Find Lawyers in Florida, United States for Appellate Practice
Practice Area Overview
Appellate practice involves different skills and strategic considerations than trial practice. On appeal, the focus shifts from developing and proving facts (through discovery, examining witnesses, and trial) to the legal issues that decide the case. Effective appellate advocacy thus demands a formulation of the issues that is focused on what is important to a panel of appellate judges deciding the case.
In formulating the issues on appeal, an appellate lawyer conducts thorough legal research; analyzes the legal issues in light of the rule-making and policy considerations that shape the development of law; and then presents the facts and those issues and arguments selected for appeal concisely in a persuasive appellate brief.
The importance of a well-crafted appellate brief cannot be exaggerated. Appellate briefs receive greater judicial scrutiny than written materials prepared at trial because they are reviewed by a panel of judges, rather than a single judge, along with those judges’ larger legal staff, under comparatively less time pressure than exists in the trial court. As one appellate court has explained, appellate work is “most assuredly not the recycling of trial level points and authorities” but instead “entails rigorous original work in its own right” and “offers counsel probably their best opportunity to craft work of original, professional, and, on occasion, literary value.” In re Marriage of Shaban, 88 Cal. App. 4th 398, 408-10 (2001).
After the appellate briefing, oral argument is an opportunity to engage in a dialogue with the appellate judges regarding the issues in the case. To be effective, appellate oral advocacy must be keyed to the unique concerns of the appellate forum – avoiding emotional or fact-based pleas that may play well before a jury, but instead focusing on the dispositive legal issues, being sure to answer the judges’ questions.
In addition to the practice in the appellate courts, appellate lawyers play important roles in the trial courts. Appellate lawyers collaborate with trial counsel on strategic and tactical matters to raise all applicable arguments and make the appropriate trial record, identifying and preserving legal issues as they arise and crafting effective motions on substantive legal issues – before, during, and after trial.
Therefore, involving an appellate lawyer in a case as early as possible is important to ensure the best chance of success both at trial and on appeal.
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Cities
Christopher N. Bellows is an appellate attorney who has handled complex civil appeals in the Supreme Court of Florida, all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the federal appellate courts. Mr. Bellows also has significant experience in complex commercial litigation, including areas of contract law, Uniform Commercial Code, business torts, foreclosures, receiverships, replevins, construction disputes, landlord-tenant litigation, product liability, personal injury, first amendment, employment...
Lo Bielby is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer who appears throughout Florida in all Courts, representing business as well as state and municipal entities with complex commercial and civil litigation, smoking and health cases, medical product disputes, regulatory administrative matters, employment, medical cannabis regulatory items, and select criminal matters. Lo is regularly listed in The Best Lawyers in America and has completed more than 100 jury trials, as well as bench and admin...
Stacy D. Blank practices primarily in the area of appellate and general commercial litigation. She has litigated appeals in the Florida District Courts of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, and the United States Circuit Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits. She has handled appeals and trial court litigation in numerous subject areas including trust and estates, antitrust, employment law, state and federal taxation, environmental law, family law, administrative law, intellectu...
Kendall Coffey is a founding member of the law firm Coffey Burlington, PL, based in Miami, which handles matters in Florida and throughout the United States. Mr. Coffey also currently serves as the Chair of the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission for South Florida. Appointed by both of Florida's United States Senators, he presides over the 21-person commission that selects individuals to be considered by the White House to become U.S. federal judges and U.S. Attorney for South Florida. Mr....
Scott A. Cole is an AV Preeminent® rated attorney who provides counseling and defense to firm clients in a wide variety of civil litigation matters at both the trial and appellate levels in all state and federal courts in Florida, and many courts outside Florida. For the past 15 years, Mr. Cole has been the supervising partner of the firm’s appellate and legal issue group. During that time, Mr. Cole has handled or supervised over 700 appeals. Mr. Cole has also participated in over 1...
A former Chief Judge of Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal and member of the court for 22 years, Gerald Cope is the chair of Akerman’s Appellate Practice. He represents clients in appellate litigation at the state and federal levels. Ranked by Chambers USA , peers say “He’s superb and doing great work.” He is a founding member of Akerman Bench, an innovative practice including former appellate and trial court judges providing the perspective of both sides o...
Nancy Copperthwaite litigates complex disputes, including class actions and appeals, and advises employers on employment law issues. She has handled more than 100 appeals and has argued in all five of Florida’s district courts of appeal (DCA) as well as in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Ranked by Best Lawyers in America for appellate work, her diverse experience includes handling appeals of bankruptcy proceedings, class actions, complex commercial matters, ...
John is board-certified in appellate practice by The Florida Bar, is a member of the American Law Institute, and has argued before all of Florida’s state and federal appellate courts—including the Supreme Court of the United States. In addition to representing parties, he has represented various amici curiae (friends of the court), and wrote an amicus brief in the landmark age discrimination case Smith v. City of Jackson, presenting an entirely novel textual argument that the Supr...
