education

University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., 1977), magna cum laude
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (B.S., 1974), magna cum laude

related practices

related industries

clerkships

Judge Spottswood W. Robinson III, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
Justice Byron R. White, United States Supreme Court

bar admissions

Florida
District of Columbia
Pennsylvania

court admissions

United States Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
Florida State Courts

Gary L. Sasso

President and Chief Executive Officer

Tampa

T: 813.229.4256

F: 813.229.4133

vCard

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Gary Sasso represents business clients in securities fraud and consumer fraud class actions and other complex litigation at the trial and appellate level, in the financial services industry, energy sector, products manufacturing industry, and services sector. Mr. Sasso has tried cases in the areas of securities fraud, business contracts, products liability, professional malpractice, employment discrimination and termination, eminent domain, bankruptcy, construction, administrative law, and land use in Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Mr. Sasso has argued appeals on diverse issues including business fraud, federal and state constitutional claims, products liability, personal injury, insurance coverage, national bank regulation, employment discrimination, federal occupational safety and health regulation, eminent domain, county taxation, and public utilities law.

Before joining Carlton Fields in 1987, Mr. Sasso worked as a law clerk for Justice Byron R. White on the United States Supreme Court; and as a law clerk for Judge Spottswood W. Robinson, III, of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

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Representative Matters
- Consumer fraud class action against information services firm for violation of consumer privacy rights (resolved through settlement).
- Securities fraud case brought by former shareholders of a company acquired by the defendant (class certification denied and state claims dismissed as preempted).
- Securities fraud class action against issuer for misleading disclosures and violation of accounting irregularities (resolved through settlement).
- Securities fraud class action against financial services firm alleging stock analyst had conflict of interest (resolved through settlement).
- Class action brought against a financial institution for aiding and abetting a “Ponzi” scheme (dismissed with prejudice).
- Multiple, consolidated securities fraud cases brought by investors in a closed-end investment fund (class certification denied).
- Environmental class action brought against various chemical manufacturers in state court by landowners situated near a Superfund site in Central Florida (resolved through settlement).
- Professional liability claim brought on behalf of FDIC against law firm that represented failed bank (obtained $21 million jury verdict).
- Multi-plaintiff products litigation brought by South American plaintiffs against European chemical manufacturers (case dismissed on grounds of forum non conveniens).
- Kevin O’Halloran, et al., v. First Union National Bank of Florida, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Represented appellee defending dismissal of claims brought against national bank, alleging that the bank aided and abetted a faith-based “Ponzi” scheme.
- Lee v. Russell County Bd. of Education, Eleventh Circuit. Represented appellant in discrimination case establishing standard for adjudicating mixed-motive cases under Title VII.
- Sadlowski v. United Steelworks of America, AFL-CIO-CLC, District of Columbia Circuit. Represented appellant in OSHA case establishing workplace hazard communication standards.
- Tampa Electric Co. v. Garcia, Supreme Court of Florida. Represented appellant in challenge to order by Florida Public Service Commission authorizing development of “merchant” electrical power plants in Florida.
- Citizens National Bank and Trust Company v. Loue E. Stockwell, Jr., Supreme Court of Florida. Represented appellee in action brought to challenge action by national bank in terminating executive officers and abrogating employment contracts.
- American Optical Corp. v. Spiewak, Supreme Court of Florida. Represented defendants in asbestos litigation seeking reversal of ruling that asbestos reform law may not be applied constitutionally to pending litigation.
- City of Winter Park v. Florida Power Corporation, Supreme Court of Florida. Represented appellant in challenge to ruling by intermediate appellate court upholding permanent injunctive relief requiring utility to pay “franchise” payments to local government previously paid under expired agreement.
- Walter Goldberg v. Florida Power & Light Company, Supreme Court of Florida. Represented appellee in lawsuit in which jury awarded $30 million to parents of decedent killed in intersection accident attributed to interruption of power to traffic signal.
- Home Shopping Network, Inc. v. Jovon Broadcasting, Florida Second District Court of Appeal. Represented appellee in defending summary judgment terminating option agreement.
- Fernandez v. Union Carbide, Florida Third District Court of Appeal. Represented appellee in appeal from defense verdict in asbestos personal injury case.
- Inter-Tel, Inc. v. Executone of Florida, Inc., Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal. Represented appellant on appeal from $7 million jury verdict for breach of contract.
- Nuko Holdings I, LLC v. Mobile Mini, Inc., Florida Second District Court of Appeal. Represented appellee in appeal from $14 million jury verdict for tortuous interference with business acquisition contract.

