FRED LEVIN - Key Persons
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- Lawyers Association, Member
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- Clinical Coordinator of the Physical Therapy Department at the Andrews Institute
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- Attorney
- Associate Attorney at Levin Papantonio
- Attorney Profile
Alex Taylor is an associate attorney at Levin Papantonio who practices in the field of mass torts litigation. He currently works on cases related to the drug Invokana, a diabetes medication that causes several injuries, including diabetic ketoacidosis, renal failure, and heart attacks.
Alex graduated cum laude from Florida State University College of Law. During his time there, he was a member of the Trial Team, and competed in four trial competitions, including a second place finish at the Chester Bedell Mock Trial Competition. He received the Book Award in Federal Courts, a class on federal jurisdiction. He interned at the First District Court of Appeal for Judge Bradford Thomas while in school.
Following graduation, Alex worked as an Assistant State Attorney for the Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit for one year. During this time, he tried seven jury trials. He is licensed to practice in all state courts in Florida.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- Shareholder at Levin Papantonio
Brandon L. Bogle is a shareholder at Levin Papantonio. He received his undergraduate degree from Florida State University in 2004 and his Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law in 2007, graduating magna cum laude. Mr. Bogle ranked first in his graduating class and seventh for the graduating year. During his third year of law school, he worked for the Florida Department of Community Affairs addressing various statewide growth management and land use planning issues.
Before joining Levin Papantonio, Mr. Bogle practiced as an assistant public defender in Florida's Eighteenth and Fourteenth Judicial Circuits. As an assistant public defender, he acted as lead counsel on more than fifteen jury trials, including two life felony cases, and engaged in appellate practice at the circuit court level. In 2009, Mr. Bogle was recognized as instrumental in DUI defense litigation and selected as the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers DUI scholarship recipient for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.
Mr. Bogle has focused the majority of his practice on mass tort litigation. He has been actively involved in the litigation of multiple mass tort projects including, but not limited to, those involving the pharmaceutical products Trasylol, Fosamax, Yaz, Testosterone Replacement Therapy, and Opioids. In doing so, he has successfully represented thousands of plaintiffs in various products liability cases. Additionally, Mr. Bogle has acted as trial counsel in multiple jury trials involving osteonecrosis of the jaw suffered by patients taking Fosamax along with serving as trial counsel in multiple cases involving heart attacks suffered by patients taking Testosterone Replacement Therapy. Mr. Bogle has also served as appellate counsel in multiple pharmaceutical cases and has conducted oral argument in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on the issue of federal preemption.
Mr. Bogle has significant expertise in conducting complex depositions of physicians and corporate witnesses. Moreover, he has written numerous legal briefs to address complex legal issues. As a result of his extensive legal writing experience, he has served on the Law and Briefing Committee for the Testosterone Replacement Therapy Products Liability Litigation.
Mr. Bogle also continues to devote his practice to criminal and single event personal injury cases. He has acted as trial counsel in several personal injury trials involving injuries suffered by the negligence of others. Each trial resulted in a substantial verdict in favor of Mr. Bogle's clients. He has represented numerous personal injury plaintiffs and successfully resolved their cases short of trial. Mr. Bogle has also served as trial counsel in felony criminal cases since joining Levin Papantonio and remains dedicated to defending those accused of serious criminal offenses.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Associate at Levin Papantonio Rafferty
- Attorney Profile
Brenton Goodman is an associate at Levin Papantonio Rafferty. Born and raised in Pensacola, he is honored to follow in the footsteps of his family members and work to improve the lives of individuals both locally and nationally.
Mr. Goodman graduated with a philosophy degree from Davidson College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. While in Law School, he made the Deans's List in the Fall of 2014 and 2015 and apprenticed for two Federal Judges. He also interned with the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights and the Department of Justice's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.
Since graduating law school, Mr. Goodman has practiced both criminal and civil law. First as a prosecutor in the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, then in Levin Papantonio Rafferty's Class Action Department. Now, Mr. Goodman specializes in the field of personal injury, where he helps Florida citizens recover for damages caused by others' actions.
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- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- Shareholder at Levin Papantonio Rafferty
Brian Barr is a shareholder at Levin Papantonio Rafferty. He litigates pharmaceutical, environmental, mass tort and personal injury cases throughout the country. Mr. Barr has been appointed to leadership in many of the largest mass tort cases in the country.
Mr. Barr is presently serving as co-liaison counsel and a member of the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in the 3M Combat Arms Earplugs Litigation (MDL 2885) presently pending in the Northern District of Florida before the Honorable Casey Rodgers. The 3M Combat Arms Earplug MDL is the largest MDL in history with over 240,000 pending claims. Mr. Barr recently served as trial counsel in the first bellwether trial in the 3M MDL resulting in a verdict for three plaintiffs in excess of $7 million in both compensatory and punitive damages.
Mr. Barr was also appointed as co-lead counsel by the Honorable Eldon Fallon in In re: Xarelto Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2592) pending in the Eastern District of Louisiana. As part of that litigation, Mr. Barr served as lead trial counsel in three bellwether trials that took place in New Orleans and Philadelphia. After several years of hard fought litigation and multiple trials, Mr. Barr helped to negotiate a $750 million settlement on behalf of more than 20,000 claims pending in both the MDL and in Pennsylvania and California state court.
Prior to serving as co-lead counsel in the Xarelto MDL, Mr. Barr was appointed as a one of four members of the Plaintiffs Executive Committee by the Honorable Carl Barbier in the BP/Deepwater Horizon MDL (MDL 2179) pending in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Mr. Barr was also one of the nineteen members of the Plaintiffs Steering Committee, as well as class counsel for both the Economic and Property Damages Settlement Class and the Medical Class, Mr. Barr has been one of the leaders of the massive BP litigation. The litigation has resulted in two multi-billion dollar class action settlement agreements with BP. Mr. Barr was honored to serve as trial counsel for Phase 2 of the Limitation and Liability Trial against BP.
Prior to his work in the oil spill litigation, Mr. Barr was appointed by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida to serve on the Plaintiffs Steering Committee in the national Trasylol litigation. Mr. Barr was also heavily involved in the national litigation surrounding the drugs Rezulin and Diet Drugs. In 2008, Mr. Barr, along with a trial team led by his partner Mike Papantonio, obtained a verdict of $390 million on behalf of the residents around a Dupont smelter in the town of Spelter, West Virginia. For their efforts, Mr. Barr and the other members of the trial team were named finalists for the 2008 Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year.
Mr. Barr received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University in 1996 and graduated magna cum laude from The Florida State University College of Law in 2001. He has been recognized as one of Florida's top young lawyers by Florida Super Lawyers and as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyer's Association.
Mr. Barr is a frequent lecturer throughout the country on mass tort litigation. He is currently licensed to practice law before all Florida state courts and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts.
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- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- Shareholder With Levin Papantonio Rafferty
Cameron Stephenson is a Shareholder with Levin Papantonio Rafferty. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida in 2004, while majoring in finance and graduating cum laude. Mr. Stephenson then went on to receive his Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2007.
After graduating from law school, Mr. Stephenson practiced as a prosecutor here in Pensacola for the Office of State Attorney, 1st Judicial Circuit, where he tried approximately fifteen jury trials and five judge trials in one year. Mr. Stephenson has successfully settled or mediated numerous personal injury and wrongful death cases, several for $1 million or more.
In 2013 alone, Mr. Stephenson received two multi-million dollar jury verdicts. The first verdict, $3.3 million, followed a trial involving a defective Yamaha Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) that was responsible for seriously and permanently injuring his client. The second verdict, $2.6 million, followed a trial involving the wrongful death of a construction worker who was fatally burned in a natural gas leak flash fire. In 2022, Mr. Stephenson secured a $7.5 million verdict following a two week medical malpractice trial that involved the negligent misdiagnosis of a necrotizing fasciitis infection resulting in his client suffering an above-the-knee leg amputation.
Mr. Stephenson's current practice is primarily focused in Mass Tort pharmaceutical and medical device litigation. He is actively involved in several pending Multi-District Litigations (MDLs), including Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder/Ovarian Cancer (MDL No. 2738) and Proton Pump Inhibitor/Kidney Disease (MDL No. 2789).
Mr. Stephenson is licensed to practice in all Florida state courts as well as the United States District Court, Northern District of Florida.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- Shareholder at Levin Papantonio
Christopher G. Paulos is a shareholder at Levin Papantonio. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 2000 obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts and Sciences, with an emphasis in Argumentation and Advocacy, as well as Cinema/Television Critical Studies.
In May 2010, Mr. Paulos received his Juris Doctor degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California. In law school, Mr. Paulos was President of the Student Bar Association during which he oversaw the activities of more than 40 student organizations and represented the student body in consultations with the American Bar Association, faculty, administration, and local community organizations. He was also the president of the Entertainment Law Society. Mr. Paulos was also member of both the Moot Court Honor Society and Mock Trial Team, competing and prevailing in both national and regional competitions that included topics such as medical malpractice, wrongful death, criminal law, entertainment law, and copyright and trademark disputes.
From 2008 to 2010, during a clerkship at the San Diego County Office of the Public Defender, Mr. Paulos worked closely with the Felony Trial department on cases involving violent crimes, drug crimes, and financial wrongdoing. Transitioning to private practice, Chris went on to work for several of San Diego's most well-known and respected criminal defense attorneys handling motion and appearance work, and participating in the resolution of international discovery disputes, the representation of parties accused of violations of international and offshore gaming regulations, high intensity drug trafficking conspiracies, healthcare fraud, and professional malpractice.
Mr. Paulos joined Levin Papantonio in February 2011 and has developed a diverse practice that includes pharmaceutical, medical device and environmental mass torts, as well as catastrophic personal injury, qui tam/false claims cases, and counter-terrorism/human rights litigation. Chris was a member of the MDL Yaz bellwether Trial Team in Sims v. Bayer, conducted apex corporate deposition discovery in the GranuFlo MDL, and was a member of the trial team in all four DuPont C8 MDL bellwether trials. Chris has handled the day-to-day litigation of the Yaz, NuvaRing, Zimmer NexGen, GranuFlo, and Abilify mass tort cases, and also oversees the daily operation of the qui tam and counterterrorism departments.
Mr. Paulos has significant expertise in the handling of evidence and issues of admissibility at trial. He has written and argued numerous legal briefs to address complex legal issues, and has routinely published articles on various issues related to litigation and jury trials. He is a frequent lecturer at national mass tort and trial lawyer conferences.
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- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- Shareholder With Levin Papantonio Rafferty
Christopher V. Tisi is a shareholder with Levin Papantonio Rafferty. For over 30 years, Mr. Tisi has been a nationally recognized trial and appellate lawyer with extensive experience litigating mass tort, pharmaceutical, medical device and major personal injury cases. In that time, Mr. Tisi has established himself as one of the country's top lawyers, selected by his peers, in The Best Lawyers in America, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers as well as inclusion in the publication The Legal 500. He has been awarded an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell legal directory, the highest rating for competence and ethics issued by that publication. In 2015 he was inducted as a fellow of the International Society of Barristers.
Throughout his legal career, Mr. Tisi has been appointed by federal courts throughout the United States to handle some of the nation's largest and most complex pharmaceutical and mass tort cases. He was appointed to serve on the Plaintiff's Steering Committee for In Re: Vioxx Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1657 (E.D. La), In Re: Testosterone Replacement Therapy Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2545 (N.D. Ill.), and In Re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Prods. Marketing, Sales Practices & Prods. Liab. Litig.; MDL 2738 (D. N.J.). In addition, he was appointed Chair or Co-Chair of Plaintiffs' Discovery Committees for some of the most high-profile pharmaceutical cases in the past 20 years. These included chairing Plaintiffs' Discovery Committees for In Re: Vioxx, In Re: Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agent Litigation, MDL 1909 (N.D. Ohio); In Re: Tylenol (Acetaminophen) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2436 (E.D. Pa) and In Re: Rezulin Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1348 (S.D. N.Y). He was also active litigation counsel in In Re: Diet Drug Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1203 (E.D. Pa), In Re: Phenylpropanolamine Product Liability Litigation, MDL 1407 (D. Wash) and In re Zyprexa Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1596 (E.D.N.Y.). In total, the recoveries for plaintiffs in these pharmaceutical liability cases have exceeded $20 billion.
