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experience
Carlton Fields, P.A.
Of Counsel - October 30, 2023 to Present
Tampa, Florida
- Represent institutional clients in high-stakes litigation, including class actions, mass torts, product liability actions, business litigation, insurance coverage litigation, intellectual property disputes, and labor and employment matters.
- Serve as a court-appointed neutral (f/k/a special master) and discovery referee in civil litigation matters.
- Serve as a mediator in civil litigation matters.
United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
United States Magistrate Judge - July 1, 2015 to July 31, 2023
Tampa and Fort Myers, Florida
- Managed a diverse litigation docket with a consistent volume of approximately 400 civil and 200 criminal cases. Civil cases included employment litigation (ADA, ADEA, FLSA, FMLA, Title VII, ERISA, etc.), business litigation, commercial litigation, contract disputes, insurance disputes, declaratory actions, intellectual property litigation (copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, etc.), product liability litigation, construction litigation, antitrust litigation, Fair Credit Reporting Act claims, debt collection practices litigation, class actions, collective actions, personal injury and tort litigation, medical malpractice litigation, social security appeals, Federal Tort Claims Act litigation, False Claims Act and qui tam actions, and admiralty actions. Criminal cases included charges for drug offenses, firearms offenses, bank robbery, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, financial fraud, identity theft, embezzlement, tax fraud and evasion, and mortgage fraud.
- Presided over a variety of pretrial and post-judgment proceedings in all assigned civil and criminal litigation matters as authorized by 28 U.S.C. § 636, the Local Rules of the Middle District of Florida, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Civil proceedings included preliminary and final pretrial conferences, petit jury selection, discovery plans and protocols governing the discovery of electronically stored information and forensic examinations, motion hearings, evidentiary hearings, and status conferences. Criminal proceedings included initial appearances, arraignments, removal proceedings, extradition proceedings, detention hearings, arraignments, preliminary hearings, bond revocation hearings, guilty plea hearings, petit jury selection, grand jury selection, and grand jury returns.
- Presided through trial (jury and non-jury), judgment, and post-judgment proceedings over civil cases in which the parties consent and over federal misdemeanor and petty offense cases.
- Reviewed and authorized a variety of arrest warrants, search and seizure warrants, asset seizure warrants, tracking warrants, pen registers, trap and trace warrants, criminal complaints, writs ad prosequendum, material witness warrants, grand jury subpoenas, trial and hearing subpoenas, warrants and orders under the federal Stored Communications Act, and requests and responses under mutual legal assistance treaties, as requested by federal and state law enforcement agencies in connection with federal criminal investigations, prosecutions, and extraditions.
- Determined by order a variety of pretrial motions in civil and criminal cases. Civil cases included motions to amend pleadings, motions to strike, motions regarding case management deadlines, motions for clerk’s defaults, motions to compel discovery, motions for protective order, motions to quash subpoenas, motions for sanctions, motions for a finding of spoliation, motions to seal filings, motions to proceed in forma pauperis, and motions for writs of garnishment, attachment, or replevin. Criminal cases included motions to compel discovery, motions for protective order, motions to appoint counsel, motions for leave to proceed without counsel, motions to approve joint representation, motions for approval of Criminal Justice Act funds, complaints with a view towards extradition, motions for detention, and motions to set or modify bond.
- Issued Reports and Recommendations to the presiding United States District Judge on dispositive motions and events in civil and criminal cases on referral. Civil cases included motions to dismiss, motions for leave to intervene, motions for summary judgment, motions to strike pleadings, Daubert motions, motions in limine, fee motions, motions to approve or enforce settlement, motions to certify class and collective actions, motions to compel arbitration and appraisal, motions for entry of default judgment, motions to determine the standard of review and for judgment on the record in ERISA cases, and motions for findings of contempt and imposition of sanctions. Criminal cases included motions to dismiss a charging instrument, motions to suppress evidence, motions for Franks hearings, and motions to determine competency.
- Conducted and facilitated settlement conferences in civil cases on referral.
- Served on the court’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Rules of Practice, Procedure & Administration Committee, Bench Bar Fund Committee, Magistrate Judge Committee, Staff Attorney Committee, and Criminal Law, Probation Administration, and Pretrial Services Committee, Criminal Justice Act Advisory Committee.
- Contributed to the 2021 and 2023 amendments to the local rules, the 2021 revisions to the court’s civil discovery handbook, and the 2022 amendments to the court’s pro bono plan.
- Supervised, trained, and mentored judicial law clerks, staff attorneys, and interns.
- Frequently lectured and presented to judges, bar associations, and law students on a wide variety of topics relating to federal practice and procedure, with particular emphasis on the discovery of electronically stored information, class action litigation, legal ethics, legal technology, access to justice, and career development.
Carlton Fields, P.A.
Shareholder - February 2010 to June 30, 2015
Associate - November 2001 to February 2010
Tampa, Florida
- Served as a member of the firm’s National Trial and National Class Actions Practice Groups, as well as the E-Discovery Team, the Pro Bono Committee, and the LGBT employee affinity group.
- Represented financial professionals, corporations, insurance companies, title insurers, pharmaceutical companies, a supermarket chain, and food manufacturers in complex federal and state court litigation throughout the United States, including class action defense, consumer fraud claims, deceptive and unfair trade practice claims, antitrust litigation, and contract disputes.
- Obtained substantial experience in all aspects of federal and state civil litigation, including case intake, fee negotiation, litigation budgeting, client counseling, early case assessment, investigation, drafting pleadings, dispositive motion practice, discovery motion practice, complex discovery and e-discovery management, document review and production, expert discovery, class action litigation, deposition practice, settlement and exposure analysis, alternative dispute resolution, arbitration, mediation, and negotiation.
- Founding member of the LGBT employee affinity group.
- Coordinated the firm’s entry-level hiring and Summer Associate Program for six years.
United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
Judicial Law Clerk - October 15, 2001 to October 17, 2003
Tampa, Florida
- Managed and monitored one-half of the Judge’s civil, criminal, and miscellaneous case dockets, including daily review of consent cases and referred motions for urgency, timeliness, and compliance with applicable federal rules, local rules, and case management policies.
- Conducted extensive legal research on issues before the court and drafted orders and bench memoranda for the Judge’s review.
National Labor Relations Board, Region 12
Legal Intern - August 2000 to November 2000
Tampa, Florida
- Conducted legal research and drafted legal memoranda on labor relations issues.
FordHarrison LLP
Summer Associate - May 2000 to July 2000
Tampa, Florida
- Conducted legal research and drafted memoranda concerning a wide array of employment law issues, including a nationwide survey of state wage and hour laws.
- Drafted employer responses to age and race discrimination charges filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
- Reviewed and summarized discovery documents and deposition transcripts for use in summary judgment briefing in federal court.
Lee County Board of County Commissioners
Intern - May 1999 to August 1999
Fort Myers, Florida
- Worked in the Human Resources Department serving all county offices.
- Performed applicant background checks, employment verifications, and education verifications.
- Assembled data and prepared statistical reports regarding countywide employee demographics.
- Posted job vacancy announcements for positions countywide.
- Drafted and revised job descriptions and employee handbooks.
- Developed content for the Human Resources Department web page.