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Paul L. Nettleton

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Overview

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.

"I enjoy Paul's intelligence and rigor. He has great writing skills and he is a great trial attorney."

Recognition

  • Board Certified in Appellate Practice by the Florida Bar
  • AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Environmental Litigation, Insurance Litigation, Person Injury Litigation – Defendants (2005–2025)
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2006–2024)
  • BTI Client Service All-Stars (2022)
  • Florida Legal Elite, Florida Trend Magazine (2004–2008)

Professional & Community Involvement

  • International Association of Defense Counsel
    • Vice Chair of Membership, Appellate Practice Committee
    • Vice Chair of Insurance, Appellate Practice Committee
    • Insurance and Reinsurance Committee
    • Environmental and Energy Law Committee
    • Business Litigation Committee
    • Product Liability Committee
    • Toxic and Hazardous Substances Committee
  • American Bar Association
    • Section of Litigation
      • Former Division Director, presided over 24 committees
      • Former Co-Chair, Legal Services Training Committee
      • Former Co-Chair, Environmental and Energy Litigation Committee
      • Former Co-Chair, Appellate Practice Committee
      • Former Co-Chair, Products Liability Committee
    • Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section
  • The Florida Bar
    • Appellate Practice Section
    • Chair, Appellate Practice Certification Committee (2016–2017)
      • Vice Chair (2015–2016)
      • Member (1999–2003, 2011–2018)
    • Standard Jury Instructions Committee – Civil Cases (2022–present)
    • Former Member, Appellate Court Rules Committee 
    • Environmental and Land Use Law Section
  • Rosemary Barkett Appellate American Inn of Court
  • Guardianship Program of Dade County
    • Former Member, Board of Directors
  • American Judicature Society
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Propane Gas Defense Association
  • U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society
  • Eleventh Circuit Historical Society
  • Florida Supreme Court Historical Society
  • Florida Third District Court of Appeal Historical Society

Speaking Engagements

  • "Recent Trends in First Party Bad Faith Actions," Windstorm Insurance Network (WIND) 2021 Conference (February 1-4, 2021)
  • “Identifying and Defending the Bad Faith Set Up,” Fourth Annual Bad Faith and Litigation Strategies ExecuSummit, Hartford, CT (November 1–2, 2016)
  • “Creative Bad Faith Set Ups: Preventative Strategies and Techniques,” ACI's Extra-Contractual and Bad Faith Liability Conference, New York, NY (June 2–3, 2016)
  • “How to Handle and Defend Bad Faith Claims in Florida,” ACI's National Forum on Bad Faith Claims & Litigation, 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)
  • “Muddying the Waters: The Downstream Effect of the Supreme Court's Attempt to Define the Scope of the Clean Water Act,” ABA Joint CLE Seminar, Snowbird, UT (January 13, 2007)
  • “Environmental Regulations: Compensable Takings or Permissible Legislation,” ABA 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,” ABA Young Lawyers Division Midyear Meeting, Miami, FL (February 9, 2007)

Credentials

Education

  • University of Florida College of Law (J.D., with honors, 1983)
    • Editorial Board, Florida Law Review
    • Order of the Coif
  • University of Florida (B.S., high honors, 1981)

Bar Admissions

Industry Specialization Certifications

Court Admissions

Clerkships

Background

  • Law Clerk to the Honorable Joseph Nesbitt, Florida Third District Court of Appeal (1984-1986)

Disclaimer

The information on this website is presented as a service for our clients and Internet users and is not intended to be legal advice, nor should you consider it as such. Although we welcome your inquiries, please keep in mind that merely contacting us will not establish an attorney-client relationship between us. Consequently, you should not convey any confidential information to us until a formal attorney-client relationship has been established. Please remember that electronic correspondence on the internet is not secure and that you should not include sensitive or confidential information in messages. With that in mind, we look forward to hearing from you.