Practice Areas
As an instrument rated pilot with several thousand hours logged as pilot in command, Mr. Ferrin is able to handle cases statewide. While his practice is concentrated in South and Northeast Florida (in cities such as West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Marathon, Key West, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, and Palatka) he has also litigated cases in Naples, Fort Myers, LaBelle, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Bartow, Lakeland, Leesburg, Orlando, Kissimmee, Okeechobee, Stuart, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Rockledge, Titusville, Ocala, Sanford, and Pensacola.
Aviation:
Mr. Ferrin has represented pilots, aircraft owners and aircraft repair stations, in matters of aircraft accidents and incidents, FAA violations, and purchase and sale of aircraft and aircraft related businesses. Examples are claims for fraud and misrepresentation on aircraft sales; disputes and liens foreclosures over unpaid repair bills or improper repair work; insurance coverage issues; defense of FAA claims against a pilot's certificate; and aircraft accidents involving mechanical failure or pilot error.
In a recent trial Mr. Ferrin represented a captain for a major airline whose career was destroyed as a result of a urine sample that was mislabeled as his during a routine drug and alcohol screening. The case went on for nearly nine years as it wound its way through state and federal courts including several appeals. Up against a relentless defense by four different law firms, Mr. Ferrin would not give up and after investing thousands of hours of his time, the case finally went to a jury which resulted in a $5,500,000.00 verdict for Mr. Ferrin's client. Read more details of the case as published by Jury Verdict Review and Analysis: Case Details: https://www.jvra.com/asseenatjvr.aspx?ref=EC95AAB6-D45C-4B62-8959-A0F23E4BB4D0
Personal Injury:
Mr. Ferrin has represented both plaintiffs and self insured defendants in claims of medical malpractice, product liability, premises liability, and vehicle and boat accidents. Examples are: vessel collisions in the intracoastal waterway causing brain damage and amputation injuries; defense of dozens of claims against manufacturers of step ladders, extension ladders, lifts, conveyor belts, and electric door openers; prosecution of claims against manufactures of electric and air driven power tools, tractors, farm equipment, chemicals and conveyor systems; medical malpractice claims for failure properly diagnose, timely and appropriately treat conditions such as a pituitary tumor, infection, cancer, seizure disorder, for misreading radiographs, and spinal cord injuries resulting from steroid injections. These cases have very complex medical and insurance issues, and often involve numerous parties. In one case Mr. Ferrin successfully pursued a claim against ten different medical doctors who treated his client, who had been improperly branded as a psychiatric patient, without recognizing the medical problem that was causing his symptoms.
Real Estate and Commercial:
Mr. Ferrin has represented individuals, corporations and professional businesses in contract disputes, fraudulent misrepresentations, debt collections, lien foreclosures, employment disputes, partnership dissolutions, warranty claims and insurance issues. Examples are: misrepresentation by a seller of his ownership of a dock, both enforcement and avoidance of restrictive covenants in employment contracts of professionals such as medical doctors, chiropractors, accountants, and real estate brokers; collection of promissory notes, overdue accounts, and mechanics liens; recently a jury awarded a client $684,000 for unjust enrichment as a result of the sale of an insurance agency and a business investment. With his experience handling lawsuits that result from deals gone bad, Mr. Ferrin is a valued counselor to clients in the negotiation and closing of real estate purchases and sales, and is authorized to issue title insurance policies as an agent for a national title insurance company.
Appeals:
The majority of appeals are decided without a written opinion by the court. The following is a partial list of cases which were briefed or argued by Mr. Ferrin in appellate courts and subsequently published in the law reporters with a written opinion by the court: Langston v. King, 410 So.2d 179 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1982); Kozlik v. Kozlik, 416 So.2d 481 (Fla. 4th DCA 1982); Consolidated Aluminum Corporation v. Weinroth, 422 So.2d 330 (Fla. 5th DCA, 1982); Roach v. Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District, 421 So.2d 49 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1982); Consolidated Aluminum Corporation v. Huntt, 425 So.2d 1156 (Fla. 3d DCA, 1982); Dunlop v. Jack Eckerd Corporation, 446 So.2d 244 (Fla. 3d DCA, 1984); Consolidated Aluminum Corporation v. Braun, 447 So.2d 391 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1984); Miller v. Endo, 456 So.2d 920 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1984); Ashby Div. of Consolidated Aluminum Corporation v. Dobkin, 458 So.2d 335 (Fla. 3d DCA, 1984); Martin v. Roach, 471 So.2d 69 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1985); Mitchell v. Ledbetter, 496 So.2d 176 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1986); Shisko v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 498 So.2d 530 (Fla. 3d DCA, 1986); Brennan v. Dow Chemical Co., 613 So.2d 131 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1993); Keel v. Psychiatric Institute of Delray, Inc., 668 So.2d 691 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1996); In Re: Piper Aircraft Corp., 206 B.R. 243 (Bankr. S.D. Fla., 1997); Psychiatric Institute of Delray v. Keel, 717 So.2d 1042 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1998); U.S. Block Corp. V. T.A.W. Corp., 710 So.2d 999 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1998); Deison v. Progressive American Insurance Co., 712 So.2d 432 (Fla. 4th DCA, 1998); Palm Beach Roamer, Inc. v. McClure, 727 So.2d 1005 (Fla. 5th DCA, 1999); Swaters v. Osmus, 568 F.3d 1315 (11th Cir. 2009); Cummings v. Cummings, 4D08-3250 (Fla. App. 3/10/2010); Campbell v. Household Life Insurance Co., 77 So. 3d 772 (Fla. 5th DCA, 2012); Gyongyosi v. Miller, 80 So.3d 1070 (Fla. 4th DCA, 2012); Quest Diagnostics v. Swaters, 94 So.3d 635 (Fla. 4th DCA, 2012); AM K-9 Detection Services, Inc. v. Cicero, 100 So.3d 236 (Fla 2nd DCA, 2012); Barrier v. JFK Medical Center, 169 So.3d 185 (Fla. 4th DCA, 2015); Fulton v. Brancato, 189 So.3d 967 (Fla. 4th DCA, 2016).
Mediation:
Having mediated hundreds of cases as an advocate for one of the litigants, Mr. Ferrin obtained his certification as a mediator from the Florida Supreme Court in 2002. While every litigant has a right to his or her day in court, most would prefer to remain in control of the outcome and reach a compromise without the risk, expense, and uncertainty of what a judge or jury will do. As a mediator Mr. Ferrin has been very successful bringing the parties to a negotiated resolution. His experience as a pilot and litigator of complex multi-party cases has led attorneys from around the state to seek his help in resolving difficult and emotional lawsuits. For example, he mediated claims and counterclaims arising from a mid-air collision in Northeast Florida that caused the deaths of two student pilots and two instructors, resulting in several state and federal lawsuits that required three separate mediations. Another example is a medical malpractice case with multiple parties which failed to settle after two pre-trial mediations by other mediators. After a trial lasting several months ended with a hung jury, the case was finally settled shortly after a post-trial mediation conducted by Mr. Ferrin. Mr. Ferrin handles mediations throughout Florida, and in many cases does not charge for travel time or expenses.