Currently, Mr. Tisi serves as co-chair of the Plaintiffs' Discovery for In Re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MD 2738 (D.N.J.). In this capacity, he is litigating cases on behalf of over 5,000 women who developed ovarian cancer as a result of using talcum powder products.
Mr. Tisi has tried numerous complex pharmaceutical and professional liability cases including numerous cases resulting in verdicts 1 million dollars or more. These verdicts include a $5 million verdict in a gadolinium case, a verdict that was upheld in an important appellate decision Decker v GE Healthcare, 770 F3d 378 (6th Cir 2014). He has also argued important appellate cases in both state and federal courts.
Mr. Tisi's litigation efforts on behalf of victims of AIDS-Tainted blood in the 1990's was the subject of a book entitled Bad Blood: Crisis in the American Red Cross (1996). Bad Blood chronicled Mr. Tisi's representation of several such victims who contracted AIDS through blood transfusions they received in the 1980's and 1990's. His efforts on behalf of these plaintiffs culminated in his successful argument in Ray v American National Red Cross, 921 F2d 324 (D.C. App 1990), a case that established a plaintiffs' right to proceed to trial against blood and blood products providers.
Mr. Tisi is a frequent lecturer and has lectured to trial lawyers throughout the country on mass tort litigation and general trial practice issues. He has lectured on topics such as the use of scientific and medical evidence in a pharmaceutical case, how to try a failure to warn case, how to rebut defenses in a pharmaceutical case, how to review raw clinical trial data and the ethics of mass tort settlements. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Maryland bars and has been admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for Fourth Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for Sixth Circuit and various United States District Courts.
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- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Clay Mitchell was a senior partner with Levin Papantonio. He lectured at continuing legal education seminars on the subject of trial advocacy and litigation techniques for his state association, as well as other state and bar associations across the country. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 1961 and his law degree from Mercer University in 1965.
Mr. Mitchell was admitted to the State Bars of Florida and Montana, as well as numerous federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. Throughout his 50 years of practice, he recovered substantial awards for his clients, including multi-million dollar settlements and trial verdicts. His closing arguments and opening statements have been published in several legal treatises, including Closing Argument, the Art and the Law by Jacob A. Stein and The Art of Advocacy- Opening Statements by Leonard Decof.
Mr. Mitchell was a member of the American Bar Association and the Florida Justice Association, as well as a member of the National Advisory Board of the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America.
David Lycurgus "D.L." Middlebrooks, Jr. joined our law firm in 1974, where he practiced until his death 23 years later. He was a Pensacola native, born on June 27, 1926. In 1944, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the United States Navy, where he remained in service as a petty officer for two years.
Upon being discharged, he took advantage of the G.I. Bill to earn his Bachelor of Science Degree at Florida State University, where he completed his undergraduate studies in 1950. Shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War, D.L. voluntarily returned to the military, serving in the U.S. Air Force for the duration of the war, where he flew 55 combat missions.
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- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Daniel Nigh graduated from Stetson Law School cum laude in 2006, earning a Juris Doctorate degree. While attending law school, he clerked at Brasfield, Fuller, Freeman & O'Hern, a civil defense firm in Saint Petersburg, Florida. He also served as the vice president of the school's Maritime Law Society and placed runner-up in the Steve Yerrid Trial Competition. He received the Book Award in Constitutional Litigation, Agency & Corporation Law, and Sports Law. He also received the highest grade on the Appellate Brief, the final written project in Research and Writing. He received the Academic Merit Full Tuition Scholarship to attend Stetson Law School.
Mr. Nigh graduated from Florida Southern College magna cum laude in 2003, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, a minor in Business Administration, and a minor equivalency in mathematics. While attending college, he worked as a claims examiner at Auto Owners Insurance and later as a summer management intern and sales/underwriting associate at GEICO. He also served as the president of Psi C hi, treasurer of Phi Mu Alpha, and member of Kappa Alpha Order. He received the Academic Merit Full Tuition and Board Scholarship to attend Florida Southern College.
After graduating law school, Mr. Nigh devoted his work experience into gaining trial experience. He worked as an Assistant Public Defender for more than a year and tried ten jury trials, in addition to numerous motion and VOP hearings. He followed up with working at GEICO as an attorney, handling primarily personal injury defense cases. He tried five jury trials during his three-year tenure at GEICO.
Mr. Nigh primarily handles Benicar, TVM Mesh Implant, Knee Implant, Hip Implant, and Bair Hugger cases in the Mass Torts Litigation department at Levin Papantonio. He has spoken at several conferences and co-authored several journal articles regarding Depuy ASR, Benicar and Bair Hugger.
Mr. Nigh has deposed key defendant custodial and expert witnesses in the DePuy Hip, TVM Mesh, and Benicar cases, and he played an integral role in the $358MM Benicar Global settlement.
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- Attorney Profile
- Chairman of the Florida Board of Pollution Control Board
David Levin was the founder of our law firm. In 1955, he and Reubin Askew started the firm, then named Levin & Askew. David continued to practice law and served in a leadership position with the firm up to the time of his death in 2002.
David received his undergraduate degree in economics from Duke University in 1949, and graduated number two in his law school class from the University of Florida in 1952.
After law school, David enlisted in the United States Air Force as a Basic Airman, and spent a year in Korea, eventually rising to rank of Captain. He was licensed to practice law in Florida; before the U.S. Court of Military Appeals; and the United States Supreme Court.
David was a member of the American Bar Association, The Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Mr. Levin was listed in the publication "Best Lawyers in America"; "Outstanding Floridians"; "Men of Achievement"; "Who's Who in the South and Southeast"; and "Who's Who in American Law".
David was former President of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and was Board Certified by the Florida Bar in the area of marital and family law.
In 1971, David was appointed Chairman of the Florida Board of Pollution Control Board, and served in that capacity until June, 1974. He was personally commended by the Governor for his exceptional work in that capacity. In 1972, David was presented the "Good Government" Award by the Pensacola Chapter of the United States Jaycees.
David was a former member of the Florida Council of One Hundred, former Chairman of the Board of Certification for Marital and Family law, and former Chairman of the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar. In addition, he served on the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Matrimonial Law, and was former Chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission of the First Judicial Circuit, State of Florida.