When it comes to federal appeals, Dorothy is a nationally recognized author who literally wrote the book: Successful Federal Appeals in All Circuit Courts: A Practical Guide for Busy Lawyers. Dorothy appreciates the value of hard work, perseverance and tenacity. She grew up on a farm, learned to drive a tractor, and worked on a forestry logging crew for room and board as an undergraduate in the mountains of North Carolina. Dorothy has a Master of Science, summa cum laude, in forest genetics f...
James E. Felman has concentrated his practice of law in the defense of complex criminal matters and related civil litigation for over 30 years. Mr. Felman represents clients in federal and state matters in every phase of the criminal process -- investigation, trial, sentencing, appeal, and post-conviction proceedings. He has represented clients in a wide range of matters, including allegations of bank fraud, health care fraud, mail and wire fraud, securities fraud, public corruption, environm...
Matthew R. Kachergus has devoted his career to representing a wide array of clients ranging from the criminally accused, those whose constitutional rights have been violated, to numerous others needing counsel for civil litigation. As a result of Mr. Kachergus’ tireless efforts in advocating for the interest of his clients, he is listed in Best Lawyers in America, in the fields of white collar and non-white collar criminal defense law, as well as Super Lawyers. Mr. Kachergus is a member...
M. Hope Keating handles appeals for clients in both state and federal courts. Her areas of representation include all aspects of civil and administrative law. She also provides litigation support during all stages of litigation in all facets of law. Hope regularly advises a myriad of health care facilities and providers on a wide array of complex and practical regulatory matters such as licensure, medical records, end-of-life issues, patient discharge, contracts, and Medicare and Medicaid cer...
Jane Kreusler-Walsh is Board Certified as a specialist in appellate practice, the highest level of recognition by The Florida Bar of the competency and experience of attorneys in a specific area of law. She has an AV-Preeminent peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest mark for competency and ethics. Florida Super Lawyers lists Ms. Kreusler-Walsh as among the Top 50 Women attorneys in Florida. Ms. Kreusler-Walsh is also listed as one of the top 13 appellate attorneys in Florida ...
With an established record of creative and effective advocacy, Cindy Laquidara navigates complex litigation matters, from administrative hearings, to federal and state trials and appeals. Her practice serves municipal authorities, private corporations with long-term lease arrangements, companies submitting competitive procurement bids and proposals, general commercial litigation, and energy related matters in dispute resolution pertaining to bid disputes, land use, transportation, contracts, ...
Kimberly A. Mello is a member of the firm's National Appellate Practice. She has briefed and argued dozens of appeals in state and federal court, including the Florida Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and Florida's District Courts of Appeal. In addition to focusing on appellate matters, Ms. Mello has extensive experience briefing complex legal issues at the trial court level during both the pre-trial and post-trial phases. She regularly consults with trial la...
Kristin A. Norse practices exclusively in the areas of appellate practice and civil litigation support. She has over 30 years of legal experience, including more than 20 years representing clients in trial and appellate courts and ten years working as a senior staff attorney for the Honorable Chris W. Altenbernd at the Second District Court of Appeal. She has successfully represented individuals and businesses in well over 100 involving various areas of law including complex commercial cases,...
Out of well over 1000 civil trial attorneys in North Florida, Michael Fox Orr was recognized by Attorney-at-Law Magazine as one of the “top 8 civil litigators.” Michael tries civil jury and bench trials primarily in the area of complex commercial and civil litigation with significant damages at issue. Most of his cases involving situations where the company could be bankrupted or an individual stands to lose their net worth. His experience and success as a civil trial lawyer has l...
Born in Coral Gables, Florida, Scott E. Perwin, earned his B.A. from Harvard College, his M.A. from Princeton University, and his J.D. from Stanford University. At Stanford, he was a member of the Order of the Coif, the national legal society that recognizes outstanding academic achievement. He is admitted to the bar in Florida; the U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits; and the U.S. Supreme Court...
Beverly Pohl has been Board Certified in Appellate Practice by The Florida Bar since 2002, and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. She has experience in a wide variety of civil and criminal appellate matters, in both Florida appellate courts and the federal courts of appeal. Her cases include commercial and general civil litigation, False Claims Act healthcare litigation, criminal appeals, and First Amendment issues involving commercial speech. The aspects of appellate p...
Mr. Rosenberg is Board Certified in Appellate Practice with The Florida Bar—a status earned by less than two-tenths of one percent of all Florida lawyers. Mr. Rosenberg is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale West Office. He practices in the areas of appellate litigation and trial support. Mr. Rosenberg maintains an AV Preeminent® distinction, the highest available mark for professional excellence issued by Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Ratings held only by approximately 10% of...
