Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite 2010 recognizes the top tier of attorneys practicing in Florida as chosen by their colleagues.

The 1,160 lawyers listed here exemplify a standard of excellence in their profession and by doing so have received endorsement from their peers in voting for the 2010 Florida Legal Elite.

How the Legal Elite Are Chosen

Balloting for this year’s list began in October 2009, when Florida Trend invited all in-state members of the Florida Bar to participate. Announcements in The Florida Bar News publicized the ballot deadline and voting guidelines.

Lawyers were asked to name attorneys whom they hold in the highest regard or would recommend to others. Florida Bar members were also asked to name three best “Up and Coming” attorneys and Government attorneys.

The ballots were processed, checked and tabulated by Bradenton-based Outsource America and Suncoast Opinion Surveys in St. Petersburg.

Each lawyer was given a score based on the number of votes received: one point for votes from within their firm or three points for votes from outside their firm. Only lawyers who are currently licensed and practicing in Florida were eligible for selection.

The list of top vote recipients was further examined using membership status and histories provided by the Florida Bar. A panel of previous Legal Elite winners, representing different practice areas in cities across the state, reviewed the selection process and the list of finalists.

The resulting list of 1,160 attorneys represents approximately 1.8% of the over 64,000 active Florida Bar members who practice in the state.

This year we induct 10 new members into the Legal Elite Hall of Fame. To achieve Hall of Fame status, an attorney must have been a Legal Elite winner at least five times. A diverse panel of lawyers was consulted to evaluate that list and to make the final selections.

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