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- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- Shareholder With Levin Papantonio Rafferty
Emmie J. Paulos is a shareholder with Levin Papantonio Rafferty. She dedicates her legal practice to representing survivors of human trafficking and sexual abuse. Ms. Paulos represents survivors of human trafficking against businesses, including national hotel brands and websites that have turned a blind eye to sex trafficking and profited from victims being sexually exploited at their establishments. She also focuses her practice on investigating and bringing civil lawsuits on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse and clergy abuse. Ms. Paulos is committed to helping survivors obtain the justice they deserve.
Ms. Paulos also brings hefty experience with mass tort litigation, products liability litigation, and environmental litigation. As a member of Levin Papantonio Rafferty's mass tort department, she has represented clients, including bellwether plaintiffs, in complex civil litigation, mass torts, and multi-district litigations (MDLs). She contributed significant work in In re: Deepwater Horizon (BP) Oil Spill in the Gulf; MDL 2179, where Ms. Paulos served as part of a team that represented more than 2,000 business and governmental entities harmed by the April 20, 2010, explosion-and subsequent sinking of-the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ms. Paulos also represented hundreds of clients injured by the dangerous prescription drug, Xarelto, In re: Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2592. Here, she provided significant common benefit work, including bellwether trials, and participated in various work groups and committees to advance the Xarelto litigation.
Prior to joining Levin Papantonio Rafferty, Ms. Paulos practiced in California with a civil litigation firm, with an emphasis on litigation, business law, employment law, and transactional matters.
Ms. Paulos has been selected as a distinguished member of The National Trial Lawyers' "Top 40 under 40," a recognition given to top trial lawyers younger than the age of 40. The award recognizes excellence in the legal profession and is given to attorneys who have demonstrated superior skills in court.
She is currently licensed to practice law in California, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
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- District Judge Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee, Law Clerk
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- United States District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia, Law Clerk ( 1995 - 1997 )
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- Attorney
- Associate Attorney With Levin Papantonio
- Attorney Profile
Jeff Gaddy is an associate attorney with Levin Papantonio. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Auburn University where he graduated magna cum laude with a major in Human Resource Management. Mr. Gaddy then received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi in 2007, graduating cum laude.
Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Gaddy moved to Pensacola, Florida, and spent eight years as an Assistant State Attorney at the Office of the State Attorney of the First Judicial Circuit where he served as a special prosecutor in the Homicide and Major Crimes Division. During his time as a prosecutor, Mr. Gaddy tried over one hundred jury trials to verdict.
Since joining Levin Papantonio, Mr. Gaddy has focused his practice on mass tort litigation, specifically in the areas of pelvic mesh and Actos bladder cancer cases.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Associate Attorney at Levin Papantonio
- Attorney Profile
Joshua Harris is an associate attorney at Levin Papantonio and focuses his practice on mass torts. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in History. During his time at the University of Florida, Mr. Harris competed on the Phi Alpha Delta mock trial team where he won several awards for his advocacy, including a national championship at the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Mock Trial Competition. Since graduating from the University of Florida, Joshua has been invited to go back as a guest judge to assist Phi Alpha Delta's mock trial program.
While attending Stetson University College of Law, Mr. Harris continued to develop his passion for trial advocacy. He was a member of Stetson's #1 nationally ranked trial team where he competed in five trial competitions across the state and country. Mr. Harris received the Victor O. Wehle Award, the award for the highest grade in his trial advocacy class, the Book Award in Criminal Procedure, as well as obtaining the highest grade possible in his Evidence class.
He interned at the Sixth Judicial Circuit for Judge Thomas Minkoff. During his final year at Stetson University College of Law, Mr. Harris participated in the clinical education program with the Public Defender's Office where he worked closely with clients, participated in discovery, and even advocated in several jury and bench trials before graduating law school. He was proud to be elected as a class representative for the student bar association for all three of the years he attended law school and he received the William F. Blews Pro Bono Service Award for his community service efforts.
At graduation, Mr. Harris was honored by the faculty and staff of the law school nominating him to be inducted into the Order of Barristers, a national organization that provides recognition for individuals who have excelled in advocacy and service at their respective schools. After graduating, Mr. Harris was asked to come back as an advocacy skills trainer and coach the law school's trial team. As an advocacy coach, Mr. Harris was able to work with dozens of students, many who became finalists and were recognized as top advocates at their competitions.
Following graduation, Mr. Harris worked for the Public Defender's Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. While working as an assistant public defender, Mr. Harris represented hundreds of clients in court proceedings, argued numerous motions regarding evidence or other legal matters, and advocated in more than twenty jury trials. He is licensed to practice in all state courts in Florida and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. He is currently involved in the litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors for their involvement in the country's ongoing opioid epidemic.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Justin Lusko is an associate attorney at Levin Papantonio, focusing his practice on medical malpractice litigation. He graduated from the University of Florida in 2004 obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Finance. Mr. Lusko then received his Juris Doctorate from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2007. In addition to graduating with dean's list recognition, Mr. Lusko was recognized with distinction for his pro bono work while in law school.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- of Counsel
- Attorney Profile
Laura Sherling Dunning is an of counsel attorney in the Securities and Business Litigation practice group of Levin Papantonio. Since 2010, Ms. Dunning has been repeatedly recognized as an Alabama and Midsouth Super Lawyer Rising Star in Securities Litigation. Ms. Dunning has represented more than 500 victims of securities fraud in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration and in state and federal court, recovering millions in losses for clients including sophisticated and institutional investors.. She also represents hundreds of governmental entities in federal litigation related to the opioids crisis.
Ms. Dunning is a frequent speaker on issues confronting the securities industry, including FINRA arbitration procedures, arbitrator selection, electronic discovery and how to vacate arbitration awards, and has served as a guest lecturer at the University of Alabama School of Law. She is also a member of Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA), an international organization of attorneys dedicated to the advancement of investors' rights in the securities industry. Ms. Dunning is licensed to practice in Alabama and has been admitted to the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama.
