Royal Palm Beach Medical Malpractice Lawyers

I am an experienced medical malpractice and personal injury attorney who serves the West Palm Beach Area. My practice includes personal injury, wrongful death, car accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, product liability, and insurance coverage claims.

I have extensive courtroom experience, helping my clients pursue the justice and compensation they deserve. I am a member of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, having served on the Board of Directors for three years. I am also a member of the Florida Bar Association, the Dade Bar Association, as well as the American Bar Association, where I served as co-chairman of...

Roger P. Foley is a Personal Injury and Criminal Defense attorney in Palm Beach County. He has represented clients throughout the state of Florida and his clients testimonials confirm his success in the courtroom. His clients are his biggest advocates. Roger understands his clients struggles and he passionately goes above and beyond in helping them. Roger's work ethic was developed through sports and education. From a young age, Roger was involved in numerous activities. He played football, was a cub scout, and a junior firman. In junior high he was a member of the Lacrosse and...

Dean H. Freeman is the managing partner of Freeman Injury Law and is proud to represent injured clients in the Miami, Plantation, West Palm Beach, and Orlando area. Mr. Freeman's long and successful career in injury law all began when he joined the U.S. Army, learning the skills of a combat medic. He obtained an honorable discharge and pursued his studies in the health sciences.
Attorney Freeman graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor's in Health Administration, which helped him in understanding the management of health organizations including several health insurance companies.
He continued on to obtain his Juris Doctor...

President, CEO, Shareholder and Founding Partner of the firm in 1978, Richard D. Schuler has been actively involved in Civil Trial Litigation for 33 years. He has considerable experience in defending and prosecuting civil cases. For the past 28 years, his practice has been deveoted to representing injured plaintiffs in complex matters including medical malpractice, product liability, airplane crashes, construction accidents, automobile accidents and other types of personal injury claims.

JORDAN A. DULCIE began his legal career in medical malpractice defense at a boutique firm in Palm Beach Gardens, followed by broader civil litigation practice at a larger civil defense firm in Florida. His practice areas include not only medical malpractice, but automotive accidents and nursing home and assisted living cases. In 2019, 2020 and 2021 he was selected by Palm Beach Illustrated magazine as a top lawyer in the area of medical malpractice, and Florida Super Lawyers Magazine lists him as a 2021 “Rising Star.” As an attorney with Searcy Denney, Mr. Dulcie shares the firm’s...

DAVID P. VITALE, JR. is an experienced trial attorney who has litigated cases throughout the state of Florida. Mr. Vitale was recently recognized for his achievements by The National Trial Lawyers, as a Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff attorney in Florida. In addition to pursing personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice claims on behalf of injured victims, Mr. Vitale also handles complex commercial and business litigation matters. As a result of his prior career as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York, Mr. Vitale has a unique business perspective in developing strategies that are efficient, effective,...

Hailing from Long Island, New York, attorney Christopher Lassen came over to the beautiful area of South Florida in his childhood. He has since become a true Floridian, completing his undergraduate Bachelor's degree with a Legal Studies major and Business Administration minor from the University of Central Florida.
He completed his law degree in Barry University of Law in Orlando, Florida and went immediately on to obtain experience with various firms in the Orlando and Boca Raton areas, working on cases anywhere from motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall, medical malpractice to general plaintiff’s personal injury legal proceedings.
Having been with...

Florida personal injury lawyer Christopher Speed joined Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA as a Shareholder in 1994 after representing plaintiffs in Virginia for 20 years. He has spent his entire career pursuing justice for victims of personal injury, medical and legal negligence, aviation accidents and defective products.

BORIS ZHADANOVSKIY brings to the Searcy Denney team not only a law degree, but an undergraduate degree in business administration and fluency in both English and Russian. He draws upon his experience in complex insurance litigation to make sure that insurance companies keep their promises to policyholders who have been harmed.

ADAM HECHT, a veteran of more than 75 felony and misdemeanor jury trials as an Assistant State Attorney, now works with Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. handling medical malpractice, personal injury, wrongful death and products liability cases.

Mr. Halvorson is a Shareholder and Partner of the firm. He is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in the areas of Personal Injury and Wrongful Death and has successfully prosecuted numerous high profile cases. His practice is devoted 100% to litigation and he has specialized in the areas of motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, personal injury, products liability and wrongful death since 1977.

