Richard E. Berman has been a Supreme Court Certified Mediator for nearly 13 years. He has practiced law as a Commercial litigator for more then 45 years in State and Federal Courts. He has handled many different types of litigation matters including numerous business, corporate and real estate disputes, construction defect claims, construction lien claims, bad faith insurance claims, legal and accounting malpractice/professional liability claims, probate litigation, including will and trust contests, cemetery litigation, eminent domain and he also has a background in family law and creditor’s bankruptcy. He moved to Florida in 1977 to join Ruden Barnett, which later became Ruden McClosky. He was at that firm for approximately 19 years as a Senior Litigation Partner, Chairman of the Risk Management and Ethics Committee, and also served several years on the firm’s Management Committee. Berman, Kean & Riguera, P.A. (BKR) was formed in 2000 and the three named partners had all practiced together at Ruden. In mid 2015 the partners dissolved BKR and Mr. Berman accepted a position as a partner at Blank Rome, LLP an AM LAW 100 firm, from which he recently retired from active practice. He has had many trials, jury and non-jury in State and Federal Court. He has also tried many adversary proceedings in the Bankruptcy Courts in the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida. Mr. Berman is now devoting his time to Mediation and has reduced the number of cases he is litigation. Mr. Berman has also served as an expert witness and an arbitrator with consent of the parties and the court.
Experience
- Richard E. Berman Law, September 2020 –
- Berman Mediation – Commercial, Business and Probate Mediation, August 2019 –
- Blank Rome LLP – Partner, May 2015 – March 2019
- Berman, Kean & Riguera, P.A., Managing Partner, January 2000 – April 2015
- Katz, Barron, Squitero, Faust & Berman, P.A., 1996 – 1999
- Ruden McClosky – Senior Partner, 1977 – 1996
Education
- Syracuse University College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 1972 – 1975
Activities and Honors: Law Review, Order of the Coif, Justinian Honor Society
- State University of New York at Buffalo, Bachelor’s degree, 1966 – 1970
Awards and Recognition
- AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale Hubbell
- Legal Leaders Top Rated Litigator, 2021 –
- Florida Trend Legal Elite, 2005 –
- Florida Super Lawyers, 2006 –
- Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition, 2008 – 2009
- Certified as Circuit Court Civil Mediator by the Florida Supreme Court since 2007
- South Florida Legal Guide-Top Lawyers, 2009 – 2019
- Berman, Kean & Riguera, P.A. selected to South Florida Legal Guide Top Law Firms
- Selected by Judiciary to be a Member of Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Committee of Judges and Attorneys to discuss and create rules to Establish the Broward County Complex Litigation Division
- Served as Special Master for Broward County Business Court
- Selected to Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee 17 B (3 years, 1 year as co-chair)
- Vice Chairman of Broward County Bar Association Business Law Section
- Member, Trial Bar Section of United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
- Member, Broward County Bar Association
- Member of Bankruptcy Bar Association
- Supreme Court Certified Mediator 2007- to date
- Broward County Circuit Court Arbitrator
- Member Florida Bar Grievance Committee 17B • Vice Chair Grievance Committee 17 B-2011 (concluding 3 year term)
- Justice Lodge Founding Member, from inception to date
- Broward County Qualified Arbitrator
Significant Representations
- Represented Former President Gerald R. Ford, Former Chairman of Metropolitan Life, Former President of Citicorp and Retired Dean of the Harvard Business School in defense of a $300 million dollar ERISA claim
- Successfully defended the then second largest cemetery corporation in North America against 300 claimants allegations of massive grave disturbance.
- Represented one of largest banks in the world in claim regarding expenditure of roll-up funding in a $32 million transaction.
- Successfully obtained judgment in excess of one million dollars upon a jury verdict for bad faith against a major insurance company which had alleged that no bad faith claim had ever been successful against that entity prior to that verdict
- Successfully prosecuted claim against life insurance company for failure to honor policy on deceased policy holder whose policy issued one day prior to tragic accident and purportedly before acceptance by company.
- Successfully defended at trial in bankruptcy court $32 million dollar claim against former Singer Sewing Machine Company resulting in $2,000 recovery by the Creditor.
- Obtained jury verdict in eminent domain case tripling the State proposed valuation of contiguous property zoned but not improved for cemetery use taken by State by eminent domain.
- Obtained jury verdict well in excess of a million dollars for compensatory and punitive damages against McDonald’s for trespass claim on contiguous property.
- Successfully defended three separate jury trials against a New York REIT in State and Federal Court alleging improper cancellation of contracts to build condominium project, obtaining three separate zero verdicts
- Successfully tried bankruptcy court action against television production company for misappropriation of debtors invested funds
- Prevailed on Appeal in reversing State Court Judgment in Probate Proceeding reinstating will resulting in multi-million dollar distribution to client.
- Defended legal malpractice trial against major class action law firm resulting in zero judgment by trial court
- Defended legal malpractice trial against law firm by client resulting in zero judgment by trial court.
- Successful in having trustee appointed in bankruptcy court proceeding in $300,000,000 Gold Bullion Ponzi scheme in bankruptcy court
- Prosecuted and successfully resolved legal and accounting malpractice claims on behalf of client defrauded in Ponzi scheme involving mortgage warehousing with losses of millions of dollars
- Successfully defended State of Florida in claim for forfeiture of Birch State Park with land valued at over $600,000,000
- Prosecuted and defended successfully various construction defect claims on behalf of local developers and owners
- Successfully defended $60 million dollar claim by state pension fund against Florida developer in conjunction with sale of three shopping centers
- Successfully defended bankruptcy action seeking approximately $50 million from our client resulting in favorable resolution, with client paying no money, but retaining some property and also was transferred funds in excess of $ 1 million to a related client entity.
- Active Member of team obtaining summary Judgment in Palm Beach County Circuit court avoiding complete liability on a claim valued well in excess of $100 million on behalf of a major insurance company. Indeed, Plaintiffs’ valued their claim closer to $ 1.1 billion in deposition testimony