Ms. Dunning graduated cum laude from Rhodes College with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She received her juris doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2005, where she served as a senior editor on the Alabama Law Review and as a nationally competing member of the Campbell Moot Court Board. Ms. Dunning was a member of the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society and served as an extern to the Honorable Sharon Lovelace Blackburn of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
In addition to her practice, Ms. Dunning is active in her community, serving on the Executive Committee of the YWCA of Central Alabama's Junior Board, as an attorney coach in the Civic Education Teen Court Project, and in lay leadership roles at Canterbury United Methodist Church.
Lefferts L. Mabie, Jr. (known to friends and colleagues as "Leff") was born in Bronxville, New York to Lefferts L. Mabie Sr. and Margarete Cronjaeger Mabie in 1925. The family relocated to Lakeland, Florida, where Leff graduated from high school in 1941 at the age of 15.
He spent the next two years at the University of Florida (UF), where he worked his way through college as a semi-professional billiards player and led the UF Billiards Team to win the 1943 Association of College Unions International Championship.
Later that year, Leff joined the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he qualified as a pilot, instilling within him a lifelong enthusiasm for aviation. During his time in the service, Leff went on to fly 25 missions with the "Mighty Eighth" over Fortress Europe. After returning home, he married Marianne Munson Smith, with whom he had two children (a daughter Margarete and a son Lefferts L. Mabie, III). He re-enrolled at UF, earning his law degree in 1948.
In 1950, Leff contracted polio, leaving him partially disabled. The aftermath of the disease did not slow him down. Although he was no longer able to participate in more active types of recreation, he managed to continue flying while maintaining a thriving solo legal practice. His expertise in the law and his reputation for fairness earned him a position as County Judge for Hardee County - a job he retained until stepping down in 1965 to join the Pensacola law firm of Levin & Askew, which eventually became known as Levin Middlebrooks Mabie Thomas Mayes & Mitchell, as of the time of Leff's death.
Leff's career as a lawyer was remarkable, where his legacy includes being considered the father of bad faith insurance litigation in the state of Florida. He received multiple million-dollar jury verdicts, during a time when such verdicts were rare. He served as the president of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, now called Florida Justice Association (FJA). He received the Perry Nichols Award, the highest honor bestowed by the FJA, and was listed in the publication Best Lawyers in America.
As a trial lawyer, Leff was willing to take on the cases nobody else wanted, particularly when his client was considered the underdog. He was not afraid of engaging in a legal battle in which the odds were against him. His experiences during the war and recovering from polio also gave him a keen understanding into the frailty of the human psyche, which made him a very powerful advocate before juries.
Leff was also generous with his time mentoring and advising younger, less experienced colleagues. Louis K. Rosenbloum, an attorney who spent two decades at the firm, once stated, "As a lawyer, Leff was charismatic, brilliant and imaginative...as a person, he was warm-hearted and generous, always willing to share his insights into the practice of law and life in general."
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Leo Thomas received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University in 1963 and his law degree, with honors, from the University of Florida in 1972. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Thomas was an agent in the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
He was listed in the publication "Best Lawyers in America" and had an AV rating in the Martindale-Hubbell law directory. He also was recognized as a Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and the American Board of Criminal Lawyers.
He was the first criminal defense attorney in Florida to successfully pursue the battered woman syndrome defense in a homicide case, which eventually resulted in the dismissal of a first-degree murder charge against his client.
In 2000, a Florida Circuit Court Judge (who became a Florida Supreme Court Justice) had this to say about Leo Thomas: "Mr. Thomas is a highly experienced, capable and very seasoned criminal defense attorney who, for many years, has been routinely involved in the most high profile, contentious, and difficult criminal cases in the First Circuit. He tried one such high profile and a contentious case before this Court in 1997. That trial allowed this Court to personally observe Mr. Thomas' ability and methodology. Mr. Thomas prepares well and is a masterful trial tactician. He knows the law."
Levin Papantonio Rafferty is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that values the strength that diversity brings to the workplace.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Associate Attorney at Levin Papantonio
- Attorney Profile
Madeline Pendley is an associate attorney at Levin Papantonio and focuses her practice on mass torts, specifically, pharmaceutical litigation. She graduated from the University of North Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Mrs. Pendley then received her Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in 2019, graduating cum laude.
While in law school, Mrs. Pendley served as a Senior Associate of Stetson's Law Review. Her seminar article was selected for presentation at the semi-annual Law Review Scholarship Luncheon. Mrs. Pendley was also a member of Stetson's Nationally Ranked Trial Team. She competed in two regional and four national competitions, and was named ‘Captain' and ‘Most Valuable Player' of the team.
Upon graduation, Mrs. Pendley received the Walter Mann Award, which is given to one student each year who, "in the opinion of both her classmates and faculty has shown the greatest promise of becoming an outstanding leader in the legal profession." Since joining Levin Papantonio, she has since been appointed to various MDL committees, including the Losartan and Irbesartan leadership committee and the Zantac Science and Expert Committee.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- President of Levin Papantonio Rafferty
Mark Proctor is the president of Levin Papantonio Rafferty. He completed his undergraduate work at Emory University and the University of Florida, receiving his degree from the University of Florida in 1972, and his law degree from the University of Florida in 1975. While at law school, he was an editor of the Water Law Journal at University of Florida and was a member of the honorary fraternity, Phi Delta Phi.
He is licensed to practice law before all state courts in Florida, before the United States District Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Florida, and before the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.
He is a former Assistant General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville, and the former General Counsel for the State of Florida Department of Natural Resources. He has been an adjunct professor of Environmental Law at the University of Florida and the University of West Florida, and has authored environmental articles for the Center of Land Use Law.
Mr. Proctor is a member of the Florida Bar Association, the Florida Justice Association, the American Association of Justice and the National Trial Lawyers Association. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Fredric G. Levin College of Law at the University of Florida and serves on the boards of directors for several charitable organizations.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Michael Bixby focuses his practice on representing customers and investors in securities and investment fraud litigation. He has successfully represented hundreds of investment fraud victims around the country in a variety of forums including arbitrations, and state and federal courts. Mr. Bixby takes pride in fighting to achieve justice for his clients through litigation, mediation, or trials and arbitrations.
He also has experience handling class actions, products liability claims, complex commercial, business, and breach of contract disputes, whistleblower and qui tam litigation, interpleader matters, and personal injury claims.
