COLSON HICKS EIDSON PARTNERS HONORED AS MOST INFLUENTIAL TRIAL LAWYERS IN AMERICA
COLSON HICKS EIDSON PARTNERS HONORED AS MOST INFLUENTIAL TRIAL LAWYERS IN AMERICA
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2012) – The law firm of Colson Hicks Eidson is pleased to announce that partners Lewis S. “Mike” Eidson and Ervin A. Gonzalez have been selected as two of America’s 100 Most Influential Trial Lawyersby The Trial Lawyer magazine, the official magazine of The National Trial Lawyers organization which provides progressive and educational news, information, and articles relevant to the trial lawyer profession. Eidson and Gonzalez were recognized on January 24th during the Trial Lawyers Summit at a private luncheon held at Villa by Barton G., located within the former Versace Mansion.
Selection to this prestigious list is based on significant achievements in the legal profession placing the honorees among the top 100 civil and plaintiff and criminal defense attorneys in the United States. The honorees were selected from a pool of thousands of nominees from all over the United States. An attorney-led research team then scored and ranked the nominees based on their legal education, achievements, trial results and influence in the legal community.
Eidson concentrates his practice on products liability, medical and legal malpractice, aviation litigation, class actions and multi-district litigation. He has tried more than 120 jury trials for significant personal injury and wrongful death as well as multiple multi-million dollar cases to verdict and settlement. A leading expert in the field of product liability, he is best known for his work in some of the largest automobile recalls in U.S. history, including the Ford Pinto; Chrysler Minivan; Ford Explorer/ Firestone tire tread litigation, in which he served as the national co-lead counsel; and most recently with Toyota, in which he was appointed to serve on the nine-member personal injury/wrongful death leadership committee.
A member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, Eidson has volunteered his time on a multitude of professional boards, including being elected and serving as president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now named American Association for Justice) – the world’s largest trial bar – in 2006. He lectures frequently at trial seminars and has co-authored numerous books on product liability, consumer safety, and personal injury. He has received numerous industry awards and recognitions, including the AAJ’s David S. Shrager President’s Award for his lifelong commitment to the AAJ, civil justice system, and protection of consumers and the Stephen Sharpe Award for his work in the field of consumer safety.
Gonzalez is board certified as a specialist in Civil Trial Law and Business Litigation by the Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He has obtained 27 verdicts in excess of a million dollars throughout his career, including a $65.1 million verdict in a wrongful death case and a $61 million award in a medical malpractice case – the highest award in a Federal Tort Claims Act Case. He has also settled numerous multi-million dollar cases, including a $100 million class action settlement. Many of his verdicts have been rated among the top verdicts nationwide and in Florida. He currently serves on two national plaintiff steering committees, including the PSC for the multi-district litigation surrounding the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill and the PSC for the Chinese Drywall multi-district litigation. He was also selected the first in the country to try a Chinese Drywall jury case resulting in a $2.4 million verdict, which was instrumental in achieving a $55 million Florida class action settlement with Banner Supply Company.
Gonzalez has held numerous leadership roles, including serving as governor of The Florida Bar, president of The Dade County Bar Association, and president of the Dade County Trial Lawyers Association. He is also a former member of the National Board of Trustees of The National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).