education

University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law (J.D., 1987), high honors
Duke University (B.A., 1983), magna cum laude

related practices

related industries

bar admissions

Florida

court admissions

Florida State Courts
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit

Gary M. Pappas

Shareholder

gpappas@carltonfields.com

Miami

T: 305.539.7230

F: 305.530.0055

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Gary Pappas is a trial attorney with over 20 years of experience in civil litigation. Mr. Pappas' experience includes products liability, business torts, insurance coverage, intellectual property, and environmental law. Mr. Pappas has handled cases involving automobiles, medical devices, protective head gear, water sports equipment, agricultural chemicals, underground storage tanks, automobile dealership franchises, and hotels. He serves manufacturers, distributors, retailers, insurance companies, and entrepreneurs.

Mr. Pappas has spoken and published on a variety of procedural and substantive law matters within his experience. One of his recent publications was entitled, "Guidelines for Non-Party E-Discovery Under Rule 45," published in Proof, the Journal of the Trial Evidence Committee of the ABA Litigation Section in the Spring 2010 issue.

Mr. Pappas is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

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Representative Experience

Defense of insurance carrier in first party coverage claims for property damage to luxury hotels arising from hurricanes.
Defense of U.S. auto manufacturer in numerous product liability cases involving wrongful death and personal injuries allegedly caused by design and manufacturing defects.
Defense of medical device manufacturer in products liability and warnings cases involving personal injuries and the learned intermediary doctrine.
Defense of bicycle helmet manufacturer in products liability case involving brain injuries allegedly caused by design defect.
Defense of Fortune 200 chemical company in numerous products liability cases involving crop damage allegedly caused by defective pesticides.
Defense of manufacturer of fiberglass underground storage tanks in product defect and contamination class action.

Representative Cases:

Beale v. Biomet, 492 F. Supp 2d 1360 (S.D. Fla. 2007).
Sidran v. Dupont, Inc., 925 So. 2d 1040 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003).
Finks Farms v. DuPont & Co., 656 So. 2d 171 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995).
Horvath v. General Motors Co., 636 So. 2d 771 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994).

Publications

12.17.2012	Co-Author, "Proposals for Settlement - How to draft ones that stick and how to deal with them when they land on your desk," FDLA 10th Annual Florida Liability Claims Conference (June 1, 2006).
03.08.2012	Client Article: “Florida Offers of Judgment: A New Trend To Uphold,” (March 8, 2012).
06.07.2010	“Guidelines for Non-Party E-Discovery Under Rule 45,” Proof, the Journal of the Trial Evidence Committee of the ABA Litigation Section, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Spring 2010).
06.01.2010	“A Response to Plaintiffs’ Call to Abolish the Learned Intermediary Doctrine,” ABA Product Liability Litigation, Volume 21 Number 3 (Summer 2010).
07.01.2009	“The Learned Intermediary Landscape: A View from the Patient’s Perspective,” DRI's For the Defense magazine (July 2009).
12.01.2008	Co-Author, “The Learned Intermediary Doctrine in Florida: Courts Wrestle with Claimed Exceptions to the Doctrine in Drug and Device Litigation,” The Florida Bar Journal (December 2008).
03.03.2008	Co-Author, “State ex. rel. Johnson & Johnson v. Karl: Is the Learned Intermediary Doctrine Outdated?”, Mass Torts, ABA Section of Litigation, Mass Torts Litigation Committee, Volume 6, No. 2 (Winter 2008).
02.01.2007	Co-Author, “Recent Developments in Automobile Law," The Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal (Winter 2007).
12.01.2002	“Proposals for Settlement - More Traps for the Unwary,” The Florida Bar Journal (December 2002).
10.01.1997	"The Jury Trial: Selection and Role of the Jury," for West Group publication entitled 11th Circuit Federal Civil Procedure and Evidence During Trial (October 1997).
04.05.1991	Co-Author, "Essential Initial Steps In Response To A Products Liability Lawsuit," Course materials for the 1991 National Products Liability Conference, National Practice Institute, Chicago, IL (April 1991).

Speaking Engagements

Panelists, “Guidance Through A Rough & Often Uncharted E-Discovery Terrain,” ABA Litigation Section Annual CLE Conference, Miami Beach, FL (April 15, 2011)
Co-Presenter, “ESI Discovery Update: Federal and State Law Trends,” Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program, Chicago, IL (August 24, 2010)
Co-Presenter, “ESI Discovery Update: Federal and State Law Trends,” Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program, Dallas, TX (March 23, 2010)
“Should We Buy It or Try It,” Moderator for in-house panel at the ABA TIPS Emerging Issues in Motor Vehicle Products Liability Litigation in Phoenix, AZ (April 11, 2008)
“Roof Crush Standard,” presented at the Defense Research Institute's Strictly Automotive seminar in San Diego, CA (September 6, 2007)
“The Effects of CAFA: the Class Action Fairness Act,” presented at the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association Spring Market trade show in Las Vegas, NV (June 11, 2007)
“Proposals for Settlement - How to draft ones that stick and how to deal with them when they land on your desk,” FDLA 10th Annual Florida Liability Claims Conference (June 1, 2006)
“Consumer Fraud - The New Tort Against Product Manufacturers,” SGMA Product Liability Risk Management for Sporting Goods Manufacturers (November 9, 2005)
“Automotive Event Data Recorder Technology in Criminal and Civil Litigation - The Newest Tool for Plaintiff and Defense,” ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (October 20, 2005)

Professional Recognition

AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Selected for inclusion in Florida Trend's 2006 Florida Legal Elite
Selected for inclusion in Florida Super Lawyers 2007, 2009, and 2010
Listed in the Top 100 in South Florida by the South Florida Legal Guide (2009)
Recipient, 2008 Florida Bar Journal Excellence in Writing Award
Order of the Coif
Florida Bar Public Interest Law Fellowship

Professional and Civic Activities

The Florida Bar
American Bar Association
Defense Research Institute
The Education Fund, Board of Directors, Past Chair
Greater Miami Billfish Tournament, Inc., Director
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce

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