South Palm Beach Products Liability Lawyers

egan working for Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA in 1994, and works primarily with James W. Gustafson and T. Hardee Bass on tobacco litigation, overseeing and litigating the firm’s more than 500 cases. Previously, she has worked on products liability, catastrophic automobile accident, personal injury and commercial litigation cases.

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.

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...

Richard J. Goldman has been duly licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of the State of Florida since 1988, by the Supreme Court of the United States of America since 1991, and by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida since 1996. Mr. Goldman has been a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America since 1988. After obtaining his Juris Doctorate at Nova University in 1988, Mr. Goldman worked exclusively in insurance defense where he was responsible for defending insurance carriers, self-insureds, school districts, hospital districts, and cities, in all insurance-related claims...

Gabriel F. Zambrano, a resident of South Florida, has been practicing law in the State of Florida since 1994. Throughout his career, he has handled commercial litigation and insurance defense cases, successfully resolving them through mediation or trial. He holds an esteemed AV rating from the Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rating system. With extensive trial experience, Gabriel has taken on complex and severe injury cases, some of which have lasted for over thirty days. In 2011, he was selected as co-counsel for an Engle Tobacco trial, which resulted in one of the largest reported verdicts of that year. Today, he passionately...

As a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, I have been practicing law for over three decades, with licenses in both State and Federal Courts. Born in Lakeland, Florida, I was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1980 after earning my Juris Doctor from Mercer University. Before that, I completed my Bachelor of Arts in U.S. History at Vanderbilt University in 1977. My legal career expanded when I was admitted to the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida in 1981 and the Trial Bar in 1984. I've also been admitted to the Middle District of Florida, further broadening my...

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.

Todd Romano maintains a practice in the areas of Personal Injury/Wrongful Death, Interstate/Intrastate Trucking and Bus Litigation, Commercial Motor Vehicle Crashes, Motor Vehicle Crash Claims, Pedestrian Injury Claims, Vehicle and Truck Burn/Explosion Injury Litigation, and Motor Vehicle Product Liability Litigation. Mr. Romano received his B.A. degree in Sociology from the University of Iowa in May of 1995. He then enrolled in post-graduate studies in Psychology while completing his final season as a scholarship student-athlete (place-kicker and punter) on the Iowa Football Team, where he played for the legendary college football coach, Hayden Fry. He ended his career after the 1995 season...

Eric Romano is a Board Certified Trial Attorney with Romano Law Group in West Palm Beach, Florida. He received his B.S. degree in Business Management from Florida State University in 1993, where he played football for Coach Bobby Bowden, and he earned his J.D. degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1997. State Attorneys Office He began his career in 1997 as a prosecutor with the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office. As an Assistant State Attorney, he prosecuted a wide variety of criminal cases in the Misdemeanor, Juvenile, Domestic Violence and Felony trial divisions. He left the...

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...

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...

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...

Attorney Jason M. Melton, is a founding partner of Whittel & Melton. As a former state prosecutor, he continues fighting for victims bringing in some of the largest single event results in Central Florida. Jason is a lifetime member of the Multi-Million and Million Dollar Advocates Forum, AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and continues to be listed among SuperLawyers in Florida by Thomson Reuters. He is a Founding Member of the National Academy of Motorcycle Injury Lawyers, and in 2023 was named President. Attorney Melton is dedicated to providing clients with personalized, high-quality representation. We handle Auto Accidents, Slip and Fall, Injury, Nursing...

Robert B. Baker, founder of Baker Legal Team, is an experienced civil trial attorney who seeks justice for clients who have suffered serious injury due to the negligence of others. He represents clients in catastrophic personal injury cases involving wrongful death, boating/cruise ship accidents, jet ski accidents, burn injuries, product liability, and serious automobile accidents. Robert has earned Florida Bar Board Certification, the highest level of recognition by the Florida Bar for the competency and experience of a civil trial lawyer. The Daily Business Review selected Robert as one of the Finalists for Most Effective Lawyers of South Florida in...

Fred Cunningham limits his practice to serious personal injury and insurance company coverage and bad faith litigation. He has obtained well over one hundred million dollars in settlements and verdicts for his clients. Mr. Cunningham has been included in every issue of Florida Super Lawyers since 2006, including being listed as one of the “Top 100" lawyers in 2012. He has been included in the Florida Trend “Legal Elite” every year since 2007 in both personal injury and insurance law. Fred has also earned Florida Bar Certification, the highest level of recognition by the Florida Bar, for competency and...

An experienced trial attorney, Robert Whittel provides his clients with strong, disciplined, results-oriented representation. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he served as a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy. Robert graduated from both law school and the United States Merchant Marine Academy with honors, and served on the esteemed Florida Law Review. Before co-founding Whittel & Melton, a full-service law firm, Robert gained valuable experience in the court room both serving as a former prosecutor and representing large corporations in complex litigation and transactional matters. Robert is devoted to fighting for his clients’ rights. He handles all types of criminal...

Scott B. Smith, Esq. is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. He has been Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar since 2008. He specializes in the areas of personal injury, auto accidents, premise liability and product liability. In 2017, Mr. Smith was selected and recognized as the "Lawyer of the Year" in Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs in West Palm Beach, FL. He has litigated hundreds of personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout all of Florida in more than 1/2 of Florida's 67 counties. He also conducted jury trial...