Stephen focuses on complex litigation and appeals. He has tried cases to verdict in state and federal courts and has argued more than 50 appeals. His practice spans class actions, personal injury, aviation accidents, complex commercial disputes, defamation, professional malpractice, and whistleblower claims. His abilities have been recognized in numerous publications. Benchmark Appellate observed that Stephen “possesses the rare skill set allowing him to excel at both trial and appellat...
Jennifer V. Ruiz is a Partner in the firm’s Miami office and practices in the areas of General Civil Litigation, Employment and Labor, Condominium and Homeowners’ Association, Civil Rights, Directors and Officers Liability, and Professional Malpractice for the firm. She practices in state and federal courts, at both trial and appellate levels. Mrs. Ruiz Co-Chairs the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Chairs the Committee’s affinity group: CSK WIN – Wom...
With more than 40 years of experience as an appellate lawyer, and more than 2,000 appeals in state and federal courts, Elliot brings a practical and client-centered approach to his work. Elliot's practice covers a wide range of substantive law, which enables him to counsel his clients on both their legal rights and structuring their transactions. He is the co-chair of the firm's National Appellate Practice Group.
Howard Srebnick plays a major role in the Firm’s criminal division, chairs the Firm's appellate practice, and handles select high-stakes, commercial litigation. He helps set the standard for the thorough, zealous representation that our practice delivers. Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America,® clients agree "he's thorough and creative, preempts everything and leaves no stone unturned." Chambers and Partners recognizes him as being a "great tactician and...
Mark D. Tinker is Board Certified in Appellate Practice with The Florida Bar—a status earned by less than two-tenths of one percent of all Florida lawyers—and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Bar’s Appellate Practice Certification Committee. Mr. Tinker maintains an AV Preeminent® distinction, the highest available mark for professional excellence issued by Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Ratings, and he is annually rated by his peers as one of The Best La...
Rebecca Mercier Vargas is a Board-Certified, Martindale-Hubbell AV-Preeminent rated appellate lawyer with a focus on civil appeals and trial support. Ms. Vargas has also been selected for inclusion in the Florida Super Lawyers since 2012 and the Rising Stars Edition in 2009 and 2011. Florida Trend Magazine has selected Ms. Vargas for inclusion in the list of the Florida Legal Elite since 2013.Ms. Vargas has appeared multiple times in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit...
Benjamin S. (“Benji”) Waxman, joined the Firm's appellate practice as a partner in 2017. In his 33-year career, he has handled a multitude of federal and state appeals and post-conviction remedies, as well as trial court motion practice and developing legal strategy in defending criminal cases. He has also evaluated immigration consequences of criminal convictions, and he has lectured around the state on how to vacate these convictions. He has been certified as a Criminal Appellat...
Kristen L. Wenger has experience in class actions and complex commercial litigation involving insurance matters, deceptive business practices and consumer fraud. Some of her representative areas of practice include defense of class actions on behalf of insurers, business entities, and management for alleged improper business practices. She also handles class actions involving data security breaches and related cyber security issues. Kristen has been involved in class actions and other complex...
Since 1980, Elizabeth “Betsy” White has established an excellent and widespread reputation as a top lawyer in the fields of criminal defense, civil rights, and appeals. Her experience includes extensive litigation on behalf of criminal defendants as well as litigation to protect the constitutional and civil rights of individuals and groups, including women, minorities and prisoners. She has litigated at all levels of the judicial system, including the United States Supreme Court. ...
Katherine Earle Yanes was born in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from Williams College, magna cum laude, with honors in economics, in 1993. In 1997, she graduated from Stetson University College of Law, magna cum laude, as valedictorian of her class. She was an associate member of the Stetson Law Review. Following law school, Ms. Yanes served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich, United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Since 1999, she has rep...
Tommy W. Arnst is an Associate in the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office, where he assists partners and senior associates in a variety of complex commercial litigation matters. Before joining Conrad & Scherer, Mr. Arnst spent three and a half years working in defense litigation for a prominent nationwide law firm, where he assisted clients in litigation relating to premises liability, torts, employment law, coverage issues, landlord-tenant law, and administrative law. Tommy obtained his ...
Brandon K. Breslow is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney with a nationwide practice. Mr. Breslow handles appeals and litigation support in civil and criminal cases, from briefing through oral argument and post-decision motions. His civil cases often involve complex issues and catastrophic injuries. He has also achieved favorable dismissals, resolutions, and trial verdicts for clients charged with serious violent and financial crimes. Mr. Breslow has been named to the Florida Super Lawyer...
Jessica L. Gross is a partner in Wicker Smith’s Miami office handling appellate matters and supporting the firm’s medical malpractice, wrongful death, and personal injury practice areas. In 2009, Ms. Gross graduated cum laude from Florida State University with a major in English Literature. She then received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami in 2012, graduating cum laude . Prior to joining Wicker Smith, Ms. Gross clerked at the Third District Court of Appeal for Jud...
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