida A&M University College of Law. While in law school, Ms. Remy served as a staff editor for Law Review, as well as a co-arbiter for the Spring Showcase. She also worked as a research assistant. Ms. Remy earned book awards in Constitutional Law, Labor Law and National Security Law.
Ms. Remy serves as a Guardian Ad Litem advocating and protecting the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in dependency court proceedings. She is also actively involved in volunteering for her church. Born in Lima, Peru, Ms. Remy is fluent in Spanish.
Ms. Remy is a member of the Florida Bar, Orange County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, and the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida. She is also a member of the Judge William Wieland Workers' Compensation Inn of Court. She is admitted to practice in all Florida trial and appellate courts.
Ms. Remy's practice concentrates on litigation in general liability and worker's compensation, as well as municipal liability in both state and federal courts.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Member of the Florida Bar
Mr. Lawton was born April 10, 1949 in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Lawton's family settled in Florida area in the late 1800's. He has many ties to the state. His family has been actively involved in various community affairs since the 1900's, particularly in the area of public education. Mr. Lawton's great-grandfather, R.W. Lawton, was a member of the Orange County School Board. His grandfather, T.W. Lawton, was Superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools for over 30 years.
Mr. Lawton attended the University of Florida where he received his undergraduate degree in 1971 and his Juris Doctor in 1973.
In 1976, Mr. Lawton, along with Goble Dean, Andrew Ringers and Dale Morgan, formed the law firm of Dean, Ringers, Morgan & Lawton, P.A. He has served as its managing partner since the firm's inception. Mr. Lawton is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, and has an AV rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He has tried many cases throughout the State of Florida, in both the State and Federal Courts and has extensive experience representing clients in arbitration proceedings.
Mr. Lawton is admitted to practice in the State of Florida, the District of Columbia and New York State. He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, as well as the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Western District of Washington, the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, the Fifth District Court of Appeals and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Lawton is a member of The Florida Bar, Orange County Bar Association, American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, The District of Columbia Bar, Florida Defense Lawyers Association, Defense Research Institute, the International Association of Defense Counsel, and the American Board of Trial Advocates.
In the past ten years, Mr. Lawton has represented governmental entities in approximately a thousand cases involving various types of negligence claims, which have included wrongful death and significant serious injury matters, as well as sexual harassment, discrimination, police brutality, wrongful termination, etc.