Mr. Bixby's broad experience in securities and investment fraud cases includes representing clients in claims involving suitability, overconcentration, failure to supervise, breach of fiduciary duty, lack of due diligence, fraud, selling away, sale of unregistered securities, and ERISA 401(k) and retirement plan litigation. He has also represented clients in claims involving bonds, bond funds, stocks, private placements, non-traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), direct participation programs, Limited Partnerships (LPs) and Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs), Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and inverse and leveraged ETFs, and insurance products, among others.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- Senior Partner With the Law Firm of Levin Papantonio Rafferty
Mr. Papantonio is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer by the Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. He is a member of The National Trial Lawyers (past president), American Board of Trial Advocates, the American Association for Justice, the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, and the Florida Justice Association, where he served on the board of directors for five years.
Mr. Papantonio is one of the few living attorneys inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. He is listed in the publications Best Lawyers in America and Leading American Attorney.
In 2019, Mr. Papantonio was awarded the Compassionate Gladiator Award from the Florida Justice Association.
Mike Papantonio is a senior partner with the law firm of Levin Papantonio Rafferty. He has received numerous multi-million dollar verdicts on behalf of victims of corporate malfeasance. His award-winning work handling thousands of mass tort cases throughout the nation has helped make Levin Papantonio Rafferty one of the largest plaintiff law firms in the country.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- Shareholder at Levin Papantonio Rafferty
Ned McWilliams is a shareholder at Levin Papantonio Rafferty. He litigates pharmaceutical, environmental, mass tort and personal injury cases throughout the country. Mr. McWilliams has been appointed to leadership in many of the largest mass tort cases in the country.
Mr. McWilliams is presently serving on the Science and Discovery Committees in the Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2873) pending in United States District Court, District of South Carolina before the Honorable Richard Gergel. The AFFF MDL is a mass tort brought on behalf of water providers and other individuals who have been harmed by exposure to AFFF and/or required to incur cost associated with its remediation. The first bellwether trial is scheduled for January 2023.
On March 7, 2022, Mr. McWilliams was appointed as class counsel in Hardwick v. 3M Co. et al., case number 2:18-cv-01185, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The Hardwick class is comprised of every individual in the state of Ohio with measurable concentrations of certain PFAS chemicals. The case seeks redress in the means of requiring the manufactures of these chemicals to conduct robust comprehensive human testing to determine whether continued exposure is deemed safe.
Mr. McWilliams also served in leadership roles in In re: Xarelto Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2592); In Re: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company C-8 Personal Injury Litigation (MDL 2433); In Re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2385); and In Re: Yasmin and YAZ (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2100).
Mr. McWilliams is a frequent lecturer throughout the country on mass tort and environmental litigation.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney Profile
Peter Mougey is a shareholder and the Chair of Levin Papantonio's Securities and Business Litigation department. He concentrates his practice in the areas of complex litigation, financial services, and securities litigation, and whistleblower or qui tam litigation. Mr. Mougey has been recognized as one of Florida's top 100 trial lawyers and a Florida Super Lawyer and has dedicated his career to championing individuals' rights against the world's largest companies.
His peers have rated him AV Preeminent, the highest possible rating. Mr. Mougey has represented over 1,500 state, municipal, and institutional entities, as well as tribal sovereign nations, in litigation and arbitration around the globe. In addition, he has represented more than 3,000 individual fraud victims in state and federal court and arbitrations.
Most recently, in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation MDL, Mr. Mougey was selected to serve as Co-Lead of the Distributor case and serves on the Plaintiff's Executive Committee in what has been called "the largest and most complex case in the history of jurisprudence" by the Washington Post. He also was recently credited as one of the key negotiators in the $26 billion settlement with opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and the "Big Three" drug distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson.
Mr. Mougey routinely lectures on issues confronting the legal and business industry including, "Bet the Company Litigation," Broker-Dealer Regulation, Structured Finance, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, Managing Large Datasets for use in Litigation, and Quantitative Modeling. He is frequently quoted in the national press including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Barron's, Kiplinger, Business Week, and Investment News.
Mr. Mougey advocates for the rights of investors as both the past President and member of the Board of Directors of the national securities bar, PIABA. He has also served as Chairman of the NASAA Committee, Executive Committee and FINRA's Improving Arbitration Task Force. Currently, Mr. Mougey serves on the PIABA Foundation charged with educating investors in conjunction with the SEC. In recognition of his long-term and sustained dedication to promote the interests of investors, he received the PIABA Lifetime Distinguished Service Award from his peers.
Mr. Mougey received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Finance, from Creighton University. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Portland and graduated from Samford University's Cumberland School of Law.
In addition to his law practice, Mr. Mougey is active with several charities and his local community. He served as President for the "The Arc" (the largest national community-based organization advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities) and as Chairman of several Arc committees. He was given The Arc President's Award as Volunteer of the Year. He has served on the Board of Directors for his church, on the Cabinet for the United Way, and as a Junior Achievement instructor in economic business simulation.
Job Titles:
- Attorney Profile
- Car Accident Attorney
- Shareholder at Levin Papantonio Rafferty
Rachael Raymon Gilmer is a shareholder at Levin Papantonio Rafferty. She currently manages the motor vehicle department at the firm and focuses her practice on car accidents, wrongful death, trucking accidents, brain injury, and severe injuries related to premises liability. She is licensed in both Florida and Alabama and pursues personal injury cases from both states. Rachael is a member of the Florida Justice Association, the Alabama Justice Association, the American Association for Justice, and the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Prior to managing the motor vehicle department, Rachael was part of the Mass Torts department at Levin Papantonio Rafferty. She has served on the discovery committee for Vioxx MDL 1658 and has lectured on COX-2 inhibitors for Mass Torts Made Perfect, Harris Martin Publishing, and Mealey's. Rachael was one of the lead attorneys working on the settlement for Levin Papantonio's Vioxx cases.
Rachael graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree. She then received her juris doctorate cum laude from the University of Alabama School of Law. While in law school, Rachael was a member of the Alabama Trial Team for two years and was a Regional Championship and National Quarter-finalist winner in the AAJ Trial Competitions.
