Paul L. Nettleton

Paul Nettleton's practice covers all areas of complex trial and appellate litigation, as well as administrative litigation. His experience includes trial, administrative, and appellate litigation in the areas of insurance bad faith and other extra-contractual claims against insurance companies, insurance coverage, commercial disputes, class actions, consumer fraud, civil RICO, software development, product liability, toxic torts, environmental permitting, environmental and natural resources, rulemaking, employment, banking, construction, eminent domain and inverse condemnation, constitutional torts and civil rights, and defamation.

Paul is board certified in appellate practice by the Florida Bar. He previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Joseph Nesbitt of Florida's Third District Court of Appeal.

Speaking Engagements

"Recent Trends in First Party Bad Faith Actions," Windstorm Insurance Network Conference (February 1–4, 2021)

"Identifying and Defending the Bad Faith Set Up," Fourth Annual Bad Faith Claims and Litigation Strategies ExecuSummit, Uncasville, CT (November 1–2, 2016)

"Creative Bad Faith Set Ups: Preventative Strategies and Techniques," Extra-Contractual and Bad Faith Liability Conference, American Conference Institute, New York, NY (June 2–3, 2016)

"How to Handle and Defend Bad Faith Claims in Florida," National Forum on Bad Faith Claims & Litigation, American Conference Institute, Miami, FL (November 19, 2015)

"Hot New Cases and Issues in Bad Faith Across the Country," National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies Claims Conference, Phoenix, AZ (February 11, 2015)

"Ripped from the Case Law: U.S. v. Ruehle," International Association of Defense Counsel Annual Meeting, Asheville, NC (July 10, 2012)

"Environmental Regulations: Compensable Takings or Permissible Legislation," American Bar Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (August 11, 2007)

"Insurance 101: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Clients' (and Your Own) Rights to Recovery," American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Midyear Meeting, Miami, FL (February 9, 2007)

"Muddying the Waters: The Downstream Effect of the Supreme Court's Attempt to Define the Scope of the Clean Water Act," American Bar Association Joint CLE Seminar, Snowbird, UT (January 13, 2007)

Honors & Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America (2005–2027)

Florida Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2006–2026)

BTI Client Service All-Stars (2022)

Florida Legal Elite, Florida Trend (2004–2008)

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Professional & Community Involvement

Paul serves on the Florida Bar's Standard Jury Instructions Committee – Civil Cases and as vice chair of membership and of insurance for the International Association of Defense Counsel's Appellate Practice Committee. He chaired the Florida Bar's Appellate Practice Certification Committee and served on its Appellate Court Rules Committee. In the American Bar Association's Litigation Section, he served as a division director overseeing 24 committees and co-chaired the Appellate Practice, Products Liability, Environmental and Energy Litigation, and Legal Services Training committees.

Paul is a member of the Florida Bar's Appellate Practice and Environmental and Land Use Law sections, the Rosemary Barkett Appellate American Inn of Court, DRI, the Propane Gas Defense Association, and the U.S. Supreme Court, Eleventh Circuit, Florida Supreme Court, and Third District Court of Appeal historical societies. He is a former board member of the Guardianship Program of Dade County.

Paul has been a leader in the appellate and defense bars, helping set standards for appellate specialists in Florida and guiding committee work across the national litigation bar. He has also supported guardianship services in Miami-Dade.

At the University of Florida College of Law, Paul served on the editorial board of the Florida Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif.