Thomas S. Edwards, Jr.

Thomas S. Edwards, Jr. is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, the highest specialty recognition given by The Florida Bar for attorneys who handle litigation of civil litigation. His honors include:Best Lawyers in America – 2012 Jacksonville Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year“AV” by Martindale Hubbell Million Dollar Advocate’s Forum Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite Florida’s Super Lawyers Florida Bar Award, Top Legal Writing Best Lawyers 2012 & 2013

Tom has held numerous prestigious positions for service to the public, his community and the Bar including:President Florida Justice Association – the state trial lawyer’s association President of the Jacksonville Chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) -membership restricted organization of trial attorneys President of The Jacksonville Bar Association- elected by all of the attorneys in The Jacksonville Bar Association President of the Jacksonville Trial Lawyers Association Master of the Bench Inns of Court- highest standing available Numerous Florida Supreme Court Appointments-including serving on the committee that creates the legal instructions that Judges give to Jurors during trials.

Tom was selected by The Florida Bar and the Florida Supreme Court to serve as a member of the North Florida Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee is responsible for investigating and prosecuting attorneys who are accused of unethical conduct. Ultimately, he served as chairman of this committee and was responsible for overseeing the prosecution of unethical attorneys. In addition, Tom served for two terms on the committee that was responsible for rendering legal opinions to judges throughout the state regarding how to ensure their conduct was ethical. As part of those duties, he assisted in writing the code of ethics that applies to the way in which judges conduct themselves. Tom has testified before the legislature about the legal system on multiple occasions.

He has published numerous legal book chapters and legal articles and previously won The Florida Bar Award for top legal writing and has lectured other lawyers in seminars all over the country on a wide variety of subjects, including how to handle the trial of cases and how to present cases effectively to maximize their value and ethics. Tom attended Sewanee - The University of the South and graduated with a degree in Economics. He then attended Stetson University College of Law, where he was awarded his law degree.

A lifelong native of Jacksonville, Florida, Tom is consulted by lawyers from around the country and has won verdicts in Florida and in other states. In 2012 in the case of Chandler v. Memorial Hospital, Tom and his partner, Eric Ragatz won a verdict for the Chandler’s in the amount of $178 million. Due to statutory sanctions against the defendant, the resulting Judgments were approximately $232 million and believed to be one of the largest malpractice awards in the history of the state.

Tom is admitted to all Florida Courts, the United States Middle District Courts, United States 11th Circuit Court and the United States Supreme Court. Areas of Practice:Nursing Home Litigation Professional Liability Product Liability Personal Injury Premesis Liability Insurance Litigation Commercial Litigation Medical Malpractice Certification/Specialties: Civil Trial Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education Bar Admissions:Florida, 1984 U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1985 U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1986 U.S. Supreme Court, 1993 Education:Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg, Florida, 1983 J.D. Honors: President, Stetson Moot Court Board Honors: Member, National Moot Court Team University of the South, 1981 B.A. Major: Economics Honors and Awards:“AV” by Martindale Hubbell Million Dollar Advocate’s Forum Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite Florida’s Super Lawyers Florida Bar Award, Top Legal Writing Best Lawyers 2012 & 2013 Best Lawyers 2012 Jacksonville Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year Professional Associations and Memberships:Florida Justice Association-State Trial Lawyers President American Board of Trial Advocates President, Jacksonville Chapter Jacksonville Bar Association President Jacksonville Justice Association President Bench Inns of Court (Highest Standing Available) Master Florida Bar Trial Lawyer’s Section – Executive Council Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Fraternities/Sororities: Phi Alpha Delta