Rachael is married to Albi Gilmer, the Clinical Coordinator of the Physical Therapy Department at the Andrews Institute. They have two sons, Mac and Copeland. Rachael and Albi are active members of First United Methodist Church and Rachael is also on the Friends Board for the PACE Center for Girls, as well as a member of Fiesta Forces.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Rebecca K. Timmons is an Associate Attorney and focuses her practice on mass torts and class actions.
Mrs. Timmons graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida. She then earned her Juris Doctorate and Certificate in Environmental Law from Tulane Law School. Mrs. Timmons also holds a Master of Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Mrs. Timmons is actively involved in managing the Roundup herbicide litigation and settlement. She also serves on the Class Certification Committee in the Allergan Breast Implant Multi-District Litigation MDL No. 2921. She is licensed to practice in all state and federal district courts in the State of Florida.
When Mrs. Timmons is not advocating on behalf of her clients, she enjoys playing guitar and drums, raising honey bees with her husband, and performing with her improv troupe.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Reubin O'Donovan Askew founded what today is known as the Levin Papantonio Law Firm with his good friend, David Levin, in 1955. During those early years, Levin & Askew was a full-service firm, operated by the two young attorneys, along with one paralegal.
A native of Oklahoma, Askew was the youngest of six children. Following his parents' divorce, Askew and his siblings relocated to Pensacola with their mother in 1937. As a youth, he was a member of the Order of DeMolay. Upon his graduation from Pensacola High School in 1946, Askew enlisted in the U.S. Army, training as a paratrooper and achieving the rank of sergeant. After his enlistment was completed, he entered Florida State University, where he began his political career as Student Body President.
By the time Askew graduated in 1951 with a B.S. in Public Administration, the nation was involved in the conflict on the Korean Peninsula. He once again returned to military service, this time entering the U.S. Air Force as an intelligence officer. His assignments took him to Europe, where he was tasked with taking aerial reconnaissance photos and providing analyses.
This time, however, he was uncomfortable with the assignment given him. According to a 2009 article in the Tallahassee Democrat, Askew believed his job was in violation of existing treaties. His views on this issue was reflective of his philosophy of public service: namely, that government should be transparent and provide full disclosure. He said, "You've got to remember in government whose business you're doing: the people's. If you're doing the people's business, you've got to give them the tools to judge the product."
Following the war, Askew attended the University of Florida College of Law (now the Levin College of Law). Shortly after his admission to the state bar, he and David Levin founded the law firm of Levin & Askew. Beginning in 1958, Askew spent the next twelve years as a partner in the law firm and also in the Florida State Legislature, establishing himself as a champion for progressive policy and open government. Over the course of his years as a state representative and later a senator, he fought for equal representation and civil rights for African-Americans.
In 1970, Askew became the Democratic nominee for governor, an office he handily won by 57 percent. One of only five governors in the history of the Sunshine State to serve two terms, Askew ushered in an era of progressive policy and transparency in government that had not been seen in decades.
Among other accomplishments. Askew oversaw the passage of the "Sunshine Amendment," which required full financial disclosure from candidates and public officials, placed a ban on gifts to lawmakers, and slowed down the proverbial "revolving door" by barring former public officials from working as lobbyists for two years after leaving office. His reputation for honesty and integrity won him respect even from his rivals, one of whom said, "He has established a kind of morality in office that causes people to have faith [in government]."
Limited to two terms by Florida's constitution, Askew went on to serve as U.S. Trade Representative under then-President Jimmy Carter. During the 1980s, Askew made unsuccessful bids for President and U.S. Senator. The political winds were shifting, and although he held a few traditionally conservative views, by that time the electorate had turned largely to Republican candidates.
Askew remained active in retirement as an educator, teaching courses in government and international trade at universities throughout Florida. He died in 2014, survived by his spouse of 58 years, Donna Lou, and two adult children. When David Levin's younger brother Fred presented the University of West Florida with an $8 million endowment in order to establish the Reubin O'D Askew School of Government and also the Reubin O'D. Askew Institute for Multidisciplinary Studies, he said:
"Governor Askew, besides being a friend and a law partner, was one of those rare persons who lived the principles he spoke. He would not abide a curse word on a tennis court, nor would he abide a false statement in a court of law. As Governor, his only guideline was to ask whether it was good for the people of Florida. If it was not the right thing to do, he would not do it, regardless the political fallout. There is a reason why he was the first Governor in modern Florida history to be re-elected for a second term. Hopefully, the students and faculty who come to know Governor Askew will be inspired to do good for its own sake, and to serve the people with the humility and dedication that he practiced."
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
Job Titles:
- Administrator
- Director of Administration
- Attorney Profile
Job Titles:
- Attorney Profile
- Jones' Manager
Stanley Levin was one of three brothers born to Abe and Rose Levin who would go on to pursue their legal careers with our law firm. He was also the "quiet one," always working backstage - but his impact on the career of at least one prominent boxer was considerable and lasting.
After his graduation from Pensacola High School, Stanley went on to earn a degree in business and law from the University of Florida. Following that, he attended New York University Law School, where he specialized in tax law. Upon his admission to the bar, Stanley joined our firm, then known as Levin & Askew.
As a single father, Stanley was a conscientious parent who made it a point to be actively involved in his children's lives. His involvement with his son Sherrod's activities at the Pensacola Boy's Club led him to a second career in professional boxing. It was here that Stanley met Roy Jones, Jr., who would go on to become a six-time world champion in four weight classes over the course of a 30-year career.
A lifelong fan of the sport, Stanley became Jones' manager after the latter was prepared to leave boxing following a controversial decision by judges at the 1988 Summer Olympics that deprived Jones of a gold medal. Stanley convinced Jones to carry on, managing the young boxer's career through the early 2000s.
Under Stanley's management, Jones went on to achieve superstar status, eventually being recognized as one of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport. The highlight of his career occurred in 2003 when Jones made history after winning the WBA heavyweight title, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in 106 years.
With the assistance of his brother Fred, Stanley established himself as a manager who placed his fighters' interests first. That is unusual in professional boxing, according to Fred. He notes that "All the key promoters, the Arums, Lou Duva, Don King ... they all hated Stanley, because Stanley was such a stickler for doing things right and looking out for the fighters' best interests."
Stanley was chosen in 1994 as the Rocky Marciano Boxing Manager of the Year and selected co-Manager of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 1995. He stepped down from his role as Jones' manager after his health began to fail. For the next several years, he struggled with chronic illness, eventually succumbing in April of 2009.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Associate Attorney With Levin Papantonio
- Attorney Profile
Stephen Luongo is an associate attorney with Levin Papantonio. He graduated from Elizabethtown College in 2005, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. In May 2009, he graduated from Florida Coastal School of Law, where he served as Vice-President of the Mock Trial Team.
After law school, Stephen relocated to Pensacola where he practiced for over seven years at the State Attorney's Office for the 1st Judicial Circuit. As a prosecutor he served in the Homicide and Major Crimes Division, specializing in Traffic Homicide prosecution. Stephen has tried over seventy jury trials to verdict.
Since joining Levin Papantonio, Mr. Luongo has focused his practice on personal injury cases. He currently is a litigator in the personal injury and motor vehicle department.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- Levin Papantonio Rafferty Shareholder
Levin Papantonio Rafferty shareholder Timothy O'Brien is a board-certified civil trial attorney who concentrates his practice in the areas of mass tort litigation, product liability, personal injury, wrongful death, and transactional liability. Mr. O'Brien is rated "A-V Preeminent" by the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell lawyer peer-rating service (the "A-V Preeminent" rating is the highest rating an attorney can receive). In September 2018, Mr. O'Brien was appointed by the United States Southern District of Ohio as Co-Lead Counsel for the Plaintiffs Steering Committee in MDL No. 2846, In re Davol, Inc./C.R. Bard, Inc., Polypropylene Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation. In January 2021, he was appointed by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey to the Plaintiffs Executive Committee and as the Discovery Chair in MDL No. 2973, In re Elmiron (Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium) Products Liability Litigation.
is a board-certified civil trial attorney who concentrates his practice in the areas of mass tort litigation, product liability, personal injury, wrongful death, and transactional liability. Mr. O'Brien is rated "A-V Preeminent" by the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell lawyer peer-rating service (the "A-V Preeminent" rating is the highest rating an attorney can receive). In September 2018, Mr. O'Brien was appointed by the United States Southern District of Ohio as Co-Lead Counsel for the Plaintiffs Steering Committee in MDL No. 2846, In re Davol, Inc./C.R. Bard, Inc., Polypropylene Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation. In January 2021, he was appointed by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey to the Plaintiffs Executive Committee and as the Discovery Chair in MDL No. 2973, In re Elmiron (Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium) Products Liability Litigation.
He previously served as Plaintiffs Steering Committee Lead Counsel for MDL No. 1789, In re Fosamax Products Liability Litigation, as co-chair of the Discovery Committee In re Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2100, on the Plaintiffs Executive Committee in In re Invokana (Canagliflozin Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2750, as national co-lead counsel in In re Cisco Systems Securities Litig., MDL No. 1527, as Discovery co-chair in In re Accutane Products Liab. Litig., MDL No. 1626, as Discovery co-chair in In re Medtronic, Inc., Implantable Defibrillators Product Liab. Litig., MDL No. 1726, as a member of the Plaintiffs Steering Committee in In re Guidant Corp. Implantable Defibrillators Product Liab. Litig., MDL No. 1708, and served on the discovery committee of In re Phenylpropanolamine ("PPA") Products Liab. Litig. , MDL No. 1407.
He has been interviewed by and extensively quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Pink Sheet, The Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg News, and by National Public Radio, CBS Radio, and Air America Radio, as well as several European national news organizations.
In recognition of his accomplishments representing the injured, Mr. O'Brien has been frequently chosen as one of the Super Lawyers by the annual publication of the same name. Further, in 2011, he was named by Florida Trend as one of the 2011 Florida Legal Elite, an honor bestowed upon fewer than 100 civil trial attorneys in the State of Florida.
After graduating with honors from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, Mr. O'Brien worked for two years as a law clerk for the Honorable William T. Moore, Jr., United States District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia. Mr. O'Brien then entered private practice in Georgia where he concentrated his practice in the area of federal civil litigation. He returned to his hometown of Pensacola and began practicing law with Levin Papantonio Rafferty in the year 2000.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Attorney Profile
- Shareholder at Levin, Papantonio
Virginia Buchanan is a shareholder at Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty, Proctor, Buchanan, O'Brian, Barr & Mougey, P.A., having joined the firm in 1989. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida in 1985, and received her Juris Doctorate Degree, with honors, from the University of Florida in 1989.
She has served as lead/co-lead counsel in more than 50 jury trials, with results exceeding $500 million. She has a national practice and works extensively in her local Pensacola and surrounding community. She is a member of Florida Super Lawyers and Florida Legal Elite, and listed by Martindale-Hubbell as a Top Rated Lawyer in Personal Injury. She has been repeatedly designated as a Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Top Consumer Lawyer.
Ms. Buchanan is a member of the American Association for Justice (formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America), as well as the Florida Justice Association ("FJA") (formerly Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers). She is a Distinguished Fellow and Eagle Member of FJA, and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2021. She has served on the Board of Directions of the Florida Bar Foundation and has been Treasurer of ABOTA, Chairperson of the Civil Process Server Grievance Committee and has been a member of the Chief Judge's Council on Children. She currently is a member of the Women's Caucus of the Florida Justice Association, and serves on The Florida Bar Ethics Committee.
Ms. Buchanan is a member of the American Bar Association, and has served as a member of the subcommittee of the American Bar Association on legislation affecting litigation and was appointed to a special committee of the American Bar Association on health care.
Ms. Buchanan has served on the Judicial Liaison Committee of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association and as a member of the Escambia-Santa Rosa County Bar Association Grievance Committee for attorney complaints, and has also been a member of the First Circuit Fee Arbitration Committee. She has served on the Women's Life Center Advisory Board to the West Florida Regional Medical Center and to the Board of Directors to the Shands Home Care Project.
While attending the University of Florida, Ms. Buchanan was a Bickel Scholar, Scripps-Howard Scholar and received several jurisprudence awards. She was selected to the University of Florida Moot Court Team and was a Finalist in the Florida Annual Moot Court Competition and Finalist in Benton National Moot Court Competition in Chicago, Illinois. She was selected to the Order of the Coif and to Phi Delta Phi, an honors fraternity, while in school.