David Gaspari is a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. He has successfully litigated, tried and taken to verdict virtually every type of personal injury case including wrongful death, defective products, automobile negligence, truck accidents, motorcycle injuries and premises liability claims. He has obtained numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. David Gaspari joined Cunningham Whalen & Gaspari as a partner in 2006 after a successful career as a defense attorney defending physicians and personal injury claims and 12 years with the personal injury firm of Lytal Reiter, Clark, Fountain & Williams. He has gained...

Prior to joining Whittel & Melton, Mr. Sheslow served as an Assistant Public Defender in Manatee County, Florida. Mr. Sheslow accumulated an impressive trial record while with the Public Defender’s Office. He was quickly promoted from a Misdemeanor to Felony case load in less than 10 months. Mr. Sheslow has tried over 20 cases ranging from DUIs and Domestic Batteries to life felonies. He has earned acquittals in serious cases such as firearms offenses and sex offenses. Additionally, Mr. Sheslow completed the National Criminal Defense Lawyers College held at Mercer College of Law in Macon, Georgia, where he learned from...

Jarrett DeLuca focuses his practice on complex personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice litigation. He has consistently been recognized by his peers in the area of plaintiff’s personal injury law, has published articles in both state and national legal journals, and has obtained numerous multi-million dollar awards and settlements for his clients. Since 2012, Jarrett has been listed every year by Florida Super Lawyers magazine as a Rising Star in the area of plaintiff’s personal injury litigation – a recognition given to only 2.5% of Florida’s lawyers. He was also named by The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 under...

Greg Yaffa joined Cunningham Whalen & Gaspari in 2004 and currently concentrates his practice in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death and insurance company bad faith. Prior to joining the firm, Greg practiced in the Miami-based law office of Stewart G. Greenberg, where he focused on automobile negligence, wrongful death, medical malpractice and product liability cases. Greg is admitted to practice law not only in the State Courts of Florida, but also in the Florida Federal Courts, including the United States District Court, Middle District Court of Florida, the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida...

Stratton A. Smiley was born in Ohio, but has been a south Florida resident for the past fourteen years. Mr. Smiley received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Florida Atlantic University. While at FAU, Mr. Smiley continuously made the Dean’s List, President’s List, and was a Scholar Athlete.

Upon graduating, Mr. Smiley passed the Florida Bar Exam with one of the highest scores in the state and was the speaker on behalf of the newly admitted attorneys at the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal’s induction ceremony.

Richard is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Civil Trial Law since 1991, and Recertified consistently since becoming Board Certified. Richard has achieved a national reputation through his representation of clients as lead counsel in more than ten states, and as a result of over thirty years of outstanding results in trial and by obtaining substantial settlements for his clients. He has consistently received an “AV” Rating which is the highest rating of legal ability and ethics by the Martindale -Hubbell Law Directory. He has consistently been listed in the prestigious peer reviewed book, The Best Lawyers...

Corey Leifer was born in Queens, New York and grew up on Long Island, New York. He attended college at the University of South Florida (“USF”) in Tampa, Florida, where he received a degree in Criminal Justice. Mr. Leifer was a member of the Dean’s List at USF and was the recipient of the prestigious Honors Convocation Award during his senior year. He earned his law degree at Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. Mr. Leifer began his legal career as a Prosecutor at the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, where he served as lead counsel in...

Attorney Sergio D. Vichera has over 17 years of experience working with personal injury cases. He has extensive knowledge in automotive cases and that is one of the reasons why he is so successful at what he does. He has worked as a Tech in many Automotive Shops while going to college. He is fluent in Spanish and can help both English- and Spanish-speaking clients. Before opening his firm, Sergio spent nearly 9 years in a mid-size firm, and several years in two of the largest personal injury firms working as a personal injury lawyer in the State of Florida. During...

Aggressive Advocate Focus on Trial and Appellate Litigation Represent Plaintiffs Multi-Jurisdiction Bar Admission in State and Federal Courts

Starting his legal career as Certified Legal Intern in the Miami-Dade State Attorney's office, Dan eventually took a position at a civil defense firm, where he represented corporate entities. Dan began representing victims who had suffered injuries when he joined Lytal, Reiter, Clark, Fountain & Williams, LLP. He later became an associate at Zele Huber Trial Attorneys, P.A where he honed his skills in representing injured parties all over the state of Florida. As recognition for his hard work, Dan has been selected as a Florida Super Lawyer; Legal Elite Up & Comer; a Top 40 under 40; and...

I'm passionate and dedicated to the things I care about in life - my career, my family, art, music, and culture - and that passion is what drives me to serve my clients to the fullest extent of my human abilities, every day. I live to see my clients find some closure and relief when I settle or successfully litigate their personal injury case to terms that exceed their expectations. It's a feeling of pride that I cannot duplicate outside of my profession as a personal injury attorney. As a former medical malpractice defense attorney, I know the ins-and-outs of...

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...

Mr. Doner was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1983 and has garnered a long list of professional accolades and accomplishments throughout his career, including having been admitted entry into the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Adam is a Partner at the law offices of Gordon & Doner and provides a comprehensive range of both experience and knowledge to our firm.