A practicing lawyer in Tampa for more than 30 years, Richard A. Gilbert has extensive experience in complex civil trials.  He is rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and is board certified in both civil trial law and business litigation. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and in Leading Florida Attorneys, and was voted by his peers statewide to Florida Trend Magazine’s 2004 and 2005 Florida Legal Elite. In 2007, Rich was listed as a Florida Super Lawyer, named as one of the “top 100” lawyers in the State, and is listed by Law Dragon as one of the 500 leading plaintiff lawyers in America.  Rich has represented clients in numerous multi-million dollar commercial, personal injury, and professional liability cases, and has served as lead trial counsel in four trials receiving national attention. He is a frequent lecturer and a widely published legal author whose articles have appeared in the Hillsborough County Bar Association journal, the Lawyer, and in the Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar publication, The Advocate.
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(813) 229-2775
Email:
rgilbert@dgfirm.com

Florida Bar Board Certified Business Litigation Lawyer and Civil Trial Lawyer
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Practice Focus:
Professional Liability
Corporate Litigation
Products Liability

Education:
University of Cincinnati, J.D., 1973
Miami University, B.A., 1970

 

Bar admissions:
The U.S. Supreme Court - 1985
U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit - 1981
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida – 1977
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida – 1975
The Florida Bar – 1974
Ohio Bar – 1973

Representative community involvement:
Rich has an abiding interest in advancing ethics in law, and in assuring that underprivileged citizens enjoy equal access to the justice system. To that end, he has chaired the Florida State Commission on Ethics, the Governor’s Task Force to Promote Ethics in Government (1990) and he chaired the Ethics Committee for the Hillsborough County Bar Association which led to the adoption of Professionalism Guidelines statewide.  Rich also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Southern Legal Counsel, Inc., a not-for-profit public interest law firm that provides representation to disadvantaged citizens on matters with broad implications for the legal system.

Representative professional affiliations:
Past Member, Florida Bar Board of Governors, 1999-2003

While serving on the Board of Governors, Rich was twice a member of the Executive Committee, Co-Chair of the Multidisciplinary Practice Committee, Chair of the Multijurisdictional Committee, and Chair of the Legislative Committee.

Past President - Hillsborough County Bar Association,
  1995-1996 (Centennial Year)
Past Chairman of the Trial Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar
Past Chairman of the Trial Lawyers Section of the Hillsborough County Bar
Past President of the Tampa Bay chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at Stetson College of Law

Awards:
William Reece Smith Award

Michael Fogarty “In the Trenches” Award for excellence in civil litigation

President’s Award of Merit for work on the Florida Board of Governors