As a Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA Shareholder, Mr. Hill’s practice focuses on automobile and trucking negligence, product liability and medical malpractice. Since joining the firm, he has secured many million- and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. His highest jury verdict to date was in excess of $30 million in a medical malpractice case. Mr. Hill has been named in the Best Lawyers in America and the Florida Super Lawyers publications since 2013. He has been recognized by both South Florida Legal Guide and Super Lawyers as a rising star in the...

ELISE SHERR ALLISON joined Searcy Denney in 2019 after clerking for The Honorable Jose E. Martinez, United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida, and then working with a complex commercial litigation and personal injury firm in Miami. At Searcy Denney, she represents clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases resulting from medical malpractice, defective products, motor vehicle accidents and unsafe premises.

MARA RITCHIE PONCY HATFIELD, who holds dual degrees in environmental law, began consulting with Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley on issues related to environmental and entertainment law in 2006 before becoming an associate with the firm in 2012. Since then, she has assisted the firm’s clients in obtaining recoveries for injuries arising out of environmental contamination, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, catastrophic automobile crashes, defective products and premises liability (including but not limited to slip and falls). She continues to work on intellectual property and consumer-based class action lawsuits as well.

Phil is a founding partner of the law firm of Thompson & Thomas, P.A. He was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at Auburn University and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Auburn in 1992 . Phil attended the University of Florida College of Law and graduated with Honors in 1995. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1996 and was licensed to practice before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals that same year. He was also admitted to the U.S. Federal District Court for both the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida...

T. HARDEE BASS III earned his law degree from Stetson University College of Law and his undergraduate degree from The Florida State University. Prior to joining Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA, Mr. Bass served as a felony prosecutor in the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office. During his tenure, he handled nearly 50 jury trials to verdict, prosecuting crimes ranging from Driving Under the Influence to first degree felonies punishable by life in prison. Currently, Mr. Bass works with C. Calvin Warriner and David J. Sales. He is a member of The Florida Bar and the Palm...

Trial attorney focused on wrongful death, automobile negligence, medical malpractice, products liability, and premises liability.

MATTHEW K. SCHWENCKE began his legal practice as a defense attorney, where he gained experience in all facets of civil litigation. Defending hospitals and healthcare providers against multi-million dollar claims has given him insight into defense strategies and tactics, especially in medical malpractice litigation. Mr. Schwencke earned his law degree from Stetson University College of Law, where he was a member of Stetsons award-winning Moot Court Board. While in law school, he served as intern to a federal magistrate judge, and prosecuted misdemeanor criminal offenses as a Certified Legal Intern for the Pinellas County State Attorney’s office. As an undergraduate,...

Mr. Weisser is a Partner and Shareholder of the firm. He has practiced law in South Florida since 1996. He began his professional career as Assistant State Attorney in Miami, Florida, prosecuting an extensive felony criminal caseload and tried forty jury trials with only 3 resulting in acquittals. Subsequently, he has been actively involved in Civil Trial Litigation handling all phases of civil cases involving Medical Malpractice, Motorcycle Accidents, Nursing Home Abuse, Trucking Accidents, Products Liability and Motor Vehicle Accidents. Mr. Weisser has handled cases that have generated over $50 million from jury verdicts or settlements...

I focus my practice on the representation of plaintiffs in pharmaceutical and medical device product liability claims and other complex personal injury, products liability and medical malpractice claims.

Chad Hastings was born in Teaneck, New Jersey and raised in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where he graduated from Port St. Lucie High School. Chad attended the University of Central Florida, where he received his B.S. in Finance in 1997. While at U.C.F., Chad was actively involved in Student Government as the Comptroller, served his fraternity Alpha Tau Omega as the Treasurer, and worked with Habitat for Humanity. Chad attended law school at the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University where he earned his J.D. in 2001.

Chad joined the firm in 2007, having previously worked at a...

KATHERINE A. KIZIAH is an attorney with Searcy Denney’s pharmaceutical and medical device mass torts litigation unit.

KAREN E. TERRY is a shareholder at Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley in West Palm Beach, and has been with the firm for 14 years. She recently received the highest honor of being chosen by the Daily Business Review as the "Most Effective Lawyer" in the State of Florida for products liability, along with Chris Searcy. She also was selected as one of The Best Lawyers in America. Ms. Terry has tried many big cases, but in August of 2007, Ms. Terry received a jury verdict of over 25 million dollars in Polk County, Florida against Walgreens for misfilling...

JOHN A. SHIPLEY III is a vice president of Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA, and serves as a member of the firms board of directors. He is a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer in the areas of personal injury and wrongful death. Mr. Shipley's primary practice focuses on personal injury cases, with an emphasis on complex medical malpractice and trucking cases. Drawing upon 30 years of litigation experience in West Palm Beach, both prosecuting and defending civil cases, he has obtained numerous multi-million dollar settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of injured plaintiffs. He has tried cases...

After attending St. Thomas University for law school, Attorney Craig Posner was admitted in 2004 to the Florida State Bar Association. Working as a former insurance defense attorney for a nationally known auto insurance company, he was able to retain insightful legal knowledge regarding the insurance industry. Learning what car insurance providers look for and what tactics they use, Attorney Posner has been able utilize that information to fight against their schemes when they try deny or delay rightful claims. Dedicated to each and every client first and foremost, Attorney Posner works on a contingency fee basis. This means that...

Graduating from St. Thomas University with his Juris Doctorate, Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney, Eric Feingold, was admitted to the Florida State Bar in 2004. He spent the first part of his career as a public defender in the Miami-Dade justice system. Additionally, he spent his time as a member of the Counsel for a National Health Insurance Company, where he learned the importance of protecting the rights of personal injury victims. Knowledgeable regarding the tactics that insurance providers sometimes use and with experience as a public defender, Attorney Feingold understands what a fair case settlement looks like and how...

I received my Juris Doctor with a certificate in Environmental and Land Use Law from the University of Florida's Levin College of Law. A double Gator, I also received my Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Florida. Clients turn to me when they have complex litigation matters because of my experience in state and federal courts. Additional areas of experience include product liability, medical malpractice, catastrophic aviation accidents, legal malpractice, accounting malpractice, nursing home claims, construction litigation and commercial litigation, as well as a variety of general negligence matters.

C. CALVIN WARRINER III joined the firm in 1988 as a seasoned attorney, with experience defending personal injury cases that included medical malpractice and products liability. His distinct areas of practice include mass tort and complex litigation arising from institutional wrongdoing in the pharmaceutical, medical device, healthcare, and insurance industries. Mr. Warriner is Board Certified in Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and by The Florida Bar. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys and has been named as one of South Florida's top lawyers by Miami Metro Magazine's South Florida Legal Guide. An...

DAVID K. KELLEY, JR., brings to the firm substantial unique experience. He served as a criminal prosecutor for the United States serving as Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, concentrating on white collar fraud and tax evasion cases. He also served as a member of the Federal Court as a criminal defense attorney in the Federal Public Defender's Office for the Southern District of Florida. He became a member of the Federal Court Trial Bar in its first year 1976. Mr. Kelley's trial practice with Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA focuses on personal injury, product liability...

F. GREGORY BARNHART is an honors graduate of Vassar College and The Cornell Law School. He is a frequent lecturer and author in the jury trial field. He is the past president of the Federal Bar Association and was an elected member of the board of directors of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers. Mr. Barnhart has served as treasurer, secretary, and president of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, which is now the Florida Justice Association. In addition, he has been named in The Best Lawyers in America for the past 16 years. He...

CHRISTIAN D. SEARCY is President and CEO of Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, PA. For over 30 years, he has litigated cases primarily involving catastrophic injury and death in venues throughout Florida, as well as other states. At age 30, he had the distinction of being the youngest lawyer in the United States to achieve a verdict of $1 million for a single personal injury lawsuit. In 2006, Mr. Searcy was one of only two lawyers in the country to receive the “War Horse Award” from the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, honoring his outstanding skill as a trial advocate...

BRIAN R. DENNEY is a native of West Palm Beach who received his undergraduate degree from Stetson University, where he was awarded the Outstanding Senior Award for Academic Excellence in Sociology. While at Stetson, Mr. Denney was actively involved in student affairs, serving on the Stetson Judicial Council and as Vice President of his social fraternity. A “double hatter,” he went on to receive his Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from Stetson University College of Law where he was the recipient of the Victor O. Wehle Trial Advocacy Award. Upon graduation, Mr. Denney joined the general trial division of a well-known...

Brett Steinberg began his career as an Assistant Public Defender at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office, where he provided legal representation to those accused of committing criminal offenses ranging from juvenile offenses and misdemeanors to serious felony crimes. While working at the Public Defender’s Office, Mr. Steinberg handled hundreds of criminal matters and tried over 25 cases to verdict. Most notably, at the end of his tenure as an Assistant Public Defender, Mr. Steinberg successfully argued a motion to suppress physical evidence, several pounds of marijuana, and years later that decision was upheld by the United States Supreme Court. ...