David B. Weinstein

David Weinstein is the Managing Shareholder of GT’s Tampa office. With over 30 years of experience, David is a “go to” litigator and strategist for high-stakes and complex civil and white-collar litigation, including business, environmental, toxic tort, real estate, land use, health care, and other challenging matters. An accomplished lawyer who takes pride in his courtroom advocacy, David also works to help clients find practical and effective out-of-court solutions to their legal issues whenever appropriate. Drawing on his business experience and acumen, David handles a wide variety of matters for clients, including Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, major real estate developers, allied foreign governments, and professional sports teams, and has assisted them with their most difficult challenges. In the civil context, he represents clients in class actions, mass torts, and other complex litigation. He also represents organizations and individuals in federal and state white-collar criminal investigations. David helps clients develop and implement crisis management, public relations, and other external and internal communications strategies for both civil actions and government investigations. He has significant “first-chair” trial experience in jury and non-jury trials, as well as arbitrations. David also serves as the Chair of the firm’s Environmental and Toxic Tort Litigation Practice.

David’s versatility and skills are exemplified by his recognition in multiple categories by the most prestigious legal rating services. Both Chambers and Partners USA Guide and The Best Lawyers in America list David in three distinct categories: Commercial Litigation, White-Collar Criminal Defense, and Environmental Law. In 2025, The Legal 500 United States recognized him as one of only 20 “Leading Partners” nationally in “Litigation - Product Liability and Mass Tort Defense: Toxic Tort.” Who's Who Legal describes him as “a distinguished litigator and a well-known name for civil and white-collar disputes,” and Benchmark Litigation recognizes David as a “Litigation Star.” In 2023, David was selected as a fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, which is an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society limited to less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers, judges, and scholars. Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and for superior ethical reputation. David is recognized as one of “Florida's Legal Elite” by Florida Trend magazine-which inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2010. And Florida Super Lawyers has rated David as one of Florida's “Top 100” lawyers seven times.

Ranked in Chambers and Partners USA Guide since 2009, David has been described by clients in the following ways:

•“[A] really fabulous lawyer . . . well-liked by clients . . . the kind of guy you would want leading the charge if you had a problem.”
•“[A] stellar reputation” with a “wealth of expertise in high-stakes civil and white-collar criminal disputes. He offers additional strengths in appellate work, healthcare disputes, and wider business litigation. Interviewees report that he ‘has good judgement and is a pleasure to work with.’”
•“The way he handles litigation is truly a sight to behold. He is a fantastic lawyer.”
•“‘[I]ncredibly skilled and adept in the courtroom.’”
•“David is very savvy, super hard-working with good managerial skills. He is the gold standard of environmental lawyers.”
•“‘[A] master litigator not only in the thoughtfulness of his drafting and pre-trial work, but also as a great trial attorney.’ He is recognized for his litigation strength in matters including toxic tort class action cases as well as in criminal environmental cases.”
•“He's top-notch, he's one of the best. If I was accused of a white-collar environmental crime I would use him. He's tenacious, bright and extremely capable.”
•“David is outstanding, a committed and passionate advocate, and he has the technical knowledge of environmental law.”
•“He shows incredible judgment and is very helpful to clients. He has a good understanding of local regulatory climates.”

David has a long record of service to the legal profession and the community, which include: Member, Board of Directors, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay; Former Member, Board of Trustees, Straz Center for the Performing Arts (three terms); Member, Former Chair and current Co-Chair, Environmental Enforcement and Crimes Committee, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources; and Co-Chair, Criminal Litigation and Enforcement Subcommittee, ABA Environmental Litigation Committee. He is also a member emeritus of the Herbert G. Goldburg-Ronald K. Cacciatore Criminal Law American Inn of Court and a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. A Fourth-Degree Black Belt, David served as the senior instructor of Tampa Moo Duk Kwan, a not-for-profit martial arts club.

David was recently recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as a member of their “Power 100” and in Florida Trend’s “People to Know in Tampa/Hillsborough County.”

Coverage of representations have appeared in Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, USA Today, the Associated Press, CNN, BBC News, the Miami Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, the Tampa Bay Times, Florida Trend magazine, Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Daily Business Review, The American Lawyer, Law360, and other print and electronic media.

Concentrations

•Business litigation
•Environmental & Toxic Tort Litigation
•Real estate and land use litigation
•White-collar criminal defense
•Class actions
•Mass torts
•Trial and appellate practice

Recognition & Leadership

Awards & Accolades

•Listed, Chambers and Partners USA Guide, an annual listing of the world's leading business lawyers and law firms, 2009-2025: “Environment,” “Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations,” “Litigation: General Commercial”
•Listed, The Legal 500 United States, 2011-2024
•Recognized as one of only 20 “Leading Lawyers/Leading Partners” nationally in Dispute Resolution - Product Liability, Mass Tort, and Class Action - Defense: Toxic Tort, 2021-2025
•Listed, Industry Focus - Environment: Transactional, 'Recommended Lawyer,' 2023-2025
•Listed, Industry Focus - Environment: Litigation, 2016-2025
•Listed, Industry Focus - Environment: Regulatory, 2018, 2020-2025
•Listed, Dispute Resolution - General Commercial Disputes, 2025
•Listed, Dispute Resolution - Product Liability, Mass Tort, and Class Action - Defense: Toxic Tort, 2011-2014, 2016-2024
•Listed, Dispute Resolution - Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense, 2017-2019
•Listed, Dispute Resolution - Appellate, 2019
•Listed, Benchmark Litigation, “Litigation Star,” 2023-2026
•Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, 2005-2025: Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Environment; Environmental Law; and Criminal Defense: White-Collar
•Listed, Lexology Index (formerly Who's Who Legal), 2013-2024
•Global Leader, Environment, 2013-2023
•National Leader, Florida - Environment, 2013-2021
•Team Member, a Law360 'Real Estate Practice Group of the Year,' 2023
•Team Member, a Law360 “Environmental Practice Group of the Year, ” 2022
•Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers, “Law Firm of the Year: Litigation - Real Estate,” 2022
•Team Member, The American Lawyer, “Florida Regional Litigation Department of the Year,” 2019
•Team Member, a Law360 “Florida Powerhouse,” 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021-2025
•Listed, Florida Trend magazine, “Legal Elite,” 2004-2025
•“Notable Managing Partners,” 2023-2025
•“Hall of Fame,” 2010-2023
•“Litigation,” 2021
•“Environmental & Land Use,” 2004-2022
•Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Florida Super Lawyers, 2009-2025
•Listed as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers in Florida” seven times
•Team Member, a Law360 'Real Estate Practice Group of the Year,' 2023
•Recipient, “Excellence in Writing Award,” Journal & News Editorial Board, The Florida Bar, 2015
•Listed, “People to Know in Tampa/Hillsborough County,” Florida Trend, November 2020 and November 2023
•Listed, Tampa Bay Business Journal, “Power 100,” 2021
•Rated, AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5.0