Publications

09.08.2011	Cover feature, "Gary Sasso keeps Carlton Fields focused on continuous improvement,"Smart Business Florida (September 2011).
04.01.2011	Chapter Co-Author, “Class Action Litigation,” in Successful Partnering Between Inside and Outside Counsel, Thomson/West and Association of Corporate Counsel Treatise (2011 edition).
02.01.2010	Chapter Co-Author, “Class Action Litigation,” in Successful Partnering Between Inside and Outside Counsel, Thomson/West and Association of Corporate Counsel Treatise (2010 edition).
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Speaking Engagements
- Presenter, “Diversity in All Things,” Greater Cincinnati Minority Counsel Program (GCMCP), Cincinnati, OH (May 10, 2012)
- Presenter, “Appellate Advocacy,” Stetson Law School (March 2010)
- Presenter, “Harnessing the Winds of Change to Bring Balance and Meaning to the Workplace,” ABA Litigation Section (August 2008)
- Presenter, “Opposing Class Certification in the United States,” Barreau du Quebec, Montreal, Canada (October 2006)
- Presenter, “Defending Class Actions,” Practicing Law Institute, New York (July 2006)
- Presenter, Florida Supreme Court Advocacy Seminar, Government Law Section, The Florida Bar (June 2005, June 2006)
- Moderator, “Energy Policy Act of 2005,” Emerging Issues Policy Forum, Orlando, FL (October 2005)
- Presenter, “Preserving Error for Appeal in Civil Cases, Federal Practice and Courtroom Advocacy,” New Orleans, LA (April 2005)
- Presenter, “Preservation of Error in Civil Cases,” 20th Annual Federal Practice & Advocacy Seminar, New Orleans, LA (April 7-8, 2005)
- Core Faculty Member, Annual Program on Successful Appellate Practice sponsored by Stetson College of Law and Appellate Practice and Advocacy Section of The Florida Bar (presented demonstration oral arguments and lectured on appellate practice, brief writing, and oral advocacy) (2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999)
- Presenter, Practicing Law Institute program, ”Defense of Federal Question Class Actions,” New York, NY (July 2005, 2004, and 2003)
- Moderator, “Innovation and Investment in Telecommunications,” Emerging Issues Policy Forum, Orlando, FL (April 2004)
- Presenter, “Preserving the Record on Appeal – An Exercise in Trial Advocacy,” 5th Circuit Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA (January 2004)
- Principal Speaker, Florida Circuit Judges Conference, Class Action Litigation, Orlando, FL (June 2003)
- Presenter, “Effective Oral Argument,” Practice Before the First District Court of Appeal (presented demonstration oral argument) (January 1999)
- Presenter, “Effective Oral Argument,” Third Annual Liability Claims Institute (presented demonstration oral argument) (July 1999)
- Presenter, “Appellate Ethics,” Annual Meeting of The Florida Bar (1998)
Professional Recognition
- “Local Litigation Star” (Appellate, Commercial Litigation, Insurance, Products Liability, Securities – Florida), Benchmark Litigation (2012).
- Recipient, Tampa Connection’s Tampa Citizen of the Year Award (2010)
- Recipient, Diversity Best Practices' CEO Diversity Leadership Award (2008)
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (recognized for Bet the Company Litigation, Business Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation, Appellate, and Professional Liability) (2011-2012)
- Listed in Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers (2006-2011)
- Selected for inclusion in Florida Trend's Florida Hall of Fame (top 100 lawyers), Florida Legal Elite (2004-2011) (representing the top 1.6% of all attorneys practicing in Florida), and as one of Florida Legal Elite's "Top Managing Partners: Head of the Firm" (2006 and 2007)
- Selected for inclusion in Florida Super Lawyers 2010-2011 (listed among top 100 lawyers in Florida)
- Listed in Lawdragon's 100 Lawyers You Need to Know in Securities Litigation
Professional and Civic Activities
- American Bar Association, Death Penalty Steering Committee (2008-2010)
- American Bar Association Section of Litigation
  Jury Innovation Task Force (2009-2010)
  Council Member (2003-2006)
  Task Force on Independence of the Judiciary, Co-Chair (2006-2007)
  Task Force on Vision Implementation (2006)
  Editor-in-Chief, Litigation (published by the ABA Section of Litigation) (2001-2002)
- Federal Bar Association, Governing Board, Tampa Bay Chapter (2002-2006)
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
  (membership limited to 500 trial lawyers, by invitation only)
- American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, Fellow
  (membership limited to 500 appellate lawyers, by invitation only)
- American Law Institute, Fellow (and member of Consultative Group Aggregate Litigation Project)
- American Bar Foundation, Fellow
- The Florida Council of 100 (2010-present)
- American Law Institute (ALI) Council (2011-2016)
- Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation
- Tampa Bay Partnership
  Chair, Board of Directors (November 2009-November 2010), Executive Committee (2008-present)
- Creative Kids Count, Inc.
  Chair, Board of Directors (2001-present)
- Tocqueville Society, United Way of Tampa Bay
  Chair (2010)
- United Way
  Board of Trustees, Vice-Chair (2011-2012)
- Straz Performing Arts Center
  Board of Trustees (2008-present)
  Chair, Broadway Ball (2011)
- American Heart Association
  Chair, 2008 Heart Ball
- Hyde Park Preservation, Inc.
  President and Director (1990-1991)
- University of Pennsylvania Law Alumni Society
  Board of Managers, Member (1994-1996)
- H. B. Plant Museum in Tampa
  Vice President and Director (1992-1998)
Background
- Bredhoff & Kaiser, Washington, D. C.
  Litigator (1979-1987)
- The Honorable Byron R. White, United States Supreme Court
  Law Clerk (1978-1979)
- The Honorable Spottswood W. Robinson, III, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
  Law Clerk (1977-1978)

News

05.17.2012	Gary L. Sasso Discusses “Diversity in All Things”
03.06.2012	Gary Sasso Quoted in Tampa Tribune, Discusses Transportation in Tampa Bay Area
02.13.2012	Carlton Fields Unveils New Client-